By Alyssa Perri
Exercise Nutrition is a very important topic that we should all be familiar with. Eating well and exercising go hand in hand. Even for those who are not athletes, and exercise for 30 minutes a day, there are small changes that can be made to the diet to improve both performance and recovery.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, or carbs for short, are our main energy source to fuel our workouts. Simple carbohydrates will rapidly metabolize into glucose and enter the bloodstream much faster than complex carbs, or even protein or fat. So before you head to the gym, grab a piece of fruit, like an apple, a banana, or 4oz of tart cherry juice to provide all the energy you need for your workout. If you want to get specific, you are looking for a snack that will provide about 30-60 grams of carbohydrate. Remember to avoid high fiber foods or high fat foods, because these will draw too much attention to your GI tract and could cause some major discomfort during your workout. Additionally, if you plan to workout for longer than one hour, pack a snack (another simple carb) so you can replenish your glucose and keep on at your peak performance.
Protein
Protein seems to be a big topic for discussion lately. How much is enough? How much is too much? Etc. Truth be told, every “body” is different, so at the end of the day it comes down to what you see fit. A general recommendation is that calories from protein make up less than 20% of your daily calories (1 gram of protein contains 4 calories). Another way to look at it is by body weight. A typical person needs about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For some who are trying to put on muscle, they will have around 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. As far as when to eat protein, current research is saying to eat your protein soon after your workout, or within 2 hours. This could be a snack or a full meal, depending on the time of day; but, either way, the best post-workout food has a carb to protein ratio of 3:1. The poster child of examples of a 3:1 ratio is chocolate milk, believe it or not. For those who are lactose intolerant or choose not to consume dairy, this could be fresh or dried fruit with nuts, hummus with pita chips, tuna and crackers, fajitas with a corn tortilla and beans, or any combination of carbohydrates paired with protein.
Fat
With exercise, most of the attention is usually on carbohydrates and protein; however, fat is an essential nutrient in any nutrition context. Keeping in mind that there are different kinds of fat out there, ie saturated and the family of unsaturated fats, the recommendation is that up to about 30% of daily calories should come from fat. Don’t be fooled by this percentage, though, because calories from fat pack a big punch at 9 calories per gram of fat. For example, 2 tablespoons of olive oil is a whopping 283 calories and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is almost 200 calories. Both of these in the same day roughly taps out daily fat intake, which is why it is so important to choose fat sources wisely. Opt away from fatty cuts of meat, because animal protein contains saturated fat, and choose more mono- and poly-unsaturated fats from plant oils, flax and hemp seeds, avocado, salmon, and walnuts. These healthier fats will be less likely to clog your arteries and will help sustain your workouts, keep your hair, skin and nails shiny, and improve nerve function. There’s no specific time of day to get your fats in because they will often accompany the protein source.
Antioxidants and Electrolytes
Antioxidants and electrolytes, while not macronutrients themselves, are so so important for working out and recovery.
Electrolytes are the little chemical compounds floating through your bloodstream that you may remember from the periodic table of elements: Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, etc. The story is that when we sweat during a workout, we lose some of those electrolytes, which could leave you dehydrated or feeling very thirsty. So, it is important to remember that if you do sweat considerably during your workout, you may need to add some salt to your food or consider a sports drink such as powerade to replenish those electrolytes.
Antioxidants are found in most fruits and vegetables you already eat. Each color you see from fruits and vegetables represents a different antioxidant that performs a beneficial role in your body. That being said, EAT THE RAINBOW. The more colors on your plate, the more antioxidants, the better. My personal recommendation would have to be tart cherries for faster muscle recovery. The antioxidant compound in these are referred to as anthocyanins and can be seen in deep red or purple plant foods. Anthocyanins have been proven to be potent vasodilators, meaning they widen the blood vessels, making blood flow easier and delivery of oxygen to the muscles faster, hence improved muscle recovery post-workout. Pick up a jar of tart cherry juice from the top shelf in the juice aisle on your next grocery run!
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