What to Eat Before and After Your Workouts

You may wonder what you should eat before and after your workouts.  Your questions have been answered.

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How can I maintain the right level of calories in my body when exercising? What kind of foods do I need to build muscle or lose weight faster? These are three common questions you will hear fitness experts and fanatics argue about every day?

One fact is, having the right foods before or after exercising is the key to reaching your fitness goals. Whether you are a body builder or a gymnast, you need to continue taking in the right nutrients to build muscle, increase strength or burn excess fat.

If you’ve been searching for a way to boost your workouts, it is time you worked on your pre and post diet plan. Here are some great ideas.

Foods to Eat Before Your Workouts

Greek Yogurt and fruit

If you are looking forward to longer and tiring exercises such as aerobics, jogging outdoors or on the treadmill, you will need something that will digest faster, and that will give you the energy you need to continue moving. Greek yogurt is known to be rich in high-quality protein while fruit is packed with healthy carbohydrates that will keep you going.

Oats

An empty stomach can ruin you, especially when you are in the middle of an aggressive workout session. Oats pack a lot of healthy fiber that will not only keep you full but will also continue supplying your body with the energy it needs throughout your workouts.

Also, they are rich in vitamin B that works well to boost conversion of carbohydrates to energy. I would suggest that you have this meal 20 minutes before you start exercising.

Whole grain bread with boiled eggs

Another perfect substitute for Oats when it comes to energy food is whole grain bread and eggs. Eggs are among the best sources of healthy protein that will keep you full throughout your workouts.

On the other hand, whole grain bread offers the purest carbohydrate source and will keep you feeling energized until your workouts are over. This combination will serve you well, especially when exercising at noon hours.

Foods to Eat After Your Workouts

Chicken thighs and vegetables

Even though exercising is vital for your health, it wears out your tissues, especially when you are exercising intensely. A combination of chicken thighs with vegetables is the best food you can have whether it is lunch hour or during dinner.

As mentioned earlier, chicken is packed with healthy protein that will help your body recover faster. Also, combining chicken with carbohydrates will keep you feeling full for hours without feeling bloated.

Omelet with vegetables and avocado

As you may already know, an egg is a perfect source of healthy protein. Just like chicken wings, they will increase your muscle growth after exercising for hours.

On the other hand, avocados are packed with healthy nutrients and vitamins that will help your body convert fat to energy faster, especially after engaging in an energy-draining workout.

The vitamins are also packed with a variety of antioxidants that are not only healthy but will also help boost your body’s performance. Omelet is great, especially if you are working on increasing the muscle mass.

Sweet potato and fish

Since you will have degraded a larger percentage of muscle protein after exercising, you will need a meal that will help your body recover and replenish itself, and nothing offers this best than fish. Unlike red meat and the rest, fish is known to contain high-quality protein, and the best part has no negative impact on your body.

Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are known to pack a variety of healthy nutrients including Carotenoids, potassium, Vitamin A and more. These ingredients work together to replace the energy lost while exercising.  Potatoes and fish are also perfect if you are trying to achieve a six pack.

Foods to Avoid Before or After Your Workouts

One fact is, not all carbs, fats or proteins are equal. There are those foods that will help you stay on your path as well as those foods that will drag you behind or demotivate you when trying to achieve your dreams.

Here are three foods you should avoid before or immediately after your workouts:

Dairy

Dairy is a great source of protein, but never a better choice of food before or after your workouts. Limit dairy consumption if you feel acidic or lethargic.

Artificially sweetened drinks

Sugary drinks are known to interfere with how the bacteria in your stomach digests and absorbs nutrients. So, avoid them.

Salty foods

Salt can alter the balance of fluid you require to exercise. Try avoiding salty foods such as chips and more.

The Bottom Line

The hardest part of making your workout plan a success is dieting. As you can see, you can’t just eat anything and expect that it will work. You need to learn how, when and what to eat. Also, it is important that you be aware of your fitness goals.

Doing this will help you choose the right ingredients your body needs to maintain the path towards achieving your fitness goals. So, the first thing that should come into your mind before you choose a workout plan is a diet plan. Choose the right foods, but remember, you are never restricted to what you find in this article. You can always find a substitute.

Author bio :

Hi. My name is Sarah G. Ramirez your health and fitness partner.  I welcome you to cyanfitness where everything is made possible. My main aim is to help you exercise correctly, eat well and most importantly, maintain a healthy lifestyle.