Nutrition Before Exercising – Different Training Types

Nutrition – The large nutrient groups carbohydrates, proteins, and fats determine our diet to a large extent. Therefore, most experts recommend consuming protein before exercise. After all, we all know all those protein shakes. Carbohydrates are also generally allowed before training because they provide us with the energy we need for the sport.

Nutrition For Cardio Training

• When you start cardio, your body starts burning the glycogen in your blood and muscles.
• These glycogen reserves can fuel well-trained athletes for 1.5 to 2 hours.
• If marathon runners become “flabby” during the run, the glycogen reserves are depleted, resulting in a sudden loss of energy.
• Electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) keep the body running (water balance, muscle contraction, and transmission of nerve impulses).

Roughly speaking, proteins help us to build muscle, carbohydrates for quick energy, and fats for endurance. However, we are not nutrition experts. Therefore, developing a nutrition plan specifically for your needs with an expert can be worthwhile if you want to achieve sporting success.

When Should You Eat Before Exercise?

Before sport is not the same as before sport, it is also important how long before exercise you eat something. Generally, 2 to 3 hours after a meal for training is a good guideline. But there is nothing wrong with a small and easily digestible snack before exercising.

Individual training times and experiences are also important here. If you’ve been eating a banana before every workout for years and are fine with it, this may be your solution. Or when you need to eat something right after getting up and before exercising. What your gut says is more important than all the rules of thumb in this post.

The Best Foods Before Exercise

If you need some enthusiasm for what to eat before your next workout, this list is sure to have something for you. It makes sense to consume carbohydrates, fats, and proteins before exercising. Also, of course, remember to drink enough water before, during, and after your workout.

Tip: Instead of buying isotonic sports drinks, you can drink a juice spritzer with a pinch of salt for the same effect.

High Protein Foods

• Turkey breast
• Lenses
• Salmon
• Chickpeas
• Edamame
• Eggs

Carbohydrate Foods

• Rice
• Potatoes
• Whole grain products
• Oatmeal
• Dried fruits
• High-fat foods
• Avocado
• Salmon
• Yogurt
• Quark

You can take all of that with you. The closer you get to training, the more protein and less fat can be beneficial.

The Basic Rules Of Sports Nutrition

First, proper workout nutrition is heavily dependent on your relationship with exercise. It is important to distinguish between top athletes and “normal” people: the former (e.g., professional martial artists) need a special nutrition strategy and are looked after by nutrition experts; the latter (people who exercise regularly) need not complicate the issue of nutrition, even if they take their training very seriously.

• Second, training nutrition also depends on your individual goal. For example, it looks different on someone trying to lose weight than on someone trying to gain muscle mass.
• Third, there are two basic rules you should always keep in mind, no matter what your goal is:
• Drink enough water before every workout! And by that, we don’t mean five minutes before
• And what about protein powder? It is usually not a problem as long as there are no artificial ingredients such as artificial flavors, vitamins, additives, etc. The product should be as natural as possible.

When Should You Not Eat Before Exercise?

As I said: none of these rules have to apply to everyone. Nevertheless, some foods should generally be avoided before exercising.

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Energy drinks
• Carbonic acid
• Spicy food
• High-fiber food
• Fast food

Conclusion

If you want to eat a large meal before your workout, that’s fine too. However, you should schedule them 2-3 hours before training. Otherwise, your body is too busy digesting it, which can negatively affect your performance. So instead, eat a balanced meal with lean protein and complex carbohydrates.