As we all know, peeling ourselves off the couch and into a gym, especially during the pandemic, can be vexing, and ensuring our body is getting proper nutrients to fuel those workouts is just as tricky. Think of your body as your vehicle; vehicles require gas, oil, and other fluids to run smoothly and efficiently—so how do we choose the proper fuel to keep our engine running before, during and after our workouts? To help people correctly fuel their workout game, Fitness World director of fitness education Logan Dube has compiled the ultimate guide on how to do just that. —Vita Daily
Pre-workout nutrition contributes to your overall intake for the day, but specifically, our goals would be:
- Balanced blood sugar
- Energy and focus
- Comfortable stomach
General Timing Guidelines
- Eat normally leading up to your workout.
- Don’t workout hard after too long a fast (ex. all night fast or a busy day where you skipped lunch)
- Don’t eat a big meal right before a workout (a typical meal needs approximately 4 hours to digest)
Pre-workout Snack Ideas
To eat within 2 hours of a workout
- 1–2 scoops of dotFIT Pre/Post Workout Shake — a meal replacement offering a mix of protein, carbs and fats
- Piece of fruit and a small handful of nuts
- A protein bar (Approx 150 calories with around 10–15 grams of protein)
- Half a sandwich
- Yogurt with berries
- In a pinch? Starbucks Protein Box
Post-workout Nutrition
- Eat within a window of 30 minutes to 2 hours post-workout
- Replenish glycogen
- Positive protein balance
- Muscle recovery
- Immune system recover
- Workouts stress the body, so think “fight or flight” is a catabolic state linked to stress hormones and overall breakdown.
- You have to create little microtears in the muscles to get bigger/stronger. BUT we don’t want to STAY in that state. We want to rest/recover and get into the “rest and digest” state. Stress hormones recede, and the body can use nutrients to repair and grow muscle.
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