A question that arises in the mind of everyone who practices any type of sport, whether intense or light, is what to eat before and after physical exercise? The composition of your plate is essential for excellent performance during sporting activity and your daily well-being.
In this text we will provide some nutrition tips and the period in which it should be consumed for people who do intense exercise such as athletes, marathon runners, and people who practice lighter exercises such as walking, taking a short trail with friends.
In a way, from experience you may have already noticed that eating a lot and exercising causes laziness, bad mood and pain. However, not eating also causes fatigue and even fainting, as the body needs glucose to function. Therefore, for both intense and light exercise, a healthy diet is essential, divided into three main meals and interspersed with healthy snacks (fruit, yogurt, skimmed milk) that are well digested before practicing sports.
Below, we will give some tips on the importance of macronutrients (proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) and micronutrients and the time they can be consumed.
Carbohydrates: before sport, give preference to consuming foods rich in carbohydrates such as juices, fruits, bread, water biscuits, cereal bars, they are essential for providing the energy that your body will use in the activity. This applies to both intense and lighter exercises.
Proteins: are necessary for the maintenance and repair of muscles, being used as “raw material” for tissue synthesis after exercise. It is important to consume a meal that guarantees protein after exercise. Most athletes obtain the recommended amount of protein by consuming beans, nuts, lean meats and milk and dairy products. However, to know the ideal amount to consume, you should consult a nutritionist, who will calculate your protein need, which depends on several factors.
Lipid: it is also used during exercise, of course in smaller quantities than carbohydrates and you should give preference to healthier fats such as olive oil, foods such as nuts, peanuts and fish. Avoid very fatty foods before exercising, to avoid discomfort caused by excess fat in the stomach.
Vitamins: some are essential for athletes with intense training, such as vitamin C for its immunological and antioxidant function, its reduction in body stores can increase oxidative stress (responsible for aging and cardiovascular diseases).
Minerals: such as zinc, whose deficiency is related to anorexia, significant weight loss and risk of osteoporosis, must be present in the athlete's meals (food sources: beef, fish, poultry, nuts, beans).
Here we highlight some tips for a varied and healthy diet for physical exercise, always respecting the digestion time before practicing any physical exercise, since if you are going to exercise while digestion is taking place, the muscles and the digestive system will be competing for the blood supply, eat between 2 and 1 hour before starting the activity.
Furthermore, to find out the necessary values of each nutrient, consult a nutritionist who will assess your nutritional status, the modality and frequency of your sporting activity and intervene to improve your performance.
Sources:
CARVALHO, Tales de; MARA, Lourenço Sampaio de. Hydration and Nutrition in Sport.
Carvalho, Tales et al: dietary modifications, water replacement, dietary supplements and drugs: ergogenic evidence and potential health risks.
CRUZAT, Vinicius Fernandes et al. Current aspects on oxidative stress, physical exercise and supplementation