Five Foods (and Beverages) to Consider Fueling Your Fitness
Real World Nutrition Podcast Episode 68: Fueling Fitness
Five Foods (and Beverages) to Consider Fueling Your Fitness
In the last post, I wrote about fueling fitness and how most people either don’t do it correctly or at all or believe it requires supplements.
So today, I am giving the top five things to ensure you properly fuel, and recover from, your fitness.
Water or Fluid
Whether it is 30 minutes or 3 hours – make sure you drink an appropriate amount of water. Even in the cold and when swimming, sweat and fluid or water loss occur. So have about 16 fluid ounces about 2 hours before a bout of “hot” exercise – which can mean it is outside in the summer or hot weather, or even doing a hot yoga class. This routine will help cool the body and help keep it cool during the exercise. And it will minimize dehydration and keep blood flowing well. When dehydrates, the blood becomes thicker and is more challenging to flow well.
If you are going for longer than 60-75 minutes of continuous activity, then make sure you consider a beverage with electrolytes – including sodium and potassium.
Carbohydrate Source
This recommendation isn’t “carbo loading” but provides enough fuel to get you through. As mentioned earlier in this week’s post, you may have enough fuel from last night’s dinner if you exercise early in the morning. However, if it is later in the day, late morning, lunch, afternoon, or evening, get something about an hour before your activity – some people need more time, closer to 90 minutes or 2 hours.
Carbohydrates convert to glucose, fuel for your body’s cells – including muscle and brain. This fuel is essential during exercise.
This carbohydrate food can be a banana or any piece of fruit. It can also be a piece of toast, or small tortilla, or even a bowl of cereal. Of course, a granola bar or a couple of graham crackers will also work. People are often told or believe they should exercise “fasted” to burn fat during activity, but that isn’t how things work in the body. We burn a mix of carbohydrates and fat during a workout, and carbohydrates are needed to “burn fat” or use fat as fuel. Think of it like lighting a fire; when starting a fire, lighter fluid is best to help get things going. Without carbohydrates to get something started, the fire won’t burn well.
Protein Source
Protein is usually better after exercise rather than before. Protein is not a significant fuel source for muscles but helps with the repair of muscles following training.
Exercise is what helps build up muscle mass – protein repairs those. If protein helped build muscles, I would never lift a weight again.
There are nuances to eating – so this doesn’t mean one should avoid protein before and only have it afterward. Instead, consider a more carbohydrate-focused meal or snack beforehand and a mix of protein and carbohydrate foods following exercise.
Coffee – Maybe?
Maybe. When people choose a pre-workout supplement, it is a combination of stimulants that give people the perceived “energy” or stimulation to work out. But, unfortunately, the supplements are potentially dangerous – hazardous. So, if you are a coffee drinker, consider having a cup or two of coffee (your usual morning routine, perhaps) before a workout, which may be helpful.
If you don’t already drink coffee, there is no need to start. And if you have another favorite caffeine source, it may help. However, do not increase the usual amount you consume.
Vitamins and Minerals
I would surely tell people to consider a multivitamin or mineral, right? Not necessarily.
In most cases, various foods can get most of the necessary vitamins and minerals, with some exceptions.
Don’t more active people need more vitamins and minerals? No. We base Most vitamin and mineral recommendations on age, sex, or overall calorie needs. Age and sex are not affected by physical activity. And if general calorie needs go up, those calories come from food, so the vitamins and minerals will also increase.
What about all those supplements people recommend?
Most have little research to back up their use. This lack of research is because there is no human or good human research (unless you are a well-trained 20-something male, which is what most subjects are in these studies). So when people take time to investigate the details of the supplement research – and not testimonials, reviews, or salesperson recommendations, there isn’t much there to support their use and much more risk to taking them.
Fueling your fitness can still be done with mostly food and water available in your home or at your grocery store. And as stated in the prior post – this may take trial and error to be patient. If you want help, schedule a call with me to see how we can work together to get you set.
