You are what you eat. The foods you eat affect your mood and most especially, your stamina which is important in your workout as an athlete or a sports buff. The market is so proliferated with so many sports drinks, energy foods, bars, and food supplements that promise good athletic performance. The problem is you will never know if it’s a sham or just a marketing strategy once you have tried them. If that is the case, you ought to know which foods are best suited for workout and which foods you should avoid. The meal you eat matters a lot so before making yourself busy with your next physical fitness activity, take a shot at this page to learn what foods to eat after a workout.
The first rule that you should observe before you work out is not to eat too much as if the whole world is your plate. Eating a large meal before going on an exercise may cause nausea and muscle cramps. What you should do is to feed your body with a dose of foods rich in carbohydrates and protein 30 minutes or an hour before you scamper to the gym. Take some toast, cornflakes, and cereals or eat a banana, mango, and watermelon. You may want to take a taste of a grilled chicken sandwich. Just don’t include fried food in the diet. Carbohydrates act as energy source of the body while protein build and maintain muscles and healthy blood cells. Ideally, your pre workout meal should be low fat, low fiber, contains fluids, comprises of familiar and tolerable foods and moderate in carbs and proteins. And two hours before your workout, drink 16 ounces of water to keep you hydrated.
What to eat after a workout is also vital to restore glycogen for your body to recuperate. The very first thing you should do after you work out is to hydrate by drinking water or juice. And remember to take your meal right away after you work out. This means the first hour after your workout. Just like the ideal pre workout meal, the post workout meal should include some protein and complex carbohydrates. Foods rich in carbs and proteins boost the restoration of glycogen. Grab an egg sandwich, pancakes or a salad after your workout. Or blend chopped bananas and apples to make a shake. You’ve got to have a dose of green fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber to aid your digestion. Dried fruits and nuts, chocolate milk or cereal with milk are also recommended as post workout meal. Lastly, keep fatty foods at bay because they would just slow the digestion of protein and carbs after your exercise.
Here are some additional quick tips for you. Never ever exercise on an empty stomach! And keep yourself hydrated. Water can be tasteless but it does wonders. Your diet is an important factor for an effective workout. The golden rule is that a healthy diet would coincide with a better athletic performance.