If you are thinking about resuming or starting your workouts, you have to remember, or learn, the nutrition care to adopt before and after physical exercise: Do I need to eat anything other than usual? Before the workouts? After? Before and after? As with almost all nutrition issues, the answer is: It depends! Do not forget that: Before workouts you need to have energy, that is, mainly carbohydrates; After workouts you need to recover, that is, mainly protein. Before and after workouts are not the ideal time to consume fats! These are the principles that dictate the type of foods that snacks to take before and after training should have. But these snacks are not always necessary. It also depend, for example, on the duration and intensity of workouts . Before workouts For workouts lasting less than 1 hour If you take group classes of light to moderate intensity, wolking, or cycling, you do not need to eat anything beforehand. If it is a cycling or cross training class and assuming that your dedication will be total: Eat 30 to 60 minutes before a snack that includes, for example, half bread with 1 slice of cheese and 1 piece of small fruit. If you eat less than 30 minutes before training, just 1 piece of fruit, for example, 1 ripe banana will be enough. Remember that the more ripe the fruit is, the more available are the carbohydrates that are the main source of energy. For workouts lasting more than an hour or with a high volume of exercises (more than 10 sets) For example, if it is a muscular endurance training, then it is advantageous to devote more attention to the meal before wotkouts, as the goal is to have energy for a profitable session. Thus, 1 hour before you can eat porridge, bread or pancakes (simple). After workouts Although it is not necessary after wotkouts running to drink a protein shake, it is advantageous that your snack for this time has a protein source . These are options, for example: 1 whey shake; 1 glass of skimmed milk; 1 low protein yogurt. If after training you are going to have lunch or dinner, you can do it as usual, but you should prefer: Lean pieces of meat, for example skinless chicken or turkey breast, tenderloin or empty beef; Lean fish, such as hake, marmot, cod, without, of course, drizzling them with olive oil, or covering them with sauce and butter, even if they are oilseeds. Carbohydrates in a meal after workouts can also be considered, depending on whether it is a light meal or a main meal (lunch or dinner) and the daily amount of carbohydrates suitable for you: If you go to the gym to tone up, this yogurt, milk or whey shake is enough; If you do muscular endurance training, it is also sufficient, but often this meal is also used to include, for example, a piece of fruit in order to achieve the calculated daily energy and carbohydrate value adequated for you. And during workouts, should I eat something? If your workouts does not exceed 2 hours, then there is no reason to interrupt you to eat. Author: Rita Ferreira da Silva More about the nutrition team at Hospital da Luz. The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
