Month: November 2020

AN ATHLETIC APPROACH TO FOOD

Constant high intense training is fun and rewarding, however it comes with a price, and without proper nutrition this could mean many things. While training hard our body uses stored glycogen for fuel, however in order to replenish it and keep going is tricky. While our Roman Gladiator ancestors might have eaten hearts of Lions believing it will give them strength, nowadays we might have to look at nutrient density a little more closely.

Here are some quick and efficient tips:

Lets look at 3 types of situations  :

1. 1. You train moderate daily, not competing at an event:                                                                   In this case eating Complex carbohydrates, Protein , healthy fats and fiber foods with every meal would be ideal. Calorie in vs out, adjust accordingly.  In order for your body to replenish its depleted storage of fuel in the form of glycogen, it needs the right type, and one may use fiber foods to help aid digestion, however, be careful not to overdo fiber as that can slow down the digestion process. Keep a balance and use common sense.
   2. Week before an event:                                                                                                              You might want to taper down the amount of food you eat ,as your training is being tapered down prior to the event and you do not want to avoid exercise weight gain. You might still gain weight, however some of it might be water, and having extra water in your system might be a good thing, especially if one will be competing in a hot or humid condition, and/or one will be sweating a lot. For every gram of Glycogen, your body stores 2.6 Grams of water. However, if you are cutting , one may need to get rid of that extra weight, which can be done, however we suggest starting the cutting down phase much earlier as it will be easier for the body to adjust to the weight and the strength will not be decreased since this was done gradually with the right type of nutrition.
   3. The Day before Competition :                                                                                                   You might want to consider increasing your carbohydrate intake , since the entire week prior you were mindful of them, or however long you were getting ready according to your own diet schedule. This will ensure that your glycogen (fuel) source is more replenished and your body can store more after the cut phase .Now is a good time to eat more fruits such as bananas, peaches, cantaloupe,watermelon,along with vegetables ? such as sweet potatoes and Broccoli ?. Try to include protein and fat with each meal, and snack on dried fruits in moderation. Examples of good fats include : Flaxseed oils as salad dressing along with cold water fish such as Salmon , halibut, haddock, and mackerel. Such fish will satisfy both the protein and fat needs the evening before the race. Skip the pasta party.Lastly, reduce dietary fiber to allow for easier digestion of foods in preparation for the next day’s race/event.

Note: This is a delicate matter and can get complicated as we all vary in goals, metabolism etc, this is just an over view to get your brain thinking in the right direction. Consulting a dietician would be ideal with the right type of research . 🙂

Hope this helped, stay tuned for more and please share to help us grow.

Until Next time friends,

Stan with Wetek Massage Therapy and Private Personal Training.

Food for Fuel

We all want results from exercise, however many people do not optimize their nutrition properly for maximum results. Our body likes to use carbohydrates for fuel, in order to restore the Glycogen levels of the muscles which are often depleted due to exercise. After exercise this chemical gets depleted in our body, this gives us energy, and whenever we exercise our body uses it for fuel. Immediately , after exercise is the most optimal time to replenish it, there is about a one hour window which we have where the body will replenish and make the best gains. However, many times there is often confusion about what foods to ingest to accomplish this.

Proteins and fats will help you build muscle in moderate amounts, however they will not help with restoring glycogen the same efficient way that complex carbohydrates will (such as Yams, brown rice, quinoa, Cus Cus, Buck Wheat, Barly, and sugars found in Bananas ).

Incorporating these in your diet
(google complex carbohydrates for variety) in the correct amount especially after a work out to replenish the lost glycogen will help with restoring energy and quick recovery.  Furthermore,  eating the above mentioned along with solid clean protein foods post workout and upon waking up for breakfast will produce great results.

Keep in mind, the inability to do so will and can hinder performance.