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Nutrition is integral when it comes to the energy needed to perform strength
or endurance training, just like the nutrition needed for recovery post-workout.
Why is there a need for pre-exercise nutrition? Fuelling up before a workout is
required to give you an extra boost in order to maximise your workout, or else
you will limit your abilities. Pre-workout food or supplement has an impact on
your body composition, energy levels, immunity, mental focus, fitness level and
overall recovery, Aman Puri, Founder, Steadfast Nutrition tells IANSlife.
Importance of pre-exercise nutrition
The timing and composition of the meal are important for improving performance,
Puri says.
- Provides sustained energy: Carbohydrates help fuel your body and delay
muscular fatigue. A balanced pre workout meal supplies energy for longer
duration to the body, which allows you to perform more reps before dropping out.
- Improves endurance: It helps improve your muscular endurance and your stamina
level. Although, few research studies suggest this and more studies are needed.
In a study done by Jagim et al, 2016, the participants consumed pre-workout meal
before running on a treadmill, they were able to run 12.5 percent longer than
those the placebo group.
- May improve mental focus: It might help enhance cognitive processes such as
alertness, focus, reaction time, perception of energy and mood.
- May improve body composition: It has been observed that long term consumption
of a good pre-workout meal or supplement, when combined with a resistance
training programme, leads to a greater increase in lean muscle mass.
What to eat 2-3 hours before you exercise?
Timings and type of pre-exercise nutrition have significant importance. A meal
or a supplement, which is carbohydrate-rich in combination with some protein
helps increase liver glycogen (stored energy) and muscle glycogen stores. Also,
such benefits are more apparent in long-duration (<2 hrs) sports like cycling,
swimming or workout, points out Puri.
He suggests whole grain sandwich (chicken/cottage cheese), a protein smoothie
with nuts and fruits, oats pancake with a glass of beetroot juice.
"Furthermore, simple to digest carbohydrate-based snack or a beverage, else a
carbohydrate-electrolyte drink should be taken 30-60 minutes before you
exercise. Few food suggestions are -yoghurt and fruit smoothie with some sugar
and rock salt, banana + beetroot and orange juice, a handful of raisins +
watermelon juice. Since, beetroot is naturally rich in arginine and watermelon
in L-citrulline, both help enhances oxygen capacity."
Do not forget to hydrate yourself by having up to 2 L of water 2-3 hours before
a workout and 200-250 ml of water 30- 60 minutes before starting off, he
advises.
Ergogenic role of pre-workout supplements
There are many kinds of supplements available, they might contain single
ingredients or group of ingredients. They can be broadly distinguished into two
categories:
- Pre-workout with creatine (mostly used by strength athletes)
- Pre-workout without creatine (mostly used by endurance athletes)
"Most of the core ingredients commonly used in supplements which act as an
ergogenic aid in boosting performance are caffeine, B vitamins, BCAAs,
electrolytes, L-citrulline, Beta-Alanine and Creatine. They help provide
performance benefits like stamina, strength, speed, brainpower and give you a
performance edge."
So, don't run on empty and fuel up! What you eat before exercise can greatly
impact your performance and recovery. Pre-Workout food or supplement may act as
a catalyst in performing better during a workout and to reach your fitness or
health goals.
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