Nutrition and training: what and how often to eat to see results?
Carbohydrates at night are fine, but snacking every two hours is not necessary.
About the correct approach to nutrition during intensive training - Championship expert, wellness coach Andrey Semeshov.
I noticed that as soon as a person turns to fitness, he immediately begins to be interested in how to competently and correctly build a diet. God forbid, the muscles will be overtaken by catabolism, and forty-five minutes of torment in the gym will be in vain.
Eat every three hours. Don't eat after six. Immediately after training (right in the locker room!) you need a protein shake with a banana. Or not with a banana, but only with chocolate, because “fast carbohydrates”? There are a lot of clear recommendations on what to do with food before, during and after training. The only pity is that they often completely contradict each other. So what should we do? Who should you listen to in the end?
I propose to approach the issue from the standpoint of common sense and a little physiology.
When to eat to grow muscles?
Panic fear of catabolism haunts all beginners who set their sights on bulky muscles. I had a chance to watch how guys (girls were not seen doing this) brought containers of rice directly to the gym to load up on carbohydrates between sets. And almost every third person has “business lunches” in the locker room.
But let's remember that the process of digesting food and assimilating the fastest carbohydrates is not so rapid. Even liquid food will take half an hour to pass through the stomach, and solid food will take six hours or longer. But digestion, during which we absorb all the nutrients, also continues in the intestines. That is, even if you start snacking immediately after finishing your workout, you will not be able to immediately reverse the catabolic processes.
There is another disadvantage to trying to eat immediately after exercise. When lifting weights, our body goes into a state of stress. And the reaction to stress from a physiological point of view is always the same (only the strength of the response differs). Among other things, blood flow is redistributed from the digestive organs in favor of the muscles. This is how our body prepares us to overcome danger - the “fight or flight” defense reaction. And it takes a certain period of time to reconfigure to a peaceful regime. Pushing food into yourself early is not the smartest idea. Of course, no one will tell you exactly up to the minute how long it is better to wait. But in practice, taking a shower and walking/driving to your home or restaurant is an excellent tactic.
What and how often do you eat between workouts?
Equally important is the regularity of meals. I've heard stories that even at night they set the alarm at regular intervals to drink protein cocktail. However, there is such a fact: a person can live for about two months without food at all, only on water. And he won't die. Will seven or even nine hours of sleep really ruin all your efforts in the gym? Moreover, some types of food, especially fats, can be absorbed by the body throughout the day. That is, it is quite enough to have dinner normally and fall asleep fearlessly - the muscles will continue to recover during sleep even without additional snacks in a semi-conscious state.
Many people are afraid of carbohydrates in the evening. And in vain. The common belief that pasta will go to muscles in the morning and straight to fat in the evening does not correspond to the truth. What matters is the total daily calorie content and the intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. If you eat less than you spend, you will lose weight. surplus - the body will begin to build new muscle fibers (and at the same time fat cells. We will definitely talk about how to minimize this process in the following materials).
Again, listen to yourself. If you feel uncomfortable falling asleep with a full stomach, limit yourself to a light protein dinner with vegetables in the evening. If you have no problems falling asleep, then you can eat whatever your heart desires. At least croissants with condensed milk.
And remember that proper rest is no less, and perhaps even more important, in building muscles than a well-designed diet.
4 simple rules and, which will help build and maintain muscles
Professor Luc van Loon's principles that work 100%.
Test. What do you know about protein?
Try to distinguish common myths from real facts.
If your goal is to lose weight
Have you heard the saying that you should never eat before or after a workout? “In the first case, it is necessary for the body to burn fat during exercise. In the second, again, so that recovery takes place due to fats.”
I also really like the recommendation, on pain of terminal stage obesity, not to eat in the evening, in especially hardcore versions - after 18:00. I remember a joke:
- You can’t eat after six! Girl, how old are you?
- Seven...
- That's it, don't eat!
In fact, nature arranged us very wisely. And with the expectation that food will always be irregular (today a mammoth was killed, tomorrow not). The body is excellent at both storing energy for future use and expending it when necessary.
Therefore, if you are faced with the task of getting rid of some part of the fat layer, there is no need to adhere to any clear timing. Your global goal is to ensure that you are in a calorie deficit every day. There have been many studies comparing various dietary approaches, for example, low-carb diets with low-fat diets, fractionated meals with the now popular intermittent fasting. The verdict of science is that only a general caloric deficit is decisive for weight loss. Other factors, from the point of view of weight loss, are so insignificant that they can be neglected.
Then why are different protocols invented? Firstly, we love to play different games, that’s how we are designed. And we can perceive following some sophisticated strict diet as an adventure, a challenge. An element of gamification can help overcome the not-so-pleasant feeling of mild malnutrition. Secondly, each of us is individual. Some people cannot live without breakfast, lunch and dinner, or even better with a couple of snacks in between. And even if the portions are small (calories are limited), it’s easier for them. For others, including myself, it is not a problem to skip both breakfast and lunch, but in the late afternoon, especially before bed, it is simply necessary to eat a hearty meal for psychological comfort. Accordingly, it would be wise to first choose a scheme with fractional meals, the second - with interval fasting, when all meals are compressed in time into a period of several hours.
Nutrition during exercise in the gym
Food is work. Everyone who comes to the gym to lose weight or, conversely, gain muscle mass has to get used to this idea. Changing your diet rather than doing strenuous exercise is the hardest part in the battle for the perfect body. Exactly from nutrition before and after training often depends on the speed of progress. How to create a diet to lose weight quickly and sustainably, and what to eat before and after training to gain weight? Read the answers to these questions in my article. The most interesting things about training and sports nutrition, on my telegram channel https://t.me/bestbodyblog
Nutrition before and after training are of course important questions, but if I tried to answer them briefly, they would be taken out of the context of the basics proper nutrition when working out in the gym. Therefore, I will start the story about the diet of a person involved in strength training from afar, in the very morning. And since a diet for losing weight differs from a diet for gaining weight, I will divide the story according to these directions.
Pre-workout nutrition for bulking
Some people prefer to train in the morning, while others go on a date with the barbell in the evening. But, in any case, the answer to the question of what to eat before training to gain weight lies in the ability to provide yourself with energy to effectively perform heavy lifting. basic exercises. In order to be cheerful and active in the gym, you need to fuel your body with carbohydrates. If the last meal was 5-6 hours ago, the body is considered hungry and unfit to perform physical exercise.
Note: Some sports have their own peculiarities in nutrition before training. Yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, acrobatic dancing classes are best done 2.5-3 hours after eating. It’s also not worth it to eat too much before the upcoming one. Otherwise, nausea, dizziness and stomach discomfort can disrupt the training process.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for any athlete gaining weight or burning fat. Metabolism at this time of day is the fastest, the last meal was 7-8 hours ago, which means that the nutrients received during breakfast will be absorbed quickly and most fully. The boost of energy received in the morning will allow you to remain cheerful and energetic until lunchtime.
MORNING WORKOUT | If the workout is scheduled for the morning, 1-1.5 hours before class you can eat 1-2 boiled eggs and a bowl of coarse oatmeal (or any other) porridge cooked in milk, with the addition of dried fruits and nuts.
The first main meal (a glass of water drunk on an empty stomach to thin the blood does not count) should contain easily digestible proteins, complex carbohydrates, minimum fat and simple carbohydrates. There is no need to eat up before going to the gym, because after eating, blood rushes to the stomach, instead of filling the muscles during training.
A good and even mandatory addition to breakfast would be 5-6 dates. Besides the fact that dates are an excellent source of energy, they can significantly improve the workout process because:
- Increase immunity. Consequently, the risk of getting sick during the winter-autumn mass-gain period is significantly reduced
- Improves digestion. This means that proteins and carbohydrates obtained from food will not go into the toilet, but for muscle growth
- Rich in magnesium and potassium. These microelements improve the functioning of the heart muscle, which, in turn, increases endurance and performance.
- Contains substances similar in effect to aspirin. They thin the blood and improve its flow into the muscles.
You should avoid freshly squeezed fruit juices drunk on an empty stomach, baked goods made from yeast dough and instant cereals (muesli, cereal) as pre-workout nutrition. The acids contained in fruits irritate the gastric mucosa, and yeast-based baking leads to an increase in gases and complicates the digestion process.
“Bystrokashi” contain a lot of sugar, which quickly increases energy levels and also quickly reduces it. After such a breakfast, you will want to eat more on the way to the gym.
EVENING WORKOUT | The breakfast algorithm described above is optimal at any time of training. If the class is scheduled for the evening or mid-day, you should have a small snack 2-3 hours after breakfast. Its task is to moderate the emerging appetite and recharge the body with nutrients. Optimal snack options:
- Low-fat yogurt (kefir) and banana
- Cheese sandwich with a piece of whole grain bread
- Handful of nuts
- Vegetable salad and boiled egg
- Low-fat cottage cheese with dried apricots
Nutrition before a workout planned for the evening should be based on the same principle as for a morning workout. You just need to eat a little earlier, 2-2.5 hours before physical activity.
There are no strict dietary requirements, but you should avoid fatty and salty foods. The protein to carbohydrate content should be 1:2. This proportion will allow you to train effectively and nourish your muscles with the necessary amino acids. I suggest you watch a good story on this topic.
The following foods can be used as pre-workout meals to gain weight:
- Poultry meat with buckwheat or bread made from wholemeal flour
- Lean steak with baked potatoes
- Baked fish with brown rice
- Durum pasta with lean meat
Note: A mandatory addition to your pre-workout meal should be a large portion of vegetable salad. This applies to any strength sports. A diet rich in protein overloads the digestive system, and vegetables minimize this burden and increase the level of protein absorption by the body.
About 30-45 minutes before the start of your workout (this applies to both morning and evening sessions), you can (but not with cream) either strong black/ green tea. Such drinks stimulate the synthesis of norepinephrine and epinephrine.
These hormones speed up the release of fatty acids from fat tissue cells, so the body can use them as an additional source of energy. Tea and coffee are great stimulants nervous system and increase performance.
Bottom line: Pre-workout meals for bulking should contain complex carbohydrates for energy, protein to protect muscle from breakdown, and vegetables to increase its bioavailability.
Pre-workout nutrition for weight loss
Weight loss workouts done on an empty stomach will really help you lose 2-3 kg at the initial stage. But this will happen not due to fat, but due to a decrease in the amount of fluid under the skin. You won't be able to lose fat by training on an empty stomach. In addition, a pre-workout meal for weight loss consisting of only a cup of coffee is. So that physical activity helps get rid of extra pounds, your diet needs to be compiled according to the scheme laid down in mass-gaining training.
Pre-workout nutrition for weight loss should be based on the following principles:
- You need to eat 1-1.5 before training, so that your stomach is half empty by the time you start training.
- The basis of your meal should be complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread, durum pasta, brown rice, baked potatoes, buckwheat)
- The source of protein can be boiled, stewed or baked chicken/turkey/rabbit, boiled eggs, oven-cooked omelet, tuna salad
- Vegetable salads should complement every meal
Eating for weight gain is aimed at creating a calorie surplus. In this case, scrupulously recording the nutrients consumed is more of a whim than a necessity. But in the process of losing weight, monitoring every calorie consumed is already a prerequisite. Therefore, when drawing up a menu for the day, it would be a good idea to study it first.
Note: exercising to lose weight, Special attention worth paying attention to fatty acid Omega 3/6/9. They are needed when gaining weight, and for weight loss, they are simply necessary. These fatty acids speed up metabolism, increase performance and the rate of lipolysis. A diet for weight loss should include sea fish (especially red species), seafood, nuts, avocados, olive, flaxseed and some other types of oils.
A cup of black coffee without cream, strong black or green tea, drunk half an hour before the start of training, will help put the nervous system in a fighting mood and cope with the upcoming load.
Conclusion: you need to eat before training to lose weight according to the same principles as during the period of weight gain, taking into account the control of calorie intake, of course. To lose weight you need to exercise, and to exercise you need to eat.
Post-workout nutrition for bulking
STAGE 3 | Before going to bed, you need to eat “long-lasting” protein to protect your muscles from destruction during sleep. Its source can be “night” casein protein or a portion with fruit.
Bottom line: Pre-workout nutrition is important, BUT post-workout nutrition is even more important for bulking. Muscle growth occurs at night, muscle protection from catabolism during this period - necessary condition for gaining weight.
Post-workout nutrition for weight loss
Some fitness freaks advise training on an empty stomach, while others say that you don’t need to eat after a workout to lose weight at all. They say that the body will begin to use fat as energy during this period. It would be good, of course, but the body will not take energy from fat reserves as long as it has another, more convenient source of energy - our muscles.
Firstly, he regards muscle mass as an energy sink, and folds on the sides as reserves for a rainy day. And secondly, it is easier for him to break down a protein molecule than a fat molecule. If you build a weight loss diet according to the “hungry fainting” method, get rid of excess weight will be impossible. To force the body to use fats as fuel, you need to:
- Create a sustainable calorie deficit in your diet
- Increase the body's energy expenditure
- Stimulate fat burning with
- Protect muscles from catabolism (destruction)
- Maintain the main fat-burning hormone at a high level
If desired, you can add to this list. But really working weight loss products carry health risks, and safe supplements like these are ineffective. Therefore, you need to concentrate on nutrition when working out in the gym and on the training itself. And again a short story on this topic
post-workout nutrition for weight loss:
You need to eat after a fat-burning workout, but wisely. Minimum carbohydrates and fats, maximum protein, both fast and slow. As with nutrition for weight gain, this can be done with the help of sports supplements or natural products.
STAGE 1 | 1.5-2 hours after training, you can eat 6-7 egg whites with a vegetable salad, boiled fish (cod, carp, pollock, hake), boiled, stewed or baked poultry/rabbit.
STAGE 2 | Fat burning, as well as muscle growth, occurs at night. The task of a person losing weight is to protect muscles at night and start the process of lipolysis (fat burning). A portion of low-fat cottage cheese eaten before bed will provide the muscles with nutrients and will not allow the metabolism to slow down.
Note 1: Fatty foods slow down the breakdown of protein and carbohydrates in the stomach. Therefore, foods consumed after a workout in the gym should be as low-fat as possible.
Note 2: The main problem of any weight loss diet is the feeling of hunger that occurs when switching to it from a regular diet. The same salads made from fiber-rich vegetables will help you cope with hunger. The coarse dietary fiber they contain fills the stomach and reduces appetite. Vegetables rich in fiber: beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, salads, cabbage.
Conclusion: Post-workout nutrition for weight loss should do two things: provide the body with protein to protect muscles and suppress hunger.
Conclusion
In the battle for perfect figure there are no small things. Pre- and post-workout nutrition is not a series of random snacks, but a clear meal plan based on scientific research. Of course, physical activity comes first, but a well-structured diet when working out in the gym speeds up the achievement of your goal many times over. Don’t be lazy to count calories and think through your daily menu in advance. Eat right, build muscle, burn fat. May the force be with you. And the mass!
The appearance of your body largely depends on what you eat. Lack of muscle mass a large number of body fat, lack of energy at work or in the gym, poor skin, indigestion - all these problems can be caused by an unhealthy diet.
How to eat during strength training
Since there are so many confusing theories about what you should eat and why, here are 8 simple eating rules that will help you build muscle, lose fat, and get stronger.
- Eat breakfast. You'll have energy from the start of the day, and you'll feel less hungry for the rest of the day. This also sets a certain trend: you will tend to consume healthy food, if this is how you start your day.
The best products here are omelettes, smoothies and cottage cheese. Read about how to get into the breakfast habit and try these recipes.
- Eat every 3 hours. The most simple circuit looks like this: breakfast, lunch, dinner, food after training, before bed, and 2 snacks between these meals. The advantages of such a power system:
- Reduced hunger. Frequent consumption of small portions will reduce the size of the stomach. You will feel full faster and your waist will become slimmer.
- Reduce food cravings. Long breaks between meals usually cause overeating or consumption of sweets. Eat at a certain time every day, and the feeling of hunger will appear precisely at these moments. For example, according to this schedule: 7:00, 10:00, 13:00, 16:00, 19:00 and 22:00.
- Consume protein with every meal. Protein is needed to gain and maintain muscle mass. It also promotes fat loss as it has the highest thermic effect. In addition, protein is very nutritious - it will provide a feeling of fullness much better than carbohydrates. How much protein should you eat daily? At least 2 g per kilogram of body weight. That is, if you weigh 90 kg, you need to consume about 180 g of protein. The easiest way to do this is to consume foods high in protein. Here are some of them:
- Red meat. Beef, pork, lamb, venison, buffalo, etc.
- Bird. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
- Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardine, mackerel, etc.
- Eggs. Don't believe the myths about cholesterol - eat the yolk.
- Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.
- Whey Protein. Protein intake is optional, but it works well in a post-workout shake.
- Eat fruits and vegetables with every meal. Most of them contain low amounts of carbohydrates. That is, you can fill your stomach without gaining extra pounds. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, which aids digestion. An excellent choice would be apples, berries, pineapples, oranges, bananas, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, bok choy, romaine, chicory, peas, etc.
- Consume carbohydrates only after your workout. Although humans need carbohydrates as a source of energy, most people eat more than they need. Limit your carbohydrate intake to post-workout only.
- Add vegetables and fruits to other dishes. They contain fewer carbohydrates compared to whole grains. The exceptions are corn, carrots and raisins.
- Other foods containing carbohydrates. Rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, quinoa, oats, etc. Avoid "bad" carbohydrates and eat foods made with whole grains. Exception: if you are a skinny guy who wants to gain weight, then eat carbohydrates 2 times after training, and even more often if necessary.
- Eat healthy fats. Healthy fats promote fat loss and improve overall health. They are filling, inexpensive, and slow to digest. Eat fat with every meal, but avoid trans fats and margarine. In a word, balance their consumption.
- Saturated fats. They increase testosterone levels. Dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with raising blood cholesterol levels. Eat quality butter, eggs, red meat.
- Monounsaturated fats. Protects against heart disease and cancer. Olive oil first pressing (Extra virgin), olives, various nuts.
- Polyunsaturated fats. Increases testosterone levels, promotes fat loss, and reduces inflammation. Consume fish oil, ground flaxseed, assorted nuts.
- Drink water. During exercise (sweating), water is lost from the body, which can impair muscle recovery. Drinking water prevents dehydration as well as hunger since an empty stomach can send a signal to the body that you are hungry.
- Drink 4 liters of water per day. Drink 1 glass of water after you wake up. Then 2 glasses with every meal, and also drink water during training.
- Drink filtered water. It is cheaper than bottled and tastes better than tap water. Also try drinking green tea and water with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Don't be afraid of water intoxication. When eating a healthy diet, you need to make sure you're replenishing your electrolytes. If you don't drink huge amounts of water (for example, 7 liters in 10 minutes), then you will be fine.
- Eat 90% whole foods. To achieve the desired results, your diet should consist of 90% whole foods.
- Whole Foods. Unprocessed and unrefined (or slightly refined) foods are foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. For example, fresh meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, legumes, fruits, rice, oats, quinoa.
- Processed foods. Typically contain added sugar, trans fats, nitrates, corn syrup, sodium and other chemicals. For example, muffins, fruit bars, cereals, pizza, cookies, sausages, frozen foods, supplements.
Eating 90% whole foods will make little difference in the end compared to eating 100% healthy. So if you eat 6 meals a day, you can eat junk food 4 times a week without feeling guilty. The same goes for alcohol and sugary drinks: 10% is the acceptable limit.
Diet example
- Breakfast: eggs with vegetables, orange, green tea.
- Snack: mixed nuts, pear.
- Lunch: tuna, romaine, olives, olive oil.
- Snack: cottage cheese and apple.
- Post-workout: beef, quinoa, spinach, banana.
- Dinner: chicken, spinach, mini (dwarf) carrots, pear.
- Snack before bed: cottage cheese, berries, ground flaxseed, fish oil.
Nobody has time to cook 6 times a day. Prepare meals for the day in the morning or evening. This is the key point of this program and will take about 1 hour.
How to eat properly when training? This question worries many athletes, since the effectiveness of training depends on nutrition. After all, any person who plays sports sets goals for himself - to achieve good results and get a good return from his activities.
Nutrition plays a big role during the workout itself, as well as before and after it. All these principles will be discussed below.
Pre-workout nutrition
Before each exercise, you need to eat and follow the rules. An athlete's diet should include foods enriched with proteins and carbohydrates. And completely eliminate fatty foods from your diet.
Before training, it is necessary to enrich the body with carbohydrates to replenish energy in the brain and body. After all, when a person trains, he burns fuel at an instant speed, because if there is a lot of fat in the body, then energy for work will not penetrate there due to a lack of oxygen.
Proteins are needed as building materials and as energy. So that during training you do not burn muscles.
If you eat fatty foods before training, it can cause vomiting, nausea and colic. It will also be difficult for a person to exercise due to the fact that the speed of digestion decreases and the process of emptying slows down.
Before training you can eat the following foods:
- Poultry meat.
- Low-fat cutlets - steamed.
- Omelette.
- Oatmeal.
To gain muscle mass, before training you can eat a piece of fruit and wash it down with a protein drink. It is better to choose apples, strawberries, cherries or other berries.
Half an hour before training, it is recommended to drink a glass of strong coffee, but without cream. If you are not a fan of this drink, you can take strong green tea. The effect of the drink lasts for at least two hours, which makes your head think much better.
But before the workout itself it’s better not to eat anything. If you listen to all the recommendations, you will not be so tired during training.
Nutrition during training
Below is the answer to the question: how to eat properly during training. You need to understand one rule: that during training you need to constantly drink! Even if the human body is two percent dehydrated, the exercises will not give any results. This mistake is made.
You shouldn't drink only when you want, you need to do it regularly. After all, first the body requires water, and after a while it lets you know about it.
If you notice dehydration during class, go and quench your thirst. But to prevent this from happening, control your drinking regimen: it is recommended to drink a glass of water before training, and during the training itself every twenty minutes, but only in small portions. How much you drink can be seen by the amount of sweat.
If the workout lasts more than an hour, then it is better to drink. If we're talking about Regarding high-calorie drinks, it is recommended to take them in small sips every ten minutes.
It is also allowed to drink juices, but they must be freshly squeezed and natural. You should not trust store-bought juices, even if they say they are natural.
Post-workout nutrition
After training, you need to eat immediately, preferably in the first half hour. If the break between classes and meals is more than two hours, the effect of the training will be lower.
After playing sports, a carbohydrate-protein window opens in the body. Everything that was eaten during this time is used to restore muscles.
After training, enrich your body with protein. It is better to take protein drinks (proteins). Therefore, you need to take a protein shake with you to class and take it after class. If you don't like cocktails, you can eat egg whites.
It is not recommended to eat foods containing caffeine within two hours. After all, this component prevents the body from reloading glycogen from the muscles. To ensure that your training is not in vain, you need to pay attention to proper nutrition.
There are a number of foods that are not advisable to consume after training. These include:
- Sweets.
- Sparkling water.
- Bakery products.
- Dairy products.
- Heavy food.
- Fatty food.
When training, you should not limit yourself to the consumption of these products. But if you eat them, then you need to know when to stop and not overdo it. If after training you eat candy or drink soda once, then nothing bad will happen.
How to eat healthy when exercising
This question: how to eat properly when doing fitness interests many people. After all, they want to achieve good results from training. But basically it’s about losing extra pounds. Below are some recommendations regarding nutrition during training.
Mostly people go in for fitness to lose weight, but this will not be enough, you will also have to reconsider your diet. What matters most during fitness is not what to eat, but how. After all, when doing fitness, you can eat foods that are familiar to you, but only correctly.
Tip: When losing weight, watch two things - what you eat and how much.
Of course, to achieve effectiveness from training you need sweet carbonated drinks and semi-finished products. Below are some recommendations for nutrition during fitness:
- You need to eat at least two hours before classes.
- When you can’t eat regularly, for example because of work, then half of the entire diet should be eaten in the first half of the day.
- Dinner is the lightest meal of the day.
- Under no circumstances.
- You should not eat fatty foods.
- You need to reduce the amount of fried, salty and sweet foods.
- It is necessary to avoid foods with low nutritional value.
- Nutrition should be balanced.
Conclusion
This article formulated the answer to the following questions: how to eat properly during training and how to eat properly when doing fitness. Some recommendations were given regarding nutrition when playing sports. If you work with a trainer, then first of all it is important to consult with them about nutrition.
In the article I tried to give small tips, but I couldn’t cover everything. The main thing, remember, is that it is important not how to eat, but how much.
What do you eat after and before training?
Best regards, Vladimir Manerov
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Ecology of nutrition: How to lose weight more effectively by playing sports? You need to follow 7 rules of nutrition! You will get the maximum effect from working out in a fitness club only when you organize your diet.
How to lose weight more effectively by playing sports? You need to follow 7 rules of nutrition! You will get the maximum effect from working out in a fitness club only when you organize your diet.
Professional athletes know everything about nutrition! What about those who are far from sports, but are eager to change themselves for the better? Your work in the gym will definitely give stunning results if you remember one thing: losing weight is only 20% dependent on physical activity, and 80% on proper nutrition.
Rule 1
A strict diet and exercise are incompatible
And there are two reasons for this:
1. If you starve, you simply won’t have the energy to do a quality workout.
2. At the slightest physical activity, the body will try to get rid of muscles, since maintaining them requires a colossal amount of energy, but will refuse to part with fat.
What to do:
Accustom yourself to eat 5-6 times a day, without going beyond the calorie content of your diet.
Rule 2
You need to eat before training
The optimal meal before class is no less than 1.5-2 hours before it starts.
Before training, slow carbohydrates are required, which give a lot of energy, increasing endurance, and some lean protein to feel full. It is important to observe the portion size: after eating, you should feel light hunger and not heaviness in your stomach.
You should not eat immediately before training, as in this case the body will take energy from food, and not from stored fat.
What to eat:
Porridge (oatmeal, buckwheat, rice)
Bread (rye, grain, bran)
Vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, lettuce)
Protein (chicken breast, lean beef and fish, egg whites, low-fat cottage cheese, seafood)
If you train early in the morning and don’t have two hours of free time, the ideal breakfast option for you would be oatmeal with water without sugar or an apple, and green tea will help you wake up and invigorate.
Rule 3
You shouldn't eat carbohydrates after a workout.
If your goal is to lose weight by getting rid of fat, give your body the opportunity to work as hard as possible after your workout.
Why?
15-20 minutes after the start of exercise, glycogen reserves* in the liver are depleted, and the body begins to use subcutaneous fat, breaking it down and releasing energy for further training. After about 30-40 minutes, the body completely switches to burning fat. But even after training, the process of subcutaneous fat breakdown continues for another 2-3 hours.
If you eat an apple, banana or drink juice immediately after training, your body will happily switch to easily accessible carbohydrates, and the fat burning process will come to naught.
*Glycogen is stored carbohydrates that are used as readily available “fuel.”
Rule 5
More proteins
Intense exercise forces the body to burn not only fat, but also muscle mass, which you strengthen during exercise with such difficulty! To maintain toned muscles, immediately after training and after a couple of hours you need protein food, which is a kind of “building material” for their restoration.
What you can eat:
Skim cheese
Chicken breast
Lean beef
Rabbit meat
Egg whites
Squid or lean fish
The protein dish can be supplemented with a salad of vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers, broccoli, and salad mix.
If you exercise too late, never go to bed on an empty stomach! This will not only lead to muscle breakdown, but also to a decrease in metabolism. For a very light snack before bed, low-fat kefir, cottage cheese or a piece of boiled meat are suitable.
Sports educational program: 3 principles
To eat or not to eat after training - each trainer has his own opinion on this matter, but it all depends on your goal.
Remember the difference and make a choice:
1. Proteins and carbohydrates are eaten after training when gaining weight and training for strength, while consuming carbohydrates stops the process of losing subcutaneous fat.
2. To break down fat and preserve muscles at the same time, you need protein food.
3. The lack of any nutrition after training leads not only to fat burning, but also to the loss of muscle mass, which means you can say goodbye to an attractive, toned silhouette.
Rule 6
Less fat
Fats slow down the absorption of proteins, and for this reason it is recommended to eat low-fat foods, and after training, avoid fat altogether.
But you can’t completely eliminate fats from your diet:
1. It is a natural “lubricant” for joints.
2. Fat helps maintain and strengthen muscles.
3. Fat takes part in the absorption of vitamins and the production of hormones.
What to do:
Avoid animal fat (fatty meat, poultry with skin, lard, butter) and spreads.
Choose foods with reduced fat content.
Use vegetable oils and fatty fish in the morning.
Consider calorie content when using oil even in the smallest quantities.
Rule 7
Drink plenty of water
If there is not enough water, the water-salt balance in the body is disrupted, which reduces metabolism and endurance. physical activity. As a result, the energy saving mode is activated, the body begins to retain water, and the weight loss process is automatically slowed down.
How much to drink?
Do not limit yourself to water - drink as much as you want and under no circumstances become thirsty.
The National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) makes the following recommendations:
1. 2-3 hours before class, drink 500-700 ml of water.
2. 10-20 minutes before class – 200-300 ml of water.
3. During training, every 10-20 minutes - 200-300 ml of water.
4. After training for 2 hours - about 700 ml of water.
Good luck in your sporting endeavors! published
