For example, prolonged exercise depletes muscle glycogen storage and breaks down muscle tissue, which increases the risk for fatigue and immunosuppression. But, by consuming carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes after a workout, you can build muscle, store energy, and minimize tissue damage.
Unfortunately, nutrient timing is a confusing nutrition topic because many strategies conflict with the “healthy” nutrition advice given by experts regarding weight loss and health. For example, an athlete may have heard to restrict carbohydrates before a workout to induce higher fat oxidation – or in other words, to promote fat loss. However, insulin – which is released by the pancreas when carbohydrates are consumed – is one of the body's most anabolic muscle-building hormones. It prompts cells to absorb sugar from the blood to use for immediate energy or storage in the muscles and liver and plays a vital role in transporting amino acids, fatty acids or glucose from the blood stream into cells. Additionally, many of the foods that athletes are encouraged to consume before training may be viewed as nutrient-poor.
Although sport nutrition advice may sometimes appear or sound “unhealthy”, implementing smart fueling practices around and during your workouts is critical for your health and performance. The practice of nutrient timing can help reduce the risk for sickness, fatigue and injury so that athletes can achieve faster results, improving strength, speed or endurance, while staying consistent with training.
Although sport nutrition advice may sometimes appear or sound “unhealthy”, implementing smart fueling practices around and during your workouts is critical for your health and performance. The practice of nutrient timing can help reduce the risk for sickness, fatigue and injury so that athletes can achieve faster results, improving strength, speed or endurance, while staying consistent with training.
Here are a few tips on how you can incorporate nutrient timing into your training regime:
PRE WORKOUT MEAL IDEAS AND TIMING
One topic I’d like to briefly discuss – which I am sure you’ve heard about or tried out – is training in a fasted state. This nutrition intervention (unlike fed training) is designed to enhance fat burning. Sure, some athletes train on an empty stomach due to lack of time or a dislike of training with the feeling of food in the stomach but a good amount of research shows that exercising in a low carbohydrate or fasted state can induce higher fat oxidation compared to eating before a workout – which will promote higher fat burning.
While training with low carbohydrate storage amounts, also known as “training low,” may favor fat metabolism, there’s little scientific proof that this strategy directly leads to performance enhancements on event day. In other words, even if you do lose weight, lean-up or become more metabolically efficient, there's no guarantee that you will become a better athlete (aka perform better) on event race. I often remind athletes that there’s no point in having a lean body if you can’t do anything with it on event day.
It’s difficult to know if this type of dietary manipulation alone directly assists in weight loss or improved performance. Factors such as overeating, grazing throughout the day, poor sleep and workout intensity can potentially nullify the fat-burning effects occurring during a fasted training session. While some athletes may experience a favorable change in body composition or a short-term noticeable performance boost, not every athlete will respond in the same manner.
PRE WORKOUT MEAL IDEAS AND TIMING
PRE WORKOUT CARB SNACK IDEAS (~20-30 min pre workout)
PRE WORKOUT TIPS
While training with low carbohydrate storage amounts, also known as “training low,” may favor fat metabolism, there’s little scientific proof that this strategy directly leads to performance enhancements on event day. In other words, even if you do lose weight, lean-up or become more metabolically efficient, there's no guarantee that you will become a better athlete (aka perform better) on event race. I often remind athletes that there’s no point in having a lean body if you can’t do anything with it on event day.
It’s difficult to know if this type of dietary manipulation alone directly assists in weight loss or improved performance. Factors such as overeating, grazing throughout the day, poor sleep and workout intensity can potentially nullify the fat-burning effects occurring during a fasted training session. While some athletes may experience a favorable change in body composition or a short-term noticeable performance boost, not every athlete will respond in the same manner.
Common side effects of training low include fatigue, hunger, sickness, nausea, dehydration, lightheadedness, low motivation and poor recovery. If you are struggling to eat before a workout – for whatever reason – it’s recommend to work with a sport dietitian to develop a strategic plan as to the best time to consume carbohydrates around workouts to maximize the training response.
Remember - the ability to compete high-quality training sessions, day after day, provides the best scenario to boost fitness, prepare for competition and to change body composition. Fasting before a workout may interfere with the ability to train long or hard on a consistent basis.
Remember - the ability to compete high-quality training sessions, day after day, provides the best scenario to boost fitness, prepare for competition and to change body composition. Fasting before a workout may interfere with the ability to train long or hard on a consistent basis.