Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Exercise?

If there is only ONE THING you take away from this article it should be this: eat to fuel your workout! For those of you interested in the details, please, continue reading...

It should go without saying that proper nutrition is absolutely vital when it comes to building a lean, fit, and healthy body. In order to dial in your workout nutrition, it is important to understand three things: your goals, your fuel, and your timing.

Know Your Goals

Workout nutrition, also known as “peri-workout” nurition, is first based on your primary health and fitness goal. This could be fat loss, muscle gain, strength gain, or athletic performance.

This article focuses on peri-workout nutrition for the primary goal of fat burning, but you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that consistently adhering to these guidelines, over time, will yield other “side-effects” such as increased strength and lean muscle mass, which only provides further health and aesthetic benefits.

Know Your Fuel

Now that you have established what you wish to achieve from your exercise regimen it is time to learn about the nutrients you'll be feeding your body to fuel your workouts.

Here we will briefly examine and learn about the 3 most important nutrients necessary for the mind and body. Keep in mind that the information presented is an over-simplification of the topic as entire books can and have been written about the following nutrients. Regardless, you will get a good understanding of the basics of what you will be putting into your body and the purpose for it.

Protein

One of the first things we learn in high school biology is that proteins are the building blocks of life. They are made up of amino acids which directly go into building muscle tissue. The best sources of dietary protein come from animal products (poultry, seafood, beef, etc). Additionally, eggs are also an excellent source of this nutrient. Protein intake is ABSOLUTELY crucial when it comes to helping you achieve the ideal body. As mentioned, lots can be written about this nutrient, but the important thing to know is that you need protein to boost your body to fat-burning and muscle-building levels.

Carbohydrate

This will be the primary fuel source for your muscles, providing them with the energy required to excel in your workouts. Clean sources of carbs are important. Such foods include potatoes and other root vegetables, rice & oats (for those who tolerate them), and most importantly green vegetables. Note that the MAJORITY of your carb intake by weight should be coming from greens.

Fat

This underestimated and often falsely vilified nutrient is yet another source of fuel for your body and the fuel which your body burns during most of your time spent outside of your workout “window”. In other words, when you are exercising at higher intensities, carbs are the primary fuel source. At lower intensities, fat takes over as the main fuel source. Fats are also critical for optimal brain and hormone health. Good, rich sources include certain oils (extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, macademia nut oil), raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), raw seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds) and fatty fruits (olives & avocados). 

The “When”, “What”, and “Why”

Below you will see a basic guideline for peri-workout nutrition geared towards fat loss. For this goal, it is import to limit carb consumption, while maintaining energy levels high enough to produce good quality performance in your training sessions. All the while, protein intake should be consistent.

Pre-workout

WHEN: 60 – 90 minutes before training session

WHAT: Protein & Fat – (2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil)

WHY: The full range of amino acids you receive from the protein in eggs is for your muscles, which are about to, in essence, break down during resistance training. The purpose of the fats from coconut oil is to give you sustainable energy throughout your workout.

**BONUS: Coconut Oil – Fuel for Champions**

The fats consumed from coconut oil are very special in that they “burn” much quicker than other fats and actually act like carbs giving you immediate usable energy for high-intensity bouts of training. These special fats are call Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) and are a must for those looking to burn fat since the body treats them like carbs (a much more effective fuel source) but does not respond to them like carbs.

Post-workout

WHEN: 30 – 60 minutes after training session

WHAT: Protein & Carbs – (4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli)

WHY: Your muscles have taken a “controlled” beating and need the proper tools to repair. Protein from chicken or other animal products takes care of this. Greens such as broccoli are a good source of carbohydrate and enough replenish any carb fuel lost during your workout. The most important things after the work are restoring those amino acids to the muscles and starting the repair/recovery process.

Wrap-up

For the trainee with weight-loss in mind, protein and fats should be utilized the most. If the fats are not providing enough of your energy needs you may turn to greens for your source of carbohydrates. Remember to eat to fuel your performance and you will meet your health and fitness goals indefinitely!