Pre & Post Workout Nutrition

Good morning friends!

Quite often I get questions surrounding optimal pre and post training nutrition! It makes sense! We bust our asses in the gym and want to know what the “secret” is to getting the most "bang from your buck" when it comes to optimizing muscle growth, training performance and lasting energy whilst we are in the gym doing work!

So, how do we prepare nutritionally going in to training and recover optimally afterwards?!

**I need to voice very LOUD AND CLEAR before diving into this subject. If you are NOT doing the basics VERY well already; sleeping, hydrating, balancing meals, dialing in both food quality and quantity, keeping cortisol (stress hormones) levels low during your day by not stressing to high hell constantly, etc. etc. than this subject is NOT, I repeat, NOT something you need to be focusing in on right now!!

If any of these things are not already a major priority in your life than meal timing and food optimization for training is NOT going to make a difference, trust me when I say, you will NOT grow bigger, stronger and faster if you are NOT making the above a priority first.

Now that being said; for those of you who are looking to make these optimizations in the gym and you already have the basics dialed in, lets talk about it!!!

It is proper nutrition around a workout that will help you perform better, recover faster, and further your results. Whether you’re a newbie at the gym or a seasoned recreational athlete, you can benefit from taking a look at your nutrition and rethinking the role that food can play in fitness. Nutrition determines how much you can show up for a workout. When you’re feeling sluggish or tired, you’re less likely to give 100% at the gym, in a workout class or at home. Nutrition also plays a key part in the effect a workout has on your body; it can nourish the cells and aid in muscle recovery, and ultimately weight loss, too.

In terms of deciding on the best foods to eat around working out, it’s important to first consider your planned exercise with its intensity and duration. Ultimately, you want to eat food that will fuel your workout, not sabotage it, and if you’re going to go to a slow, but long restorative yoga class, you don’t want to load up on carbs and protein…

Each macronutrient has a specific role before a workout, but the amount varies based on the length and intensity of your workout. In a nutshell, carbohydrates can help increase glycogen stores when you’re about to do a high-intensity exercise, fats can help fuel your body for longer workouts that may be less intense and eating some protein before working out will help with muscle recovery.

Pre-Workout – Ideally, you want to consume something before working out that’s easy on digestion and something that won’t affect your performance. You want quick, yet lasting energy that will fuel you through your workout, without leaving you feeling wiped out and depleted afterward.

If you train in the morning workout, try a half or whole piece of fruit, along with a half or one serving of protein. This “protein” could be in the form of a powder or an egg, your choice! If you have an afternoon workout, you most likely have eaten a half of a day’s worth of meals by then. If so, try a half or a whole piece of fruit. If you have an evening workout, enjoy a half or a whole carbohydrate serving like a sweet potato if it’s been longer than 2 hours since your last meal. This stuff varies guys!! Its not as complicated as it may seem, but it CAN make a difference.

Post-Workout – During exercise, your body uses up the glycogen stores to fuel your muscles and keep you going. Afterwards, your muscles will most likely be low on glycogen. Your body then works to replenish its stores, by repairing and re growing the proteins that make up your muscles. Considering good post-workout nutrition is key, and just as important as good pre-workout nutrition. Post-workout foods play an important role in giving your body what it needs to properly replenish and repair.

Despite what the media tells us, however, there is not a specific “window” after a workout that you must load up on protein. If you’re consuming the right calories and macronutrient goals for the day, not just in that 30-60-minute post-workout “window”, your body will be on its way to healthy recovery. Your body, in fact, utilizes nutrients from the meal you ate before working out, long after your workout is finished.

Long story short, carbohydrate and protein help replenish your glycogen stores, while also promoting muscle protein synthesis. **Pro tip: Aim to hit a 3 carb:1 protein serving ratio after working out.

Did anything here surprise you? Do you have a go-to workout snack or meal? I’d love to hear! My goal of sharing this is to serve as a basic “guideline” for what can work for you and your routine and to shed light on the types of foods and macro nutrients that have shown to be beneficial for the body before, during and after exercise.

Want to know more, or interested in specific food examples??? Ask me! Id be glad to dive in further!

All my love,

Coach B