How to Fuel the Most Important Engine YOURS.
Professional or recreational, sports star or hobbyist, exercise-fan or member of the “I only do exercise because I have to” club all kinds of bodies can benefit from fueling well for an active, healthy lifestyle.
The human body is designed to move. And like a car that runs on gasoline, we have to fuel our bodies to keep them running efficiently. Our fuel, of course, is the food we consume, but unlike a car we can’t just ‘fill ‘er up’ and let it run until empty. The clearest way to observe this is when we look at a competitive athlete she uses her body as a performance vehicle, the literal body machine. And the way an athlete eats can make the difference between completing the race or stopping short, between losing or winning. Fueling for endurance, performance, and recovery are key.
So you might be saying “well, I’m not an athlete” (and if you are, this is for you too!), that’s OK it’s still essential to know the basics of how to fuel your body for a great workout. We can turn to the science of sports nutrition with athletes to get some personal strategies for fueling our own bodies to maximize metabolism, burn calories, and get the most out of our workouts.
Sports nutrition is the science of what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat before, during and after exercise. And our bodies need not just one kind of fuel but a combination of nutrients from a variety of foods and beverages. Our fuel comes from foods that provide us with carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, water, and other nutrients that help the body function properly around the clock.
In general, a health-promoting, disease-fighting, and energy-boosting diet is a whole foods, plant-based diet focused on plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, along with lean protein, healthy fats, calcium-rich foods and plenty of water. An appropriate diet for active individuals is similar, but the ratios of carbs, proteins and fats may be more carefully planned along with a clear routine for staying hydrated. For most active individuals, a healthy diet should be approximately 60% carbohydrates, 15-20% protein, and 20-30% fat.
What to eat before exercise the pre-exercise meal or snack. It’s always important to think of the goal. When you exercise, you want to have great energy without feeling sluggish. You want to perform well and burn calories efficiently. It’s all about getting a steady flow of blood sugar circulating in your blood vessels, providing for your cells and enabling you to make energy so you can ‘go’. And the time-frame does matter. Two to four hours before exercise, focus on having a light meal consisting of quality carbs, lean protein and a little fat. For example, a half of a whole grain pita stuffed with sliced turkey, a piece of cheddar cheese, some romaine lettuce and tomato along with an apple is a great choice for a pre-exercise meal. However, when you get within an hour of an endurance event or a workout that lasts more than 60 minutes, the proteins and fats mostly drop out of the scene and a smaller, mostly carbohydrate snack is recommended. About 75-100 calories from a banana, orange, a slice of toast or a small cup of oatmeal are all good choices. Finally, no food should be consumed within 30 minutes of exercise to optimize performance and decrease the chance of stomach discomfort as your body kicks into gear to send blood to your arms and legs and away from your digestive tract.
When it comes to water, consume 8-16 ounces within an hour of working out.
Once the workout starts what to eat and drink during exercise. Once exercise is underway, the rules change a bit and the goal is to maintain hydration, steady blood sugar, and electrolytes. Exercise less than an hour does not require any added calories in food, but 6-8 ounces of water should be consumed every 15 minutes during exercise. When exercise lasts more than an hour, carbohydrates plus electrolytes and water become important. This is when sports beverages come in handy and why they were designed in the first place. Unless you are competing in an ultra-endurance event that lasts longer than 4 hours (in which case you should seek some specific sports nutrition counseling to optimize your personal performance), you should not consume proteins or fats during exercise. Carbohydrates are considered the master fuel when it comes to sports nutrition and you need to keep a steady supply of blood sugar readily available to your working muscles as you continue to replenish your electrolytes and water lost in sweat while you work out.
During exercise that is:
Less than 60 minutes, consume 6-8 ounces of water every 15 minutes.
Over 60 minutes, consume either:
6-8 ounces of a carbohydrate-electrolyte replacement beverage like Gatorade or Powerade every 15 minutes
OR
6-8 ounces of water every 15 minutes and 75-100 calories of carbohydrate sports gel or equivalent every 20-30 minutes.
To maximize recovery after exercise how to refuel, rehydrate and restore. In the time immediately after exercise and for about 90 minutes after, your cells are very receptive to replenishing and restoring energy and nutrients lost during exercise. While many people focus a lot on what they eat before and during exercise, how to refuel after exercise is an area that’s very important for helping you maximize the benefits of your efforts, keep your immune system up, and get you ready for your next activity of the day. Think about Olympic athletes as a wonderful example of how important recovery is: an Olympian has to not only perform at his or her best in a single event against world-class competitors, but usually has to recover and compete again (and again) within a short-time period. Winning a medal is as much about the ability to win once, as it is to recover quickly and win again.
A perfect post-workout option is a modest meal balanced with carbs, protein and healthy fat to optimize recovery. An ‘upgraded’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich whole grain bread, all natural peanut butter and some all-fruit preserves or a sliced banana can offer an easy, portable and balanced option. If exercise is less than an hour in duration, consider something a bit smaller: a snack around 120-150 calories such as a whole grain energy bar like Kashi TLC bars or a Lara bar. And a glass of low-fat or fat free milk can provide another super-easy recovery option providing a perfect balance of carbs and protein, electrolytes like potassium and magnesium along with calcium and vitamin D for the muscles and bones. In fact, several researchers have recently taken to calling low-fat milk a ‘sports recovery beverage’ due to a growing number of studies demonstrating its effectiveness in helping athletes recover after endurance exercise.
Other great post-exercise recovery snack options include:
Nuts and dried fruit about 1 tablespoon of each combined
Sliced apple with almond butter
Low-fat yogurt with bananas and honey
To replenish water loss, consume 16-20 ounces immediately after exercise and another 16-24 ounces per pound lost, if any weight is lost during exercise.
So next time you get ready to do your workout, think like an athlete and fuel up your body machine to maximize your own daily performance at home, work and exercise, too. Your body is an amazing engine that performs at its best when well-trained, adequately rested, and properly fed before, during and after exercise.
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