Workout Foods

Workout foods can be one of the most overlooked components of a prosperous training routine. Although a allowable understanding of the role of food deserves a more detailed study, there are a few tips and guidelines that can be beneficial as you search for ways to make your workouts more effective and maximize the results of your efforts.

Pre Workout Foods

The Food Pyramid

Broadly speaking, the role of food before your workout is to give your body the fuel and nutrients it will need to accomplish at a high level. Think ahead. Lean protein and whole grains consumed 2 to 3 hours before a workout will supply both amino acids and a source of power for your muscles to burn during the workout. As workout time approaches, eat smaller amounts and limit yourself to foods that are digested fairly quickly. These would be foods with lower fat content and calories that are more readlily avalable. Here are examples of the types of foods that would be standard for each time period:

2 - 3 hours in advance --- tuna and brown rice; turkey breast and whole grain bread; lowfat cheese

30 minutes in advance --- dried apricots and almonds; whey protien shake (non-dairy)

Food during the Workout

Ideally, workouts should be done with an emptly stomach. Digestion requires power and increased bloodflow to the stomach, which competes with the bloodflow being demanded by the working muscle tissue. However, some find that a small amount of speedily ready calories can be beneficial, particularly during a long workout. The idea here is not to replace all of the calories being burned, but to give the body a boost without to much burden. A pack of carb gel or half of a whey protein bar regularly does the trick.

After Workout Foods

Think of your post-workout muscles as a hanger-on that has had the water squeezed out. The period immediately following a workout represents a window of opportunity to replenish your tissues with choice elements. Timing is important, as you now have the opportunity to "force feed" protein back into your muscles. For this task, there is no substitute for whey. It is one of the most truly digested sources at your disposal. A whey and fruit juice smoothie is ideal at this time, because the sugars in the fruit temporarily raise insulin levels, assisting the protein as it assimilates into the tissues. Your next meal should be within 2 hours, and should consist of lean protein (such as chicken breast) with whole grains and vegetables. Keep this meal fairly small.

Strategy

Think of your workout foods as representing a pyramid with your workout at the peak. Your pre workout and post workout meal schedules are like mirror images. As you get closer to the peak, you eat smaller amounts of more speedily digestible foods.

Workout Foods