Most of us are aware that what we eat before and after exercise is important. Most of us, however, would be hard-pressed to explain exactly why this is the case. Many people think that eating in the hours leading up to a workout will slow digestion or cause stomach upset when training. This isn’t true. The body will not digest food during exercise (with the exception of small amounts of carbohydrates in the form of glucose). The more likely scenarios are that you either don’t consume enough nutrients, or your digestion is so slowed down by your workout that you have no appetite for whole meals afterward. This article will cover both of these issues and hopefully help you decide what to do about it. Physio Northern Beaches treatment is often aimed at restoring or maintaining mobility, function, and well-being, to foster your independence and ability to participate at work, home, school and in your community.
In the world of diet and exercise, just about everyone is looking for some secret formula to follow in order to get lean. And while there is a ton of information disseminated on a daily basis on these topics, many people still aren’t getting the results they want. If you have been struggling to lose weight while at the same time trying to build lean muscle mass, you may have been following a routine that mixes cardio with strength training. If so, you might be wondering whether it’s okay to eat food before and after each workout. It’s a good question and something that many people don’t think about when they begin exercising. The answer? Yes, you can eat before and after your workouts; but there are some precautions that you need to take in order to make sure you’re optimizing your results and getting the best benefits from your efforts in the gym.
One of the top complaints I hear from people who are just starting out on a fitness journey is that they’re not seeing the results they want. The answer to that problem is rarely “you have to work harder” or “you have to go longer.” Chances are, you’re already working hard and going long enough. So what gives? The answer is simple: your diet. Food is the fuel your body uses for everything, including exercise. If you don’t have enough of it or if it isn’t high quality, your body cannot function properly. When you exercise, you are putting stress on your body. If it is not getting the nutrients it needs to repair itself, the outcome will be reduced performance and even injury.
A substantial amount of research demonstrates that proper consumption of carbohydrates before and after weight training can lead to noticeable increases in performance, increases in lean muscle mass, and decreases in the amount of fat you carry. Physiologically speaking, weight training causes micro-tears in your muscles. These tears need to be repaired so that your muscles will come back stronger than they were before. Protein is one of the building blocks used by your body to repair these tears. The consumption of protein has been linked to increased amounts of lean muscle tissue and strength gains.
One study shows that subjects who consumed 30 grams of protein two hours after completing a weight training session showed an increase in lean muscle mass and strength gains when compared to the group that only consumed 15 grams. The consumption of carbohydrates has been shown to increase glycogen levels, which is your body’s storage form of carbohydrates. Glycogen is what our bodies convert carbohydrates into for energy purposes especially during physical activity (i.e., exercise). Consuming carbohydrates prior to weight training will give your body the fuel it needs to complete the workout; consuming them after will replenish its carbohydrate stores thereby enabling it to perform better during subsequent workouts.
We all know what it’s like to feel the pangs of hunger, but few of us understand how beneficial it can be to feel this way. An empty stomach acts like a car running on empty; it requires much more energy to start and operate. Research has demonstrated that when you eat before exercise, your body has more endurance. This is especially true when you fast for at least 10 hours (going without food for about 12 hours is best).
Not only will you feel better when exercising with an empty stomach, but it may even help you lose weight. Here are some other benefits that come from exercising on an empty stomach:
– Increased fat burning
– Increased flexibility
– Improved insulin sensitivity
– Decreased cortisol levels (cortisol is a stress hormone)
– Increased human growth hormone (HGH) release which helps build muscle I recommend exercising in the morning because research shows that your body burns more fat throughout the day when you exercise in the morning than if you exercise at night.
Also, by exercising in the morning, you will be less likely to overeat later in the day. Discover more tips about workouts.