I get a lot of questions about what you eat before a workout or after a workout, before cardio or after, before strength training workout or after. It can be VERY confusing! With so many sports drinks out there, supplement programs there no wonder so many people are unsure of what works and what doesn’t. So this is what I tell my clients, and maybe there are other suggestions but this is what works for me. If there is something I’m missing, please let me know and give me your thoughts!
What you eat before and after and the times of these meals can be more crucial than you think. Eating right before a workout will give you more energy to get you through a workout and eating right after the workout will help your muscles recover faster and help you come back with your next workout faster and stronger.
So if you are planning out your workout for a weight training session, it all depends on your intensity of the workout. You’ll want to consume about a 50/50 ratio for carbohydrates and protein. If you are doing an extreme intense lifting session you could bump the protein up to 75%. But you need a little carbohydrates to give you the energy to get you through the session. You will want to consume this meal about an hour to 2 hours before. One of my favorite meals is an 2 egg white blueberry muffins with a little spread of almond butter (I will post the recipe tomorrow).
A pre-workout meal for a cardio sessions, you will mostly want to consume mostly carbohydrates to give you the sustained energy to get you through the workout and to boost the blood sugar levels. Aim for approximately 75% carbohydrates and 25% protein. One of my favorite meals for pre-cardio workout is either my vanilla protein shake with Want More Energy, or rice cereal with a scoop of protein and almond milk.
Now after your workout it is very important to refuel. This is called “Recovery Period” do this an within the hour you finish your workout. It can be a little different for which type of training you have done whether for strength or cardio.
After a strength workout you will want to refuel about 1 -2 hours after an intense workout to repair your muscles, and replenish the glycogen stores, and to prevent muscle soreness. This is a great time where protein is used to build lean body mass instead of being stored as fat, so you will want to take advantage of this time.
After my strength training or after a clients I recommend a good protein source with vital nutrients to help with muscle soreness, so I usually drink a protein shake and I recommend the Isagenix products because it has all the necessary nutrients to replenish my muscles and give me great energy afterwards. But if you are thinking of some other options some of the food item I suggest are: eggs, fish, chicken, and turkey. These food will supply you with enough protein and help your recovery.
After a cardio session, your goal is to replenish you glycogen and energy stores. Try foods with whole grains, fruits and veggies. A small piece of fruit or a small sweet potato is a great example. Now, with both types of workout WATER is huge. A large amount of water is lost when you workout, mostly after a cardio session, so drinking pure water is best. If you are working in extreme heat (like it has been for a while now) or working out longer than 2 hours you should replenish with electrolytes as well. A great natural electrolyte is Want More Energy from Isagenix, and I love the Orange flavor!
Everyone is different and every BODY is different, so do what works best for you. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to listen to your body and see and feel what works. If eating something that is on this list doesn’t work for you that is okay, do what you feel is best for you!