What foods to eat before and after a Workout

fitness-foods-workout

It’s the end of January. We’ve got money in our pockets again and about 70% of us will decide to join a gym or focus on fitness. Sometimes we forget that it’s not enough to just work out and then come home and eat everything around us. Nor does it make any sense to work out twice a week and have 3 takeaways over 7 days.

We hope this short little blog about eating the right foods before and after exercising will be of use to some of you!

Pre Workout

Good nutrition can help your body perform better and recover faster after each workout. Optimal nutrient intake prior to exercise will not only help you maximize your performance but also minimize muscle damage. To maximize the results of your training, try to eat a complete meal containing carbs, protein and fat 2–3 hours before you exercise.

Below are some foods that are recommended before a workout.

  • Peanut Butter
  • Banana
  • Granola Bar
  • Dried Fruit
  • Whole Grain Toast
  • Nuts

Post Workout

When you’re working out, your muscles use up their glycogen stores for fuel. This results in your muscles being partially depleted of glycogen. Some of the proteins in your muscles also get broken down and damaged

After your workout, your body tries to rebuild its glycogen stores and repair and regrow those muscle proteins.

Eating the right nutrients soon after you exercise can help your body get this done faster. It is particularly important to eat carbs and protein after your workout.

  • Protein Shake
  • Banana
  • Fruit
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Greek Yoghurt with Granola
  • Lean protein; Boiled Eggs, Chicken or Fish

And remember, fat is NOT bad. It might be a good idea to limit the amount of fat you eat after exercise, but having some fat in your post-workout meal will not affect your recovery.