Fueling Around Your Activity
Proper nutrition and
fueling is vital around training and workouts. Without eating at the right time
and eating the right kinds of foods your body is unable to perform its best as
well as unable to fully recover the way it needs to. Proper nutrition and
hydration may be sport dependent however the tips below are basics to be
followed.
During Training Days:
Hydrate well throughout the day! A 2% reduction
in body weight can affect your performance and reduce your energy levels.
Eat nutritionally dense foods every 2-3 hours to keep fueled
throughout the day. (Snack on nuts, nut butters, fresh fruits, fresh
vegetables, cheese, whole-wheat crackers) That means planning ahead and
bringing snacks with you to class and practice!
Aim for well-balanced meals that have a
combination of carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats (Ideas: brown
rice, quinoa, whole-wheat bread/crackers, corn tortillas, black beans, chicken
breast, steamed vegetables, salads, nuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and olive oil
to cook with)
Pre-workout/training:
Ideally it is best to eat a meal 2-3 hours before that contains a
balance of all nutrients. Focus on complex carbohydrates, lean meats, and healthy
fats.
If unable to eat a meal 2-3 hours before, have a
healthy snack (simple carbohydrate – fruit, milk, cereal) 30 minutes before workout.
Make sure you are hydrated. Have at least one cup of fluid prior to
practice.
Post-workout/training:
To repair and build muscle: It is important to
fuel within 30 minutes after your
workout, especially after strength training exercise. Consider a snack high in
protein and rich in carbohydrate. (Muscle Milk, Chocolate Milk, Greek Yogurt,
or String Cheese with Fresh Fruit)
Within two
hours of completing your workout, you will still need to consume a meal. It is important to eat a meal that
contains fiber-rich carbohydrates, protein and fat to help restore glycogen,
repair tissues and repair muscle. A healthy meal can include: salad with nuts,
quinoa and lean protein; plate packed with steamed vegetables, a lean protein
and a healthy whole-wheat carbohydrate source (whole-wheat pasta, brown rice);
homemade meatballs with spaghetti squash and mozzarella cheese.
To help cure inflammation and muscle soreness:
fuel with antioxidants or cherry juice, which are known to have flavonoids and
anthocyanins. You can make a home-made trail mix with dried cherries, almonds,
and dark chocolate chips!
After aerobic or anaerobic exercise it is
important to rehydrate and replenish electrolyte and water losses with
Powerade, Coconut Water, or regular water. If you have access to a scale:
Measure your weight before and after workouts. For every 1lb lost, replenish
with 2-3 cups of water.
Put this into your practice, EACH and EVERY Day because that
is how Bruin Athletes Excel!
Fueling Bruins,
Emily Mitchell, MS, RD, CSSD, CDE
Contributions by Dietetic Intern Yasi Ansari
