You’ve seen them. The people who faithfully go to the gym day after day and spend quality time on the cardio equipment and in the weight room. Yet their bodies never seem to make any visible changes. They are training. But they aren’t training smart with a plan that is specifically designed to meet their goals, lifestyle and current state of conditioning. A plan that helps them progress and not just maintain. But, even with the best training program, a person’s progress will be limited if they don’t eat a diet that provides the energy they need while also facilitating training adaptations and helping improve recovery. And though eating well means choosing nutrient-dense foods 90 – 95% of the time, the most important meals for an athlete are pre- and post-workout:
Pre-workout:
In order to sustain your energy levels through your workouts, your body needs food. If you have just 2 hours before you hit the gym, track or field, opt for a lighter snack. Four hours beforehand, opt for meal that is higher in carbohydrate, contains some protein for staying power and is low in fiber and fat (both slow digestion and who wants their stomach busy digesting food when they are about to run sprints?). Lastly, don’t try something new before workouts that may make you a little queasy. For example, spicy food can give you heartburn and greasy food may make you sick to your stomach. Think familiar and easy-to-digest.
Snack examples:
- Cottage cheese and fruit
- Banana spread lightly with almond butter or peanut butter
- Yogurt
- Granola bar
- Pancakes or waffles
Post-workout:
The main purpose of eating after you workout is to turn a catabolic environment into an anabolic one. In other words – your post-workout meal will facilitate the processes underlying muscle growth, re-hydrate, help curb excess inflammation and restore muscle glycogen. In addition to improving recovery, your post workout meal will help you make training gains.
Post-workout meal ideas:
- Protein pancakes (Simply pancake mix with added protein powder.)
- Protein shake
- Low fat chocolate milk (you’ll need more protein than this if you are lifting weights)
- Bagel, bread or pita with melted cheese
- Tunafish or turkey sandwich
Eat so you can train well, don’t hit the gym or run a few extra miles as an excuse to eat more food that doesn’t fit in your training program.
Written by: Rachel Rosenthal & Marie Spano
