Nutrition before and after exercise
Nutrition in sports is one of the most important issues that you athletes should pay special attention to, especially nutrition before and after sports because a proper sports program and hard training alone cannot be the cause of your success.
Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel during exercise. A diet that has a high amount of healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes, can help to do sports exercises, especially in conditions where the exercise is done more intensively and quickly, the importance of this issue will be added.
The food you use before, during and after exercise is important in the quality of the exercise you do, the duration of the exercise and recovery afterwards. The quality of your exercise depends on the food you eat before, during and after exercise. Athlete nutrition is also effective during sports activities and recovery afterwards.
If you have visited sports clubs, you will see that many people who are involved in sports, despite the recommendations of the coaches regarding nutrition before and after sports, are in a confused state and despite the many hours they exercise, they do not see the desired effect. do
Nutrition of the athlete, before and after exercise, if properly planned, will make the athlete relax and perform better during exercise. In fact, the food that is used before exercise provides enough glycogen stored in the muscles of the body, which is needed for better sports performance, and the food that is used after exercise increases the athlete’s recovery and ability.
Nutrition before exercise
There are misconceptions about nutrition for athletes, some of which are related to nutrition before exercise. Some people think that eating before exercising causes nausea and abdominal contractions in athletes. Some people think that if they exercise on an empty stomach, they will burn more fat.
But it must be said that fullness of the stomach and eating heavy food before exercise causes stomach upset, nausea and abdominal contractions, and this condition occurs because all the energy of the body is spent on digestion and digestion of the food eaten and the blood flow increases. More goes to the digestive system and less goes to the muscles. On the other hand, exercising on an empty stomach is not recommended, because it can cause a decrease in blood sugar, a feeling of weakness, and a loss of body energy.
Thus, you should use some light food before exercise to increase the energy required for exercise and fat burning. In fact, if you eat heavy food containing a lot of protein, fiber and fat, you should avoid doing sports activities for three to four hours so that your food is digested. But if you eat light food, you can exercise two hours later. Therefore, it is better to eat a light meal one to two hours before exercise. In such conditions, the body prefers to use carbohydrates as fuel, so it is better to eat things like bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables before exercise. But if you feel hungry during exercise, you can use a small meal containing some fruit, sports drink or some juice.
In fact, as you get closer to the time of exercise, you should try to avoid eating and if you are close to the time of exercise, use fast-digesting foods. Because glucose is the most important source of energy for doing sports, you should use more carbohydrates that are easier to digest before exercising.
Consuming caffeine (such as coffee) in the body acts as a stimulant of the central nervous system and by increasing the burning of fats to provide energy, it increases a person’s resistance and as a result preserves glycogen in the muscles. But some people are highly allergic to this substance and after consuming it, they experience symptoms such as nausea, muscle tremors and headache. A lot of caffeine is a diuretic and leads to a decrease in body water and a person’s performance.
Avoid using any fatty food that is slow and difficult to digest and remains in the stomach for a long time, because it may cause problems in the stomach. Meat, sweets, fries and chips are among this group of ingredients.
Nutrition after exercise
In general, the type of nutrition after exercise and physical activities can make the effect of exercise last in the body, and if it is not done correctly, it will have the opposite effect.
It is usually recommended to have a light meal or snack two hours after exercising. In fact, the use of high-calorie substances and carbohydrates immediately after exercise can increase the body’s insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity makes it easier for the body to absorb sugar from the bloodstream and store it in muscles and other tissues and use it as energy, and this condition can cause high blood sugar and increase the risk of diabetes. .
Past research shows that many of the benefits of aerobic exercise depend on post-workout nutrition. But as we said, you don’t need to starve yourself in the meantime. Rather, the use of low-calorie foods, which do not increase insulin sensitivity, even compensates for the amount of calories we lost during exercise. Starving yourself after exercise causes more cravings for the main meal. So, try to satisfy your hunger after exercise by consuming low-calorie food, and this will not harm the benefits of exercise. In fact, what causes the effect of exercise to disappear is the consumption of high-calorie foods such as carbohydrates (potatoes and chocolate), which have a negative effect on the body, especially for people who want to lose weight.
If their body muscles increase, they can use some carbohydrates and protein and a small amount of fat at this time, two hours after exercise, but they should not overdo it. Among these materials, we can refer to the consumption of pasta, whole grain bread, fruit and yogurt.
Using a small amount of carbohydrates such as fruit or juice about 15 minutes after exercise helps to re-store glycogen in the muscles. Research shows that consuming 100 to 200 grams of carbohydrates within two hours after exercise helps to build enough stored glycogen for the next exercise, and if the time exceeds two hours, the amount of glycogen stored in the muscles decreases by 50%. Consuming protein after exercise also produces amino acids that are necessary for rebuilding muscle tissue that has been damaged during intense and long-term exercise, and on the other hand, it increases water absorption from the intestines and muscle water absorption. increases . The amino acids in protein stimulate the body’s immune system and make a person resistant to cold and other infections.
So always remember that to have a good body, exercise is only one side of the coin, and the other side of the coin is healthy nutrition and its proper use, so as to increase the strength of the body and achieve the goal of exercise.
Remember that people are different. Some foods may be effective for you, while for others, they may be heavy and harmful, especially during or before exercise. Try different foods at different times to see how your body reacts. For best performance, try to keep a diary.
