Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

Summer is just around the corner and my inbox is starting to fill up once again with summer body goals and weight/fat loss goals (which is awesome, I LOVE this topic). One of the most common questions from my clients is: What should I eat around my exercise time? Workout nutrition has its place in our diet. Workout nutrition is the food we eat either pre (before) or post (after) workout. The purpose of these meals is to:

• Refuel your body’s energy stores
• Encourage muscle repair and growth
• Prevent the breakdown of muscle mass.

Most importantly, the information provided should be used in general terms as every individual has different genetic features, fitness goals, workout plans, lifestyle and metabolism. So before you apply these ways, make sure you listen to your body, check your requirements and then consider the desired results.

Pre Workout Nutrition 

Pre-workout nutrition is what you consume before you begin your workout. It is usually done 1-3 hours before exercising. The pre-workout meal is important for providing us with the fuel we need to perform our workout and aids in;

• Preventing muscle glycogen depletion during your workout
• Reducing muscle protein breakdown when working out
• Increased strength and lean body mass 
• Increased muscle performance

For optimal performance, the pre-workout meal should be a combination of carbohydrates ( majorly) + protein. If you wish to add fat to your pre-workout make sure the meal is consumed at least a few hours below. 
Nutrient timing plays a huge role, which is timing your intake (i.e. carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) according to certain times of the day and in certain meal combinations for the type of workout, you have planned for the day. 

Like, if at all you plan to do just cycling, walking or skipping at a low-moderate pace for 30 minutes you just don’t need a pre-workout meal. Whereas if your workout planned is HIIT, circuit training, heavyweight lighting etc a pre-workout is a must. 

Pre Workout Meals

If your workout starts after 2-3 hours:

• Multigrain bread sandwich with your preferred protein + Salad 
• Vegetable Spinach Omelet with toasted multigrain bread + fruit ( 1 cup).
• Brown rice + Grilled/roasted chicken or paneer + sauteed vegetables.
• Millet chapati + Preferred protein + Green Salad. 

If your workout starts within 2 hours:

• Smoothie/shake combination like milk +  banana + oats + berries . 
• Cereal with milk 
• Oatmeal with a fruit topped with almonds. 
• Peanut butter sandwich ( multigrain bread )

If your workout starts within an hour:

• Greek Yogurt and fruit 
• A Fruit prefers bananas, berries, oranges or apples. 
• Protein bar with wholegrain cereals. 
• Black coffee shot 

Post-workout Nutrition 

Post-workout nutrition is what you give to your body after a workout. It is equally important as a pre-workout as post-workout the body tries to rebuild its glycogen stores and repair and regrow those muscle proteins. Nourishing the body with the right meal combination can help:

• Restore glycogen stores 
• Increase muscle protein synthesis 
• Reduce muscle protein breakdown 
• Reduce muscle fatigue and soreness 

Post-workout meals should be in a combination of carbohydrates and proteins in a ratio (3:1)  to enhance the glycogen stores and muscle protein synthesis. Example: 30g of protein and 90g of carbohydrates. Nutrient timing for your post-workout meal is crucial as recent studies say if the carbohydrate consumption is delayed by 2 hours post-workout, the glycogen synthesis ability also reduces by 50%. So, it’s always recommended to have a post-workout meal within 30-45 minutes. 

Post-workout Meals 

• Oatmeal with curd and fruit 
• Hard-boiled eggs / vegetable spinach omelette 
• Quinoa salad 
• Grilled chicken with chicken broth /soup 
• Oats smoothie with frozen banana 
• Pita and hummus 
• Paneer tikka with  Salad 
• Sweet potato chaat 
• Peanut butter and multigrain toasted bread
• Roasted Fish with roasted vegetable  

Keynote: During exercise, you lose water and electrolytes through sweat. Rehydrating yourself with water or electrolyte drink before, during & after a workout will help you restore fluid loss, recover and perform better.