How do you fuel your workouts?
I have heard people saying you need to fuel your workouts, and occasionally I say that to my gym buddy, but I am not sure if I am doing it right.
I have heard you need to have some protein and a carb before and after your workouts but I am not sure how far before to each them and how much.
Would one apple and 2 tbl spoons of peanut butter be enough to fuel an hour cardio or strength training class?
What about if you are doing two classes? Should you bring a powerade or something to drink in between? Or a snack?
What are good examples of preworkout food?
WHen are Gaterades, powerades, etc. a good option?
Original Post by thinisthenewblack1:
I have heard people saying you need to fuel your workouts, and occasionally I say that to my gym buddy, but I am not sure if I am doing it right.
I have heard you need to have some protein and a carb before and after your workouts but I am not sure how far before to each them and how much.
Would one apple and 2 tbl spoons of peanut butter be enough to fuel an hour cardio or strength training class?
Yes, more than enough.
What about if you are doing two classes? Should you bring a powerade or something to drink in between? Or a snack?
Probably a good idea to hydrate.
What are good examples of preworkout food?
That's a personal preference.
WHen are Gaterades, powerades, etc. a good option?
When you want expensive Kool-Aid.
I feel the whole preworkout food thing is mostly mental. Unless one is a very, very serious athlete or performing in an endurance event.
Every MWF I wake up, get dressed, drink less than a cup of water, brush my teeth, then go to Squadron PT. Calisthenics for about 20 minutes, then a 5k, which takes me about 24 mins. Once a month I fast for a day, and on one occasion I accidentally fasted the day before(a Sunday) we had morning PT. I still went to PT and performed just as well as usual and felt fine. I am not athletically gifted by any means either. So...
"How do you fuel your workouts?" I guess, for me, it's determination.
On the hydration topic: most health clubs have a scale to weigh yourself. Weigh before and after your class and see how much water weight that you typically lose. A liter weighs 2.2 pounds. So, if you lose a pound, replace it with 450 mls (16 oz) of water. It is ok to lose a couple of pounds while you are working out, but you should replace it within an hour after. For long/multiple workouts, try not to lose more than 2% of your body weight (i.e. you should be drinking during your workout if you expect to be losing more than 1% of your weight).
A combination of sugar and salt in a drink makes it go through the stomach faster. Indoors, for an hour or two, plain water is just fine. Out in the heat, having to drink so much that your stomach is sloshing around, sports drinks can help.
OGR
I am having trouble with this, too. For breakfast today I had about 550 calories (at 730am) and I went to the gym at 9am. Halfway through my workout my stomach growled intensely and I felt a little weak. Not good!
If you are doing intense workouts like I am, we probably need to eat 30 minutes before we workout. Apple + PB is perfect, like you suggested.
Also, I do notice on mornings when I don't eat breakfast before I workout, I don't feel hungry/weak. Not quite sure why, but you could try holding off on breakfast until after you workout.
Good luck :)
I was just reading about this on the "Eat This Not That" newsletter. I rather enjoy it. They recommend twenty grams of protein, half before and half after. The after should have some carbs. The idea is that the carbs replenish your glycogen while the protein gets to work rebuilding your muscle.
Some of the foods they recommended: lean meat (turkey, chicken, tuna, 4 slices), 3 eggs (hard boiled or otherwise), chocolate milk, whey protein.
but really, you can use your imagination. The idea of eating before you workout is to make sure you don't bonk during the workout. If you get ravenously hungry 40 minutes into an hour workout, the rest is going to really suck. It's a good thing that exercise suppresses hunger, to a certain extent.
As far as inbetween and post workout snacks, listen to your body. If you can make it through 2 hours of cardio without a snack, then go for it. A sports drink will replenish your carbs, electrolytes, and water. At a minimum, you need to stay hydrated. Anytime I go over an hour and a half on a bike or run, I eat while I am working out, usually something in the 200 calorie range.
Hope this helps.
Wes
It's all about what works for you.
Before my runs (usually 6 to 9 miles) I take Gatorade Pre-Fuel. It seems to make a difference.
After my long runs (usually 16+ miles) I take Gatorade Pro Recovery drink. It makes a HUGE difference in my recovery. I crash (low energy ... take a nap, etc.) a couple hours after the run if I don't take it. It is expensive at $4.29 each ... but it works. BTW, it is only sold at GNC, Dick's Sporting Goods and online.
Take it easy on the Gatorade. It's full of sugar and salt (even the sugar fee has a lot of sodium). If you are doing heavy duty stuff, like marathons, I suppose it's ok, but the average person doing the average workout, just doesn't need it.
I see way too many kids drinking the stuff like water and then coming to my office and wondering why the teeth are rotting out of their heads!
Original Post by wingnutaviary:
Take it easy on the Gatorade. It's full of sugar and salt (even the sugar fee has a lot of sodium). If you are doing heavy duty stuff, like marathons, I suppose it's ok, but the average person doing the average workout, just doesn't need it.
I see way too many kids drinking the stuff like water and then coming to my office and wondering why the teeth are rotting out of their heads!
I run 50 to 70 miles per week. I sweat about 16 oz per mile. Last week I sweated out over 7 gallons. So for me, I am always chasing my electrolytes. I NEED the sodium in the Gatorade along with the carbs. I also eat chicken noodle soup before a long run so that I get more sodium. I also take electrolyte supplements.
I do not drink carbonated water (Cokes, Pepsi, etc.). Most people who "drink the stuff like water" do so for the sugar, not the sodium.
At the moment I'm experimenting with Amino's before a workout.
L-Arginine in particular is very popular amongst bodybuilders and strength athletes.
I'll try and report back.
Original Post by cpa_pfs:
Original Post by wingnutaviary:
Take it easy on the Gatorade. It's full of sugar and salt (even the sugar fee has a lot of sodium). If you are doing heavy duty stuff, like marathons, I suppose it's ok, but the average person doing the average workout, just doesn't need it.
I see way too many kids drinking the stuff like water and then coming to my office and wondering why the teeth are rotting out of their heads!
I run 50 to 70 miles per week. I sweat about 16 oz per mile. Last week I sweated out over 7 gallons. So for me, I am always chasing my electrolytes. I NEED the sodium in the Gatorade along with the carbs. I also eat chicken noodle soup before a long run so that I get more sodium. I also take electrolyte supplements.
I do not drink carbonated water (Cokes, Pepsi, etc.). Most people who "drink the stuff like water" do so for the sugar, not the sodium.
Gatorade is fine for someone who is exercising as much as you, but the fact remains that it is marketed to kids and teens who are not training hard enough to actually need it. They think it's good for them, so they drink lots of it. Lots of unnecessary sugar and sodium. The vast majority of people are better off drinking plain old water.
Not that it's working for me but I have a quite a few gym warrior friends as well as running friends who range in levels C25K all the way up to Ironman.
That being said, BEFORE the workouts -- the workouts should be fueled with carbohydrate; something like oatmeal, a banana, or both and a hit of peanut butter. This will give you the prolonged energy needed to fuel the workout.
After the workout is the time for recovery which should be high protein. Some examples:
-- Chocolate milk (really - runners are on to this)
-- A high protein (no added sugar) smoothie. Adding fruit is great.
My favorite: An 8-oz bottle of Pure Protein ISO 25. this is a 25g of protein liquid fruit punch made from whey. The calories are 110, fat 0, fiber 5 and protein 25. I love the protein without fat and carbohydrate (something rare) and that it is a liquid which will not fill me up.
"The high protein after a workout supports and repairs lean muscle. Whey Isolate is a fast and easily digested protein to supply your muscles with amino rght after a workout, or any time".
Original Post by oldguysrule:
On the hydration topic: most health clubs have a scale to weigh yourself. Weigh before and after your class and see how much water weight that you typically lose. A liter weighs 2.2 pounds. So, if you lose a pound, replace it with 450 mls (16 oz) of water. It is ok to lose a couple of pounds while you are working out, but you should replace it within an hour after. For long/multiple workouts, try not to lose more than 2% of your body weight (i.e. you should be drinking during your workout if you expect to be losing more than 1% of your weight).
A combination of sugar and salt in a drink makes it go through the stomach faster. Indoors, for an hour or two, plain water is just fine. Out in the heat, having to drink so much that your stomach is sloshing around, sports drinks can help.
OGR
This is great advice, I always weigh myself before and after. I've avoided dehydration this way, except for a heatwave where I couldn't take in enough water to combat what I was losing. After that I started taking a water, gatorade, salt mixture on my bike, and I beat the heat that way.
I don't do any special pre-workout meal. My workout happens to hit either about 4 hours after lunch, or in the morning in a near-fasted state.
Afterwards is my biggest meal of the day.
