What to eat - before, during and after workouts???

Nowadays people have become so conscious about their health that besides having a busy life, they take out time to work out. Earlier looking fit and good was an affair for young girls. Now women, men and older people too want to enjoy this experience. This has encouraged many gyms and slimming centres to come up with facilities to lose weight and look fit. But do you think just working out for few hours can actually help you reduce your weight? Can it keep you healthy? What, if you don’t exercise for few days?

A client visited me for diet consultation few months back. He was an IT professional. To practice a healthy lifestyle he had joined his office gym. But after few days he started feeling weak and drowsy all time. After checking all his details I found his weight was perfectly correct for his age and height.  His BMI (Basal Metabolic Index) indicated him to be healthy. He was only lacking the knowledge about what to eat and when to eat. Workout with full enthusiasm and no planned diet to cope up with the physical stress because of the exercise had made him weak. This incident led me to write on what to eat and when to eat while working out.

                                            

Usually people go either for STRENGTH TRAINING or CARDIO or CIRCUIT TRAINING (combination of both).

STRENGTH TRAINING:

Since in this type of exercise muscles build up so one needs to have lots of protein like chicken, eggs, soy, milk and its products with complex carbohydrates like whole grains, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, etc. Take healthy fats like unsaturated vegetable oils. Nuts and seeds like almonds and flax seeds respectively can also be made part of your diet.

CARDIO:

In this type one needs high carbohydrates which can provide instant energy. Also one needs to keep electrolyte level balanced in body which is lost due to sweating. Banana is a rich source of both carbohydrates and electrolytes. Coconut water instead of sports drink will be a good option. Eggs, lean chicken, cheese, fruit juices, cereals like rice, wheat, oats, milk and yoghurt, etc should be included in the diet.

CIRCUIT TRAINING (combination of both strength training and cardio):

One should take high protein food 2-3 hrs before and carbohydrate rich food 1 hr before working out. A light snack like a chicken sandwich or a glass of chocolate milk or banana shake before 1 hr of workout will be good enough to keep you energised throughout the circuit training.

However you should also keep in mind the following:

5 tips before workout:

1. Take heavy meals 3-4 hrs before workout, small meals 2-3hrs before workout and light snacks / drinks 1hr before workout.
2. Whole cereal bars, lean chicken sandwich with vegetable oils (no saturated oils), fruit salads, fresh fruits, sports drinks, etc should be part of your diet before working out.
3. Never workout on empty stomach or you might faint. A fresh fruit or a cup of yoghurt or fruit smoothie or a few nuts ½ hr before exercise can provide you with full energy to workout. If you have a habit of tea or coffee in the morning, have 1 cup with 2 biscuits ½-1 hr before leaving for exercise.
4. Keep yourself hydrated. Sweating indicates your calories are burning and to replenish your water loss you need to take lots of water, fruit juice, coconut water, sports drink, etc. But have them ½-1 hr before exercise.
5. Diabetics need to have light snacks 30 minutes before workout. This will not let blood sugar fall leading to hypoglycaemia.

3 Tips during Workouts:

1.           When you workout for long hours it is important to take break and sip small amounts of fluids to keep hydrated.
2.          Be careful not to over eat if you are running a marathon or you can end up having upset stomach.
3.          Diabetics can take light drinks or snacks in between.

5 Tips after workouts:

1.          Sip on water or any fluid after exercise to prevent dehydration because of perspiration.
2.          Relax for few mins after workout. It will help your fatigued muscles to relax.
3.          Eat large meals 3-4 hrs after exercise. Your organs too need rest. Instead you can have small or light snacks like a fresh fruit or coconut water to prevent hunger pangs.
4.          Diabetics need to have a light snack ½ hr after workouts.
5.          If any day you miss your gym or jog, next day you can increase your duration of exercise but you need to be careful with your foods.

You just need to be careful with your diet and their timings. This will help you maintain your weight and also keep you feel healthy and strong.