Pre, during and post-workout meals play an important role in the effectiveness of your training and gaming sessions. It helps you perform at your best and shape your results. Let’s take a deeper look into the purpose of pre-workout, during and post-workout meals, meal timing, and what to eat. The purpose of a pre-workout meal is simple: to fuel your activity.
To do that, your body needs two things:
1. Carbs, for energy production needed for the activity
2. Protein, to supply your muscles with the right amino acids.
Some examples of pre-workout meals that include a balance of carbs and protein include:
How soon before the workout should the meal be eaten?
What should one eat during the workout?
Then during the workout meal should be goal specific. Generally, it should be a fruit like banana and a BCAA drink to keep the muscle energy and hydration up.
POST-WORKOUT MEALS
Post-workout nutrition is more complex but important for recovery. Its purpose is to supply your body with everything it needs to repair, replenish, recover and training adaptations.
More specifically, post-workout nutrition helps to:
To do that, your body once again needs these two things:
1.Carbs for energy
2.Protein for muscle recovery
Many people prefer to take this nutrition as a recovery drink or shake, for the quickness, convenience, and optimal recovery. A lot of times appetite is suppressed following a tough workout, making liquid nutrition the more appealing option. It is fine to split the difference by having a recovery effervescent drink immediately post-workout, then rounding things out later with some additional carbs and protein food sources.
How soon after the workout should the meal be eaten?
As soon as possible—within the first 30 minutes after your workout. Post-workout, the body is primed to receive vital nutrients and their training adaptations.
WHAT IF YOUR GOAL IS WEIGHT LOSS?
Are pre- and post-workout meals still needed? That depends on the intensity level of your workout, and if it will require energy over and above what’s already provided by your daily meals.
A post-workout snack, like a small meal and an amino acid recovery drink, can help you recover faster and replenish lost fluids. It’s important to remember that any pre- or post-workout meals should be included as part of your recommended daily caloric intake. You need to create a deficit in calories in order to lose fat and weight.
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