In order for exercise in the gym to be of the greatest benefit, nutrition during fitness activities must be competent. Otherwise, you may not get results at all or even harm the body.
The fitness nutrition program should be built on a fractional meal. That is, it is better to divide your daily diet not into 3 dense meals, but into 5-6 small portions. To do this, you will have to take cooked meals with you to work and even to the gym. At the same time, it is harmful to get carried away with semi-finished products, fried, fatty and too sweet foods. Breakfast should be much higher in calories than the rest of the meal. And dinner should be light.
Meals before fitness should include carbohydrates and proteins. Because it is carbohydrates that are the source of glycogen, and proteins are the suppliers of amino acids. They provide the muscles with energy. Pre-workout fatty foods should be avoided altogether, as they greatly slow down the digestion process. As a result, belching, nausea and colic may occur during exercise. On the contrary, potatoes with lean steak, rice with any poultry and wholemeal bread, and oatmeal made from egg whites will be the best food. But these foods can only be eaten 2 hours before the start of the exercise. And half an hour before them, it is better to drink a glass of milk drink or eat some kind of fruit. At the same time, strong green tea will help burn excess body fat.
Meals during fitness activities include drinking plenty of fluids. The body loses a lot of moisture during exercise through the formation of sweat. It's important to stay hydrated and not dehydrate your body. In this case, you should not be guided by your feeling of thirst. The urge to drink during vigorous exercise can be suppressed by receptors. The older a person is, the less sensitive he is to the sensation of thirst. Therefore, often before being thirsty, adults may first feel headache, fatigue, dizziness and dry mouth. It is necessary to drink in advance so as not to find these symptoms in yourself. It is recommended to drink at least 3-3.5 liters of water daily.
Post-workout meals should also include protein and carbohydrate foods. The first meal should be no later than the first 20 minutes after training. All the calories that are assimilated during this time period will be directed not to the formation of fat in the body, but to the formation of dense muscle mass. The best way out of the situation is to use the food taken with you immediately after class. These can be fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar, jam, bread, as well as egg whites, veal, poultry breast, fish, etc.
Liquid carbohydrate drinks are best absorbed after exercise due to their higher content of fructose and glucose (for example, grape or cranberry juice). Fatty foods will only slow down the flow of nutrients into the muscles, so it is better to exclude them again. Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and milk should be avoided. Protein food in volume should fit in one palm. And carbohydrates can be calculated as follows: 1 g per 1 kg of body weight. Coffee and tea can only be drunk before and 2 hours after training. Otherwise, these drinks inhibit the flow of glycogen into the muscles.
