Fuel Up Right: Pre and Post Exercise Eating

By Kelly Turner on June 29th, 2009

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Professional athletes must be meticulous in planning their meals for performance, but what about the average exerciser, or the weekend warrior?  Does someone doing 30-60 minutes of cardio 4 times a week really need to be careful about what they eat before and after exercising, too?

For the average exerciser, a healthy, well balanced diet with enough calories to support your activity level is enough to fuel you for your workouts- extra effort isn’t necessary.  Find out what gives you the most energy and go with it.  Some people find a full meal before a workout fuels them through, while others find it to weigh them down and make them feel sluggish.

If you are planning on a snack before or after, carbohydrates and proteind are the major nutrients that effect energy levels and muscle recovery.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Carbohydrates:Roughly 60% of the calories you eat at this time should come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s #1 source of energy- if you don;t have enough carbs, your energy will suffer, and your body will not burn as many calories.  Despite what you might hear, your body needs more carbohydrates than protein after a workout in order to replace the muscle fuel you used. Moderate exercisers need about 30-40 grams of carbohydrates after an hour of exercise, but high-intensity exercisers need more—around 50-60 grams for each hour they exercised.

• Protein:While carbs are essential, it’s also important to include some high-quality protein. Protein stops your body from breaking down muscle tissue for energy, which happens when you are low on carbs, and starts the process of rebuilding and repairing your muscles. About 25% of the calories you eat after a workout should come from protein—that’s about 10-15 grams for the average person.

DO NOT fall into the trap of thinking that because you worked out you need an extra snack. You do not. Many people make the mistake of thinking they worked out hard, so they need a protein bar, or a smoothie to refuel. You can have these, but just make sure they aren’t in addition to what you would normally eat.  Eating back those calories you just burned is like that workout you just had never happened.

I will say this over and over again until I am blue in the face, and people finally, FINALLY, get it: If you eat a well balanced, healthy diet, you won’t have to worry about anything.You won’t have to count anything, you won’t have to pay attention to fat and calories, you won’t have to make an extra effort to get your vitamins and nutrients, you won’t have to plan special meals and snacks to make sure you are fueled for your workouts and reaping the best results. You won’t have to worry about your weight, you’re bone density, or your metabolism.  Being healthy isn’t as hard as people like to make it seem.  Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low fat dairy, and everything you can think of that in regards to diet and exercise will be taken care of: and you won’t drive yourself insane.