What Foods To Eat Before And After Exercise?
Working out is crucial to being fit, and so as selecting the right kinds of foods to eat. These 2 elements must go hand in hand to achieve overall fitness. And since foods have an impact on how you perform during exercise, you need to opt for foodstuff that will enable you to be more productive during exercise, whether you are engaged in a casual workout or training for an athletic competition.
Learn more as we are going to share some foods that you have to eat after exercise in today’s article.
Food Options For Breakfast
You should always remember this saying: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So it goes without saying that it’s a sin to skip on this meal if you are working out.
If you are going to exercise early in the morning, it’s recommended that you eat breakfast an hour after your workout. We suggest that you eat something light first and drink lots of water or sports drink. Aside from that, we also recommend that you eat up foods rich in carbohydrates as they will provide the energy that you need to go through the day:
The ideal breakfast foods to eat after exercise consist of the following:
- Bread or whole-grain cereals
- Juice
- Low-fat milk
- Yoghurt
- Banana
- 1 pancake
And if you drink coffee every morning, 1 cup of your favorite brew is enough.
Size Matters
As general guidelines in eating would suggest:
Large meals should be eaten at least 3 to 4 hours before exercising while snacks and small meals should be eaten at least 1 to 3 hours before exercising.
Make it a point not to eat too much before working out to avoid the possibility of being sluggish. At the same time, don’t eat too little as your body might not have the energy that you need to complete your exercise.
Snacking Can Be Factor Too
Snack foods to eat before and after exercise are good as long as you eat in small portions and focus on carbohydrate-rich foods like:
- Energy bar
- Apple or banana
- Yoghurt
- Fruit smoothie
- Crackers or whole-grain bagel
- Low-fat granola bar
- Sports drink
- Diluted juice
- Peanut butter sandwich
After Workout Meals
Choose foods that will help your muscles to recover as well as replace your glycogen storage like the following:
- Fruits and yoghurt
- Peanut butter sandwich
- Pretzels and low-fat chocolate milk
- Recovery smoothie
- Bread, vegetables, and turkey
Water To Rehydrate
And lastly, the foods to eat before and after exercise would not be complete without having sufficient amount of water to rehydrate your body.
We recommend that you follow this drinking pattern to help you be more efficient during workout:
- 2 to 3 cups of water 3 hours prior to exercise.
- 1/2 to 1 cup of water during workout (adjusted to the body size and weather).
- Roughly 2 to 3 cups of water for every 1 pound that you lose.
To maximize the effect of your exercise routine, you can also hire a certified personal trainer to help you achieve your fitness goals.
