When preparing to hit the gym for a weight training workout, it is vitally important to both eat the right foods and to eat them at the right time. Eating too much to close to the workouts can lead to nausea and gastrointestinal distress during your workout, while not eating enough can lead to pre-mature fatigue and leave you feeling dizzy or light headed.
There are two circumstances I would like to discuss that I commonly encounter with my clients. The first circumstance is for the ideal situation in which the client has time to properly prepare and eat a well balanced meal before there workout. The second circumstance is for those clients who do not have that time available.
Ideally, a client has the time to eat a well balanced meal about 2 hours prior to a weight training workout. We want this meal to contain a mixture of complex carbs, simple carbs, and protein. One’s individual dietary needs will dictate the appropriate portion size, but the balance of the nutrients should be similar across all athletes. An example of a good pre-workout meal would be:
Complex Carb: 1 serving of cooked oats, sweet potato, or brown rice
Simple Carb: 1 medium apple or banana
Protein: 4-6 oz of lean chicken, fish or tuna, or a supplemental protein
Next is the back-up scenario for those who are either early morning exercisers or those who are trying to fit a workout in at the end of a busy work day. If you find yourself having not eaten for an extended period prior to you workout, like 4-6 hours, then your best bet is to have easily digestible simple carbohydrates that are filled with electrolytes 30 minutes prior to your workout. These simple carbohydrates will support your workout and keep you from “crashing” during it. An example would be:
1 medium banana or a small bowl of grape fruit
Under both scenarios it is important to eat after your workout too. Check back in with www.millerfit.com soon to find out more about post-workout nutrition.
Yours in Health,
Matt Miller
[ add comment ] ( 6 views ) | permalink | print article | related link |
( 2.9 / 295 )
Calendar
