Bad nutrition can hinder performance, leaving you sluggish and even nauseous. Here’s how to eat to make the most of exercise…
Natalie Smythe is in her sweats, and they’re sweaty. Her hair is scraped back and her face is postbox-red. It’s not her best look; no doubt she’ll bump into her ex. But the hell of a one-hour aerobics class is worth it, she says. When she meets her girlfriends later that evening, she feels that the exercise class gives her license to eat and drink what she likes.
But it doesn’t, say the experts. In fact, if Natalie has a main course and a dessert, and three glasses of wine, she’d have to do that aerobics class three times over for the kilojoules coming in to balance out the kilojoules she burnt in the gym. For the hour of moderate exercise that Natalie did, she would have burnt around 1512kJ. That’s the equivalent of eating scrambled egg and a grilled tomato on two pieces of wholewheat toast, says Megan Pentz-Kluyts, a Cape Town dietitian. Knowing what to eat (and how much and when) is crucial for getting the most out of your workouts. Get it right and you’ll train better and feel terrific.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Do I need to eat more when I start exercising?
“In most cases, people who exercise should eat more; that is, larger portions or more regular meals than people who don’t because they require more kilojoules to support their increased energy expenditure,” says KwaZulu-Natal dietitian with an interest in sports nutrition, Keri Strachan. “Importantly though, exercisers and non-exercisers should eat the same proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fat in order to achieve a balanced diet. The ideal range should be about 50–60 percent carbohydrates (the main source of fuel, broken down to glucose, for the exercising body, brain and nervous system), 12–15 percent protein (for muscle recovery), and less than 30 percent fat,” says Strachan. But if you’re trying to lose weight, and doing a 40-minute jog each day, you don’t need to eat more.
Feel truly hungry post-gym: Choose low-kJ munchies such as raw veggies or fruit — and remember, one big snack can easily contain as many kilojoules as you just burnt. “However, for those who want to gain muscle mass, increasing their portions or eating more frequently will assist,” says Strachan. Carey Main, a dietitian, based in Port Elizabeth, points out that the high-protein/low-carbohydrate fad diets have been found to have adverse effects if followed for long periods of time. They place strain on the kidneys and have been linked to osteoporosis and high cholesterol due to high saturated fat intake from animal protein sources.
Do I need a special sports drink when I work out?
Strachan says that for those wanting to lose weight, there’s no need for a carbohydrate-containing sports drink. Unless the workout is longer than 90 minutes of high-intensity exercise, water will suffice. It’s important to drink small amounts of water at regular intervals when you’re exercising in hot and humid conditions.
Sports drinks which contain both a glucose polymer (such as Maltodextrin) and fructose have been found to be most effective, says Main. Sports drinks designed for use during exercise provide adequate amounts of carbohydrates (6–8 percent concentration) and electrolytes. The carbohydrates extend your limited glycogen stores and the electrolytes (sodium) help you absorb and retain water.
What to eat and when
The timing of meals is a big factor when maximising your performance. Aim to distribute your food intake between smaller meals throughout the day. Regular meals will ensure that your fuel tank stays topped up. When it’s time to practice or play, you’ll gain energy from the foods you’ve been eating all week. “Eating before and after exercise is a good idea,” says Strachan. “Exercising on an empty stomach can result in poor performance and so reduce the effectiveness of the training session.”
If you’re going to eat a meal, have it one and a half to three hours before exercising. If you have a full stomach, your body will need to spend energy digesting food, leaving less for you to use during exercise. But you don’t want to be hungry either.
Take a snack, especially for long practices, competitions, or all-day events. Half a sandwich, fruit or energy bars are all good snacks. Avoid sugary foods like fizzy drinks and chocolates right before you practice. You might get a little energy boost, but it’ll fade fast, leaving you drained.
Make sure to celebrate a good training session with a starchy snack to refuel the glycogen stores. Strachan says what you eat before your workout depends on the type of exercise, and on the time available from when you eat to when you start exercising. “Cyclists might find it easy to eat their normal breakfast before a big ride, but a runner may very well go for a lighter or liquid pre-run meal to avoid the stomach discomfort that may arise with a stomach full of food.”
EATING FOR YOUR WORKOUT
The Early-bird Workout
You need to pep up your sugar, refuel your muscles and drink water to replenish fluid lost during the night — your body’s been on an eight-hour fast. Some people can exercise on very little, but if you need more, aim for healthy options such as oats, yoghurt and fruit, or wholewheat toast and jam, no less than an hour before your workout. Can’t face more than half a banana pre-workoutn Then eat a healthy breakfast afterwards, such as a poached egg and toast or a big bowl of oats.
Lunchtime Crunchtime
You can’t eat lunch just before a workout, so snack on fruit, nuts and yoghurt at around 10.30am to stabilise your blood sugar, then have lunch after your workout. Good choices are a chicken or salmon salad or sandwich, or a baked potato with tuna.
The After-Work Workout
Again, snack on fruit and yoghurt at around 3–4pm. It will raise your blood sugar so you won’t be ravenous at dinner and overeat. If you’ve had a heavy workout, eat a small carb snack immediately after to help repair muscles. For dinner, have lean protein and plenty of veg. Avoid eating heaps of pasta, and drink enough water, especially if you’re drinking alcohol. Whatever your fitness goals, the most important thing is to make sensible food choices. That’s good-quality protein (such as lean meat, fish, tofu, quinoa and low-fat cottage cheese), good fats (oily fish, walnuts and flax seeds) and good carbs (wholegrain rice, bread and pasta, sweet potatoes and oats). Keep a food diary, and write down everything you eat. It’s hard to kid yourself when it’s all there in black and white.
AVOID THESE TRAPS
Watch out for these common mistakes exercising women make, says Strachan:
Cutting carbs to lose weight. This will only result in poor energy levels. Cravings (typically for sugary foods and drinks to boost energy levels) result and often make it difficult to adhere to controlled eating habits. It can also make the body cling to fat stores as an energy source, which is obviously counterproductive.
Being too restrictive. Taking in far fewer kilojoules than are required doesn’t equate to greater weight loss. It will affect exercise performance and may limit energy expenditure. It may also lead to uncontrolled and inappropriate snacking, which may contribute to excess kilojoule intake. Invariably, old habits will return.
Putting your faith in supplements. There’s a plethora of supplements available promising muscle gain and weight loss. Very few of these have scientific evidence to support these claims, and some may even contain banned substances, which could be harmful to your health. The expertise of a dietitian is vital to assess whether the diet is lacking and if so, to determine which supplement will best meet these requirements.
MEAL PLAN
For a 60kg woman doing one hour of cardio/aerobic exercise per day
Breakfast:
1 1/2 cups high-fibre cereal such as oats porridge or All Bran Flakes with low-fat milk
1 medium-sized fruit OR 125 ml fruit juice
Mid-morning snack:
l slice wholewheat bread with 1 T peanut butter OR 30 g cheese OR 2 slices lean cold meat OR 1 fruit
and 200 ml fat-free yoghurt
Lunch:
1 sandwich with tuna and low-fat mayonnaise OR ham, lettuce and tomato OR Salad
Afternoon snack:
1 fruit
6 Pro-Vitas OR 4 Corn Thins OR 4 rice cakes with 1 t margarine and Marmite,
Dinner:
90 g portion of chicken — baked or grilled
C 1 t oil (for cooking)
1 medium baked potato
1/2 cup Basmati/brown rice
1 cup cooked vegetables OR salad
2 t salad dressing
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