Workout Food: Before & After
Whether it’s “I didn’t eat enough today” or “Oh man I ate too much before coming”, it is clear that it can be a hard sweet spot to find when it comes to eating around your workout. We have all had that one workout that sticks out in our head where we ate a little too much food, a little too close to our workout, & we paid for it. Hopefully not being head first in a trash can, but possibly feeling sluggish & heavy. On the other hand, you may have experienced a time when you felt all the energy leave your body instantly, even though there was still another 10 minutes of biking, power cleans, and burpees coming up. No matter which side you are on, if not both, it begs the question what should I eat, and how much of it, around my workouts!
Now, we are all built differently, with different metabolisms and food tolerances, so we do need to do a little trial and error to figure out what works for us personally. But, there are a few simple things that should stay consistent.
Before. Before our workout, the goal is energy! That means CARBS! No they are not the enemy, they are your energizer buddy, your full tank of gas, your line of cocai…you get it. This should be the focus of your “Pre game” meal. Try something like a piece of fruit, oatmeal, or some toast. The serving size can change from person to person, and also depend on how long you have until you go to the gym. With this carb focus, we should also try to add in a little bit of protein in order to help start the recovery process even before we finish training. Keep this serving size a little smaller than your carb source but feel free to pair your favorites together. The main thing to keep in mind, and the reason we sometimes feel sluggish, is to keep fats & fibers low at this time. Foods high in these two things tend to slow digestion and can lead to that slow & heavy feeling mid workout. Stay away from a lot of vegetables, or that huge tub of peanut butter, and keep things a little lighter. That granola bar or banana would be a great choice. Timing for this meal is person specific, but a good thought would be to have something small about an hour before the gym.
After. Now comes recovery time. Let’s make sure we give our body what it needs after all those squats and push ups. After your workout, your muscles are ready for repair and recovery. Now we flip the script and make protein our focus. We want to aim for about 20-30 grams of protein after our workout. A scoop of protein powder or that super yummy chicken and rice would be a great choice. Pairing this with an easily digestible carb source is a great way to help our body bounce back from training so we are ready to go for next time. Don’t worry so much about trying to eat immediately after your workout. A great rule of thumb is to eat something an hour or so after you train. This can vary largely from person to person, so see what fits best for your hunger, your schedule, and your body.
The overall goal with workout nutrition is to keep things simple, and start small.
Not used to eating before a workout? Try half a banana and a small protein bar. Never feel hungry after you train? Try a small scoop of protein powder mixed with some skim milk. The key is to look at food as fuel for all the effort that you plan on putting into that barbell. Here are some good ideas for where to start, and what to try.
Before: Banana + Greek yogurt
Before: Oats with berries + protein powder
Before: Toast with jam + 2 eggs
After: Protein shake + piece of fruit
After: Chicken + rice
After: Eggs + sweet potatoes
Let’s keep in mind that we are suggesting eating these foods for the quick energy or recovery benefits that they provide. We are not diving into nutritional value or macros so please don’t only eat rice crispy treats & protein powder for every meal.
Hart