Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

Eating the right foods before and after a workout can greatly enhance your results and help move you closer to your goals.

Pre-workout: The goal of the pre-workout meal is to provide enough energy to keep you moving throughout the workout. This meal isn’t going to be much different from your other meals; a balance of protein and carbohydrates. The amino acids from protein are the building blocks for muscle. Carbohydrates are the fuel that makes our bodies run and will ultimately be used as energy to contract your muscles during exercise (ATP). But remember, not all carbs are created equally. All carbohydrates are rated based on the effect they have on our blood glucose levels. The rating system is called the Glycemic Index (GI). In a nutshell, the quick digestion and absorption from high GI foods cause a greater rise and fall of blood sugar levels. Lower GI foods are slower to digest and absorb, keeping blood sugar and insulin levels more stable.

So, what the heck does this mean and how can you use it to enhance your workouts? Consuming about 20 grams of protein and a low to moderate GI rated carbohydrate (slow digesting) about 60-90 minutes prior to exercise will give you the sustained energy you need to last throughout the workout. Eating 60-90 minutes prior to exercise will give your body the time it needs to digest the food and utilize the nutrients available for energy.

In addition to the pre-workout meal, I like to add some simple carbohydrates (usually an apple or orange) about 15-20 prior to exercising. The simple carbs provide my body with an immediate energy burst. This combination of pre-workout nutrition provides plenty of sustained energy for my workouts.

Post Workout: Catabolism (muscle breakdown) and anabolism (muscle building) are the biochemical processes involved in your body’s metabolism. Because exercise puts our bodies in a catabolic state, the goal of the post workout meal is to refuel the body and assist it in rebuilding the muscles, creating an anabolic state. This is important to understand because if you are in a catabolic state more often than anabolic, the result will be muscle loss and fat storage.

The sooner your body gets a nutritional boots, the sooner it can start the rebuilding process. I recommend consuming your post workout meal within 10-30 minutes following exercise. A quick-digesting liquid protein shake, such as whey, is ideal because the body will process and utilize the nutrients faster. I also like to add about 5 grams of L-Glutamine (amino acid) to my shake to assist in the rebuilding and recovery process. Along with the shake, get a high GI carb to replace the energy and nutrients that were used during exercise. The high GI carbohydrates will also create an insulin spike, which assists the body in transporting nutrients to your muscles. Some easy examples of high GI carbs are fruit, fruit juice or a sports drink. Go ahead and get your well balanced protein, complex carbs and healthy fats meal about 60-90 minutes after exercising.

Remember, working out in the gym is extremely important, but 80% of your results come from the fuel you put in your body. As with everything, these are general guidelines to healthy nutrition. While all of us, both men and women, pretty much have the same biochemistry, it is important to try a few things and see what works best for you. Be sure to consider any food allergies and/or illnesses you have that require special dietary needs. Listen to your body, become in-tune with what it needs in regards to your goals and fuel it appropriately. Doing this will get you on the track to optimum health!