What should you eat to provide your body with the energy, minerals and vitamins it needs for training? We plan fitness nutrition by the hour!
Some especially busy young ladies have very little time left for a snack before the planned warm-up. In this case, as a fitness meal, you should choose a very light carbohydrate snack of no more than 25 g: for example, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of raisins or oatmeal, or muesli, or baby food applesauce, bread, or 3-4 small saltine crackers. With such fitness nutrition, vigor and excellent well-being are guaranteed within an hour!
In the first 20–40 minutes after a fitness load, the so-called post-workout (other names: anabolic, carbohydrate) window for the consumption of proteins and carbohydrates is open in the body.
From fitness nutrition after training, the following are allowed in minimal quantities: not too sweet fruits and berries (apples, pears, currants, strawberries, etc.) or some dried fruits, low-fat kefir or yogurt, sports protein shakes and energy bars (if the workout was particularly intense), as well as cranberry juice, preferably without sugar.
Don’t forget the main rule of fitness nutrition - to nourish the body with moisture that came out with sweat and was spent on metabolic processes.
Fitness foods are prohibited from fats, as well as coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate, since the caffeine they contain interferes with the absorption of protein for muscle recovery.
An hour after exercise (and no less than two hours before bedtime), complex carbohydrates and proteins are allowed from the fitness diet, for example, milk, kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese with banana or pineapple, tuna and any other unfried and unsmoked fish, chicken or veal with vegetables. These measures will help the body maintain its metabolic rate at a normal level and restore muscle fibers “eaten” during exercise to replenish energy costs.
Many girls are afraid that fitness nutrition such as meat and protein foods in general on the day of training are undesirable, since this causes muscles to grow. In fact, to actively build muscle tissue, a professional sports approach is required: hypercaloric rational fitness nutrition (at least 4,000 calories per day), nine hours of sleep and a special training regimen.
You definitely need to eat 2-3 hours before training, otherwise the body will not have enough energy to work effectively.
However, this meal must include certain nutrients. If you eat fatty food, it will not have time to digest, so during training you will be haunted by a feeling of heaviness, belching, and colic. Therefore, before playing sports, it is advisable to eat meals with a minimum of fat, but rich in proteins and carbohydrates.
These easy-to-prepare meals can be made in 5-15 minutes, eaten two hours before your workout, and get all the nutrients you need. In addition, they can be used as a quick .
fannetasticfood.comThis dish has 13 grams of protein per serving, and the banana and oatmeal provide plenty of carbohydrates.
Mash the banana with a fork or in a blender until pureed. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the mixture has the consistency of regular oatmeal (about 5 minutes).
This dish is high in protein from cottage cheese and yogurt and carbohydrates from peanuts, cereal and honey.
Mix cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla sugar, honey and lemon juice. In a glass, layer breakfast cereal, cottage cheese-yogurt mixture, strawberries (you can add other berries or sliced banana) and peanuts.
This recipe has plenty of protein from the eggs, tuna and yogurt and carbohydrates from the bread.
Boil the eggs, cut them in half. Drain excess liquid from a can of tuna, mash it with a fork, add yogurt. Spread the mixture onto the bread, add two halves of an egg, and garnish with parsley.
This dish is loaded with protein from Greek yogurt and carbohydrates from berries and granola, a sweet mixture of oatmeal, honey, nuts and dried fruit. If there are no berries, it’s okay, granola covers the need for carbohydrates.
For granola:
To make granola, combine honey, sugar, salt and vegetable oil. Heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then add vanilla sugar and cool. Mix oatmeal, dried berries, almonds and honey-oil mixture. Knead it with your hands until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees, place the prepared mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Ready granola can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can replace the ingredients and use a banana, different berries, nuts or dried fruits.
It is better to prepare granola in advance, for example on the weekend. If you don’t want to waste time on this, buy ready-made granola in the store.
Mix yogurt, berries and granola. A tasty and nutritious dish is ready.
This dish will only take 10-15 minutes to prepare. Due to the cottage cheese, the casserole contains a lot of protein, and thanks to the sugar and semolina, there are enough carbohydrates.
Mix all the ingredients, place in a glass or plastic container, and cover with a lid. Leave it on for 8 minutes at 800 W.
Cut the banana into slices. Mix all ingredients.
Due to tuna and grainy cottage cheese, this dish has a lot of protein.
Peel the potatoes, cut in half and microwave for 10 minutes at maximum power. Check readiness: potatoes should be soft. Open the can of tuna, drain the liquid, mash with a fork and mix with the cream cheese and green onions.
Remove the potatoes, remove the core with a spoon and stuff with the tuna and cheese mixture. Microwave for a couple more minutes.
This dish is high in protein but low in carbohydrates. If you are waiting for a workout, you can eat grapefruit, granola, a mixture of dried fruits or a banana as dessert.
Slice onions cubes, fry until transparent. While the onions are cooking, chop the mushrooms, place them in a frying pan and fry until the moisture has evaporated from them.
Cut the bell pepper into strips. Add to the pan with the onions and mushrooms and leave covered for 1-2 minutes until the peppers become soft. Mix eggs, whites, milk, flour and green onions, pour mushrooms and peppers with this mixture. Close the lid and cook until done.
The quality of your morning workout depends on what you eat before coming to the gym. Find out what will happen good choice, and what is bad?
Dingnnnnnnnn. It's 6am, time to hit the snooze button. You're still half asleep, but according to the plan - which seemed perfect last night - you need to finish your workout before coming to the office.
But even before training, even before the first warm-up approach, you need to put something in your stomach. What to choose - porridge, a bowl of oatmeal or eggs? How about a quick-to-make cocktail?
Or is it better to eat nothing at all before training?
It is not easy to control the portion size and proportions of BZHU, but at this time of day it is especially important. Eat too much and you'll see your breakfast again soon after you start your workout. Too little, and poor performance will negatively affect the result.
If you leave the door in the morning without eating, you are training on an empty stomach. By doing so, you are missing out on the opportunity to protect precious muscle mass from significant breakdown.
About three hours after eating a protein-rich meal, the body returns to a negative protein balance. Consequently, after eight hours of sleep, your body is in a state of severe catabolism. Avoiding extreme negative balance is quite simple: eat a protein meal before your workout. (into which it is broken down) directly stimulate muscle protein synthesis and are also involved in growth.
Any lean source of protein is a great choice. Examples: egg whites, chicken breasts, and lean deli meats. However, it is better to stick to fast sources such as or to reduce the risk of stomach discomfort during exercise. The choice is yours, but I would recommend taking whey protein instead of BCAA, especially if you do not eat breakfast and only drink sports supplements.
Regardless of the protein source you choose, calculate your serving size to provide 2-3 grams of the key amino acid responsible for activating muscle protein synthesis. The exact amount is called the leucine threshold, and it depends on age and body weight.
Think of the leucine threshold as an on/off switch. If you cannot move the switch completely, there will be no light - a lack of leucine in food leads to a similar result. But as soon as the minimum threshold is overcome, the light (muscle growth) turns on fully.
Source | Leucine, % | Protein per 2 g leucine, g | Portion | Protein per 3 g leucine, g | Portion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Serum | 12 | 17 | 0.75-1.0 spoons | 25 | 0.75-1.0 spoons |
Milk | 9,8 | 21 | 620 ml (2.5 cups) |
31 | 920 ml (4 cups) |
Casein | 9,3 | 22 | 1-1.25 spoons | 32 | 1-1.25 spoons |
Egg | 8,6 | 24 | 4 large eggs | 35 | 5 large eggs |
Fish | 8,1 | 25 | 106 g | 37 | 155 g |
Beef | 8 | 26 | 113 g | 38 | 163 g |
Pork | 8 | 26 | 113 g | 38 | 163 g |
Soybeans | 8 | 26 | 113 g | 38 | 163 g |
Chicken | 7,5 | 27 | 128 g | 40 | 191 g |
The main source of energy for muscles, so before your morning workout it makes sense to refuel with a couple of spoons of oatmeal or eat a banana on the go. The logic is clear, right?
The muscles and brain rely on glucose (which carbohydrates are broken down into) as their primary fuel. Carbohydrates that are not used immediately are stored as liver or muscle glycogen, which can be used later when energy needs are high (for example, during exercise).
Liver glycogen stores are greatly depleted overnight as the brain and central nervous system require fuel to maintain vital functions even at night. Waking up and going to work out without refueling with carbohydrates is a rather reckless idea, because liver glycogen is the first source of energy even during exercise performed at low intensity.
Starting with empty fuel tanks can result in rapid fatigue and a sluggish workout. But too much food, as well as the wrong choice of carbohydrates, puts spokes in the wheel and reduces performance.
Given that you are short on time, you need to get enough nutrients in a serving size that will not cause stomach discomfort. If you select products with high content, for example, oatmeal or whole grain bread, this will not be easy to do. To ensure maximum energy output with minimal discomfort, stick to a low-fiber diet.
Rice cakes, crackers, crackers, dried fruits and bananas are all great candidates for breakfast. Alternatively, you can mix whey protein or BCAA with sports drinks or dextrose powder. Start sipping on a smoothie when you hit the gym and continue throughout your workout.
There is no universal portion of carbohydrates for all occasions. Maybe you have an iron stomach that can easily be overcome with one or two glasses of oatmeal. Or maybe he can barely digest half a banana. Experiment with different foods and serving sizes. See how you feel and how you work in training. Over time, you will find the golden mean and that perfect product that will fill your workouts with indomitable energy!
Fat is digested slowly. Since you are pressed for time, fatty foods may not be the best choice. They won't hurt you in small quantities, but a fatty source of protein or a generous serving of peanut butter can do the trick.
Let's summarize and look at product combinations that correspond to the principles stated above. This breakfast will ensure your body performs at peak performance even in the early morning hours!
For many people, training is a mandatory procedure to get rid of excess ballast or to build up muscle mass, for purchase relief body and just for fun and health. Whatever the goals or reasons, when exercising it is important to know what you can eat before training and what you cannot, when to eat and whether it is possible to exercise on an empty stomach.
proper nutrition during training – this is 70% successIt prepares the body for the upcoming daily stress. After eating, the body increases energy levels, performance and stamina. Why does a person train? To burn excess fat and instead strengthen muscles and increase their mass.
During fasting and long pauses between meals, the body will defend itself and strive to accumulate fat.
Exercising on an empty stomach will reduce endurance, cause dizziness, fainting and lead to injury.
If you eat little and don’t eat before an intense workout, then what will be burned?
Along with the fat layer and muscle tissue! There will be no benefit from such training. If you were unable to eat before training, then half an hour before training you should eat an apple or banana. You don't have to give up light yogurt, fruit juice or smoothies. The main thing when having a snack is not to allow a feeling of heaviness in the stomach and rely on your own strength.
Bananas are excluded from many diets, but they are beneficial before exercise because they can replenish the body with quickly absorbed fructose and glucose, potassium and magnesium.
Banana energy promotes better muscle contraction and rapid recovery after exercise.
This is especially important for beginners, who may experience hypoglycemia after the very first workouts - blood sugar drops sharply, which causes negative symptoms. This happens because the muscles cannot yet accumulate glycogen (stored glucose) in the right quantity for intensive training.
Some novice athletes, on the way to the gym, have time to snack on a sweet and delicious chocolate candy, ice cream or custard cake, a piece of Napoleon with the presence of butter cream, a cream-based dessert, lollipops or a piece of honeycomb in the form of a candy. This is strictly forbidden, since these products will not help accumulate glycogen, but will only add excess fat. As for honey, its composition is rich, so it is enough for an athlete to eat 1-2 tsp per day. product.
Sweets that contain easily digestible carbohydrates and other nutrients are beneficial, andno excess fat. As a snack before training, you can eat a little: raisins, figs, dried apricots, dates, prunes, cottage cheese desserts (from low-fat cottage cheese), jelly.
It is allowed to diversify your menu with high-calorie products: dried fruits, candied fruits and berries, fruit purees and juices, various jellies, jams and preserves, marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade, dark chocolate.
They contain carbohydrates and other nutrients, but these weaknesses should be limited and included in the diet no more than 1-2 times a week.
It should be taken into account that overeating and the presence of foods on the menu that irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines lead to gastrointestinal upset, lethargy and rapid fatigue. If your diet included heavy and high-calorie foods, you can forget about active training for 3 hours.
It is recommended to eat food 1-1.5 hours before training and hydrate the body well with fluids. The body loses a lot of water during any exercise. Therefore, in the morning, 30-60 minutes before breakfast, you should drink a glass clean water. It should be drunk before each meal and 1-1.5 after it.
How much and what to eat before training?
The main source of energy before training is:
Carbohydrates to maintain blood sugar levels should be complex and have a low glycemic index. Flavored buns, pastries and cakes should not be in the diet. They will be replaced for inspiration and energy by vegetables and fruits, berries and smoothies, oatmeal and brown rice, nuts and whole grain bread.
Healthy and tasty. Soaking cleaned rice overnight and then steaming it for 10 minutes makes a great pre-workout breakfast. If soaked green buckwheat, then in the morning you can eat it raw or steam it for 5-10 minutes in a double boiler.
Complex carbohydrates are found in durum wheat pasta and cereals. They should be included in the menu in the first half of the day so that the body can break them down by the end of the day.
Proteins are necessary to prevent muscle breakdown and for their speedy recovery, as well as for weight loss. Proteins should be combined with carbohydrates.
To replenish your body with proteins - sources of amino acids involved in the construction of muscle fibers, you can eat:
Alternatively, in the morning you can have breakfast with cottage cheese with berries or a banana, an omelette of two eggs with vegetables, poultry (150 g) with grain bread (100 g), low-fat fish with vegetable salad.
Fats contain fatty acids. They are necessary to normalize metabolic processes. Therefore, you need to add any vegetable oil to salads, but no more than 2 tbsp. per day.
Active and energetic girls and boys should definitely have breakfast, after drinking a glass of water with a few grains of sea salt and soda - 0.3 tsp 30-60 before meals.
Baking soda is needed for the following:
Sea salt contains many macro- and microelements: potassium and calcium, iodine and magnesium, bromine and chlorine, iron and zinc, silicon, copper and fluorine. The main thing is this:
To lose weight before training, you need light foods that the body can quickly digest: vegetables, poultry, boiled fish, smoothies with vegetables, fruit salad, muesli, a mix of dried fruits and nuts, yogurt and other fermented milk products.
Juices needed: mango, watermelon, pineapple, grapefruit, orange.
Sample pre-workout meal menu:
Cooking at home: 2 healthy recipes before starting training:
To grow muscle mass, you need to introduce 5-6 meals a day
You should introduce 5-6 meals a day in small portions. Don't forget about a glass of water with salt and soda. Products - naturally low-fat and containing mono- or polyunsaturated fats, acids, fiber, microelements and vitamins:
Those with a sweet tooth will have to avoid oatmeal with sweeteners and flavors, and corn syrup should not contain high levels of sucrose and fructose. Alcohol is completely excluded. It is useful to drink cocktails made from milk, protein, fruits: raspberries, bananas, nuts, chocolate and other fruits.
Eggs are among the products of animal origin with the highest biological value: BC=1. It contains all the essential amino acids.
Eggs, as the most affordable universal product, are very important for the muscle building process: it accelerates their growth. Every muscle has protein structures. their happen. To restore microtraumas, a highly biological protein is needed, i.e. with a complete amino acid profile so that the body absorbs more protein. This is why eggs are needed in the diet.
The shell makes up 10% of the egg. Protein - 55%, yolk - 35%. The yolk contains all the fats and ½ part of the total protein, most of the minerals and vitamins. Therefore, separating the white from the yolk is a mistake.
As for cholesterol, an egg contains 184 mg. It has been proven that it cannot clog the walls of blood vessels and be deposited in different areas of the body. Cholesterol itself does not directly affect the occurrence of heart disease. This role is assigned to saturated fats, which a person loads his stomach in addition to eggs. Saturated fat in an egg is 1.6 g; if you exclude harmful foods - bacon, sausage and buttered toast, then eating an egg will only benefit the athlete.
You need to choose food taking into account the characteristics of the body:
For strength training, the body will need large quantities of energy, and this is taken from foods with carbohydrates.
Light breakfasts of oatmeal or buckwheat porridge and fruit, cocoa or juice can be eaten an hour before training, and at least 2 hours should pass after a full lunch.
The body also needs carbohydrates immediately after training. The time spent on changing clothes and showering and on short rest is enough to restore the pulse and normalize blood circulation. After this, you can restore the expended energy with fruits or buckwheat porridge. After this, the body will need protein for muscle repair and growth.
If the workout takes place in the morning, breakfast may consist of the following dishes:
If you have to and, then instead of vegetables in cabbage leaf you can eat buckwheat porridge.
To build muscle, girls and men must include buckwheat in their diet. This natural product is a healthy carbohydrate and does not cause an increase in blood sugar.
List beneficial properties The “queen of croup” is large, but for athletes it is necessary for the following:
If the workout takes place in the evening, then combine foods with carbohydrates and proteins. For example:
You need to adhere to the basic rules:
It is better to eat cottage cheese before and after training. Protein (18 g per 100 g of product) can be completely absorbed in 3 hours, and will provide energy for 5 hours.
Cottage cheese will replenish the blood with vitamins B, C, PP and microelements: potassium, iron, phosphorus, zinc.
When gaining weight, nutritionists advise including higher fat cheeses (9%) for snacks and after training. Cheeses with low fat content are suitable. They should be consumed 2 times a day: in the morning or during a snack: place a piece of cheese (up to 100 g) on a piece of whole grain bread (100 g), add boiled quail eggs (4-5) and cover this yummy with a lettuce leaf.
Such snacks are healthy, and will not spoil your figure, and will keep it in good shape!
Many people are accustomed to drinking coffee or tea in the morning, without thinking about whether their use is beneficial or harmful. Both coffee and tea contain caffeine. According to some studies, coffee has more caffeine; according to others, on the contrary, black tea has more caffeine. He can excite nervous system and stimulate the production of adrenaline. Therefore, vigor and... a stress hormone appear, increasing blood pressure and aggressiveness. During this period, the body is in a state of euphoria and is ready to counteract aggression.
The caffeine in coffee has a short-term effect on the body, but has a more powerful effect than tea. But in tea, caffeine is absorbed by the body more slowly due to phenolic compounds. There are more of them in green tea than in black tea. Therefore, green tea is more conducive to the body's absorption of vitamin C, which is necessary for building muscle mass. Green tea also promotes fat burning, especially during the drying period, due to the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate.
In the morning, tea or coffee will not add health to an athlete, especially on an empty stomach. They thin saliva and impair digestion. Coffee increases stomach acidity. Therefore, it is healthier to drink it with milk. Tea with milk is also healthier. For bodybuilders, it is preferable to drink green tea before training and during cutting. You can alternate green and black tea. Coffee is allowed on the menu, but only before short workouts - up to 60 minutes.
You should not eat foods that promote fat storage:
Proper nutrition before training contributes to the endurance of the muscular system and its rapid recovery. Products with the right content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates will help you use physical exercise for the benefit of the body 100%. You need to prepare food in advance so that you can eat properly and on time, and not come to the gym on an empty stomach or intercept harmful foods along the way - this will reduce all efforts to zero.
L carnitine - harm, reviews, how to take:
We hope you have known for a long time that the rule “do not eat after 18.00” does not work. You should give up food, at least fatty and high-calorie foods, 1.5-2 hours before bedtime - and this will be quite enough. But is it worth being hungry if you want to eat something right before bed?
Nutritionists agree that this is not at all necessary. Another thing is that it is best to choose the right products for a late dinner, that is, those that will improve and not move the needle on the scales. This material contains ten options for a late-night snack without harming your figure.
Chocolate is often considered a forbidden food, but not all types of chocolate are equal in this regard. There are significant nutritional differences between a nutty candy bar and a dark chocolate bar. Dark chocolate, in particular, contains minimal sugar and is loaded with beneficial antioxidants that lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, and improve your mood.
Pistachios are a great evening snack, especially if you can find a salt-free option. The fact is that they contain fiber (necessary for optimal digestive process), as well as biotin, vitamin B6, thiamine, folic acid, unsaturated fats and plant sterols, which makes them extremely nutritious, and at the same time provides the body with a lot of pleasant bonuses.
It’s unlikely that you expected to find soup on this list, but still. The fact is that any warm liquid has a calming effect on us, but if you are sure that you need something more filling than a cup of tea, or vegetable soup It will come in very handy. Important note: Avoid vegetables such as lentils or beans in the soup. They are quite difficult to digest and will make you restless, which is definitely not the end goal.
A good nighttime meal is one that will curb hunger while also helping you relax and prepare for sleep. One serving of pumpkin seeds contains almost 50% of the recommended daily norm magnesium, and magnesium is known to be important for restful and deep sleep.
Warm milk has a long history of use as a sleep aid, making it a good choice for an evening snack if you have trouble falling asleep. It is interesting to note that despite research supporting the effectiveness of this method, it may all be a consequence of our psychological perception. However, the amino acids contained in milk lead to the production of the hormone serotonin, which will help you and “bad thoughts” that prevent you from falling asleep. Adding a spoonful of honey, of course, will increase the amount of sugar in the drink, but at the same time it will affect the level of serotonin, which will also be useful for falling asleep smoothly.
Blueberries are rich in antioxidants (and frozen berries are as good as fresh ones) and also contain nutrients that, according to numerous studies, can improve brain function and overall health. If you're not on a strict diet and can afford the extra calories, add two tablespoons of cream to the berries for an incredibly delicious dessert.
New research from PLoS One shows that a diet whose main component is rice is associated with up to a 46% reduction in insomnia, compared with bread (no change) and noodles (sleep worse). Foods with a high glycemic index (GI), which includes rice, can speed up the production of tryptophan and melatonin - hormones that are extremely important for quality sleep.
Nuts are considered not the best snack for those who are trying to get rid of excess weight, mainly due to their fat content. However, a 2012 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who consumed almonds for 18 months lost the same amount of weight as people who gave up almonds as part of their diet (all other things being equal).
Let's add to this the fact that almonds stabilize the level of triglycerides - two main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. And, of course, let’s not forget about the magnesium content in almonds, which is considered a real “sleep pill.”
Sounds incredible, doesn't it? And, nevertheless, if for some reason you have not eaten during the day and are now extremely hungry, prepare yourself a roll with cheese (and, if desired, with chicken breast). We will not talk about calories here, but only about practical usefulness. Thus, cheese is rich in casein, a complex protein that, according to the British Journal of Nutrition, will not only provide you with a feeling of fullness, but also speed up your metabolism.
Let us remember that our body sometimes works in such a way that thirst is disguised as hunger. However, drinking several glasses of water - especially if you don't feel like it - is not at all necessary. How about ginger tea? In addition to the obvious benefits for the immune system, ginger will relieve you of the nervous system-stimulating caffeine found in tea. This means it will help you fall asleep faster.