Trainer’s Diet Tips before and after exercise.

Pre-exercise eating

Why should you eat before exercising?

To prevent light-headedness.

Settle stomach.

To fuel muscle.

To pacify mind through knowing that you are prepared.

When should you eat before exercise?

Do not consume a high calorie meal before exercising.

A meal should be consumed 1 to 3 hours before exercise.

You can consume a light lowfat carbohydrate source 1 hour before,

but it should  not be too many calories for you do not want to increase your insulin

levels. 

    Increased insulin can stimulate appetite, decrease fat breakdown, and possibly cause early fatigue.

Avoid a high fat source before exercise for it takes awhile for it to

be digested (3 hours).

Digesting Food

It takes time to digest food.

3 to 4 hours for a large meal

2 to 3 hours for a small meal

1 to 2 hours for a liquid meal

less than an hour for a small carbohydrate snack

Allow more time for digestion before intense activity.  The reason for this is that your stomach gets less blood flow during intense activity.  It is 20% of the normal value during intense activity, while for moderate activity

it is 60 to 70%.

What should you eat before exercise?

Eat familiar foods, you might have a problem with unfamiliar ones.

Water is more important than food before exercise. Drink 8 to 16 ounces of water before exercise. A deplenishment of body water volume of just a few percent can impact performance.

Avoid sugary foods before exercise because they can increase insulin

level.

Natural sugar as in fruit is acceptable.

A snack is okay right before exercise but it should be less than 100

calories.

Recovery eating after exercise

You need to consume foods that will aid in recovery before your next

workout.

You must replace fluid lost through sweating.  Weigh yourself before and

after to determine your fluid needs.

Carbohydrates should be consumed 1 to 4 hours after activity (0.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight should be consumed within 2 hours after activity, then repeated 2 hours later).  After exercise is an

excellent window of opportunity to intake carbohydrates.

Protein should be consumed at each meal to aid in tissue remodeling after exercise.