Source: Exercising before protein intake allows for greater use of dietary protein–derived amino acids for de novo muscle protein synthesis in both young and elderly men
Recent research has demonstrated that exercising prior to consuming protein-containing foods will actually help the body's ability to absorb protein more efficiently and effectively. The importance of consuming high-quality lean protein sources after exercise is therefore extremely important in order to aid in the synthesis and growth of new muscle, as well as protecting and preserving the muscle that is already present.
Source: Exercising before protein intake allows for greater use of dietary protein–derived amino acids for de novo muscle protein synthesis in both young and elderly men
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Many athletes, underestimate how much fluid they lose during their workouts and don't drink enough while they're exercising or after they're finished. As a result, they suffer from dehydration, which can be detrimental to their performance and dangerous to their health.
Solution: Athletes, especially endurance runners, need to pay attention to what and how much they're drinking before, during and after exercise. Even if the weather is cold, you still need to make sure you stay hydrated. Here are some simple rules for drinking and exercising: An hour before you start to exercise, try to drink 16 to 24 ounces of water or other non-caffeinated fluid. Stop drinking at that point, so you can prevent having to stop to go to the bathroom during your bout of exercise - especially if you're a runner and going on a longer run. To make sure you're hydrated before you begin to exercise, you can drink another 4 to 8 ounces right before you start. You should take in 6 to 8 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes during your workout. During longer workouts (90 minutes or more), some of your fluid intake should include a sports drink (like Gatorade) to replace lost sodium and other minerals (electrolytes). Don't forget to rehydrate with water or a sports drink after your workout. You should drink 20 to 24 fl oz. of water for every pound lost. If your urine is dark yellow after your workout, you need to keep rehydrating. It should be a pale yellow color. Some athletes don't replenish their energy after their workouts, which can have a negative effect on their recovery and overall performance for future workouts or events.
Solution: After bouts of exercise, especially a longer, harder workout, you want to replenish energy as quickly as possible. Studies have shown that muscles are most receptive to rebuilding glycogen (stored glucose) stores within the first 30 minutes after exercise. If you eat soon after your workout, you can minimize muscle stiffness and soreness. You'll want to consume primarily carbs, but don't ignore protein. A good rule of thumb for post-workout food is a ratio of 1 gram of protein to 3 grams of carbs. Nutrition bars, such as Clif builder bars or other all-natural bars with a good source of protein, fiber, and low in saturated fat, are healthy options. Other examples would be a bagel with peanut butter or a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt (plain or low or non-fat Greek yogurt is best). If you feel like you can't stomach solid food immediately after your workout, try drinking some low or non-fat chocolate milk. Chocolate milk provides plenty of protein, carbohydrates and B vitamins -- making it a great recovery drink. And cold chocolate milk tastes pretty refreshing after a workout. Making sure you eat within 30 minutes of finishing your workout may require some planning. Try to think ahead and make sure you have recovery foods available when you end your bout of exercise. Some individuals don't like to eat before a cardiovascular workout because they're worried about getting cramps.
Solution: Although you don't want to eat immediately before starting a cardiovascular workout, you should try to eat a light snack or meal about 1 to 1 1/2 hours beforehand. Doing so will make sure that you have enough fuel for your workout. As long as you give yourself enough time to digest the food, you don't have to worry about cramps. (Most side stitches are actually caused by not warming up properly.) What should you eat? Choose something higher in carbohydrate, a moderate amount of healthy fat, low in fiber, and a source of protein. Some examples of good pre-workout fuel include: a bagel with peanut butter; a banana and an energy bar; or a bowl of cold cereal with a cup of skim milk. Stay away from rich, high-fiber, and high-fat foods, as they may cause gastrointestinal issues. Iron-deficiency anemia is a fairly common occurance in athletes. It is especially common in female athletes who have heavy periods. Anemia causes fatigue and reduced performance.
Solution: If you frequently feel tired without an explanation, get your iron levels checked with a blood test. To help prevent anemia, make sure your diet includes red meat, or iron-rich alternatives (dark-meat chicken or turkey, salmon, tuna) and an iron-fortified cereal. If you are a vegetarian, you can also find iron in meat-less alternatives such as pistachios, cashews, chickpeas, dried apricots, sesame seeds, tahini, black molasses, spinach and wholemeal bread. It's also important to include vitamin C in your diet because it helps with iron absorption. So try to include vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, tomatoes, berries, and broccoli, at every meal. Many athletes, especially runners, focus so much on consuming their carbs that they don't pay enough attention to their protein.
Solution: Athletes, especially those who are doing strenuous training for long distances such as marathons, should consume 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Good sources of protein are fish, lean meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, egg whites, low or non-fat milk, low-fat cheese and some vegetables. If you're not sure how much protein you should be getting, call me to set-up an appointment for advice on how to get the right amount of protein in your diet. For many busy Americans, convenience is a major determinant in what we choose to eat. It makes sense, then, that nutrition bars are a hot product. Whether it’s more protein, increased energy, enhanced performance, or weight loss you’re seeking, there’s a bar for it all. But with this widespread expansion of products came a whole lot of additives and a whole bunch of confused and overwhelmed consumers.
In many cases, these bars and their extreme promises are too good to be true. Many of these “nutrition” bars are imposters: they’re basically candy bars disguised as nutritious snacks or meal replacements. Several of them are loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients and unfamiliar additives. Some “protein” bars contain protein in unnecessarily high amounts; some have all the protein you need in a day, and too much protein can tax the liver and kidneys. People that are watching their waistlines like nutrition bars because they are safe: you know exactly how many calories and how much sugar and fat you are getting. But “diet-friendly” and “low-calorie” do not equal healthy. Sure, eating a 150 calorie bar for breakfast instead of a 500 calorie meal may result in weight loss; but if those 150 calories are highly-processed, empty ones, you may be selling your body short on the fiber, vitamins and essential minerals it needs to stay optimally healthy. This simply won't keep you full, and you'll find yourself reaching for other things (usually unhealthy) later in the day. Here are a few bars that are minimally processed and contain a good amount of nutrients.
I, for one, certainly understand that’s not always practical. So when you’re grabbing a bar on the go, your best bet is to focus more on the ingredient list than on the nutrition facts: first look for actual foods listed as ingredients. Generally speaking, the longer the ingredient list, the more processed the food. When you skim the nutrition facts, pay attention to the sugar; a higher sugar content (>10 grams) is acceptable if there is a decent amount of fiber in the bar (> 3 grams). Be sure to avoid bars that contain sugar and no fiber. Protein bars that contain enormous amounts of protein (>20g per bar, for example) absolutely should be avoided, as we already over-consume protein in the average Western diet. The list above is a great starting point if you need a quick fix hunger solution. However, bear in mind that these bars are not sufficient meal-replacements, so if that’s what you’re using it for, grab a 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese, a non-fat Greek yogurt or a piece of fruit to have with it. If fat loss is your goal, eat veggies and fruits with any meal; "other carbs" only after exercise.
Do you enjoy bread, pasta, rice, sugary foods, etc.? Me too! But when you consume these foods can make all the difference in re-shaping your body and losing fat mass. Be sure to focus more on the whole grain varieties and save them until 1-2 hours after you exercise. If you want to lose fat, a controlled carb diet where most of your carbs come from veggies and fruits, plus a small amount of additional carbs from sugary sources during exercise and a small amount of starch sources post-exercise. Sure, this sounds challenging, but when mastered, this strategy sure does work! If you want to gain more muscle, you consume more carbs. The specific amount is based on your individual needs and activity patterns (we can discuss this during a one-on-one nutrition session). When it comes to body composition change, this carbohydrate timing strategy is the single most effective strategy in order to initiate fat loss in people with stubborn and hard-to-remove body fat stores. It also minimizes fat gain in people gaining muscle. Types of Carbohydrate and When to Eat Them For Fat Loss: Food Type: Exercise Recovery Drink - Consume only during exercise - Examples: Sugary, protein-rich recovery drinks Food Type: Simple Sugars - Consume rarely - Examples: Sugary sports drinks, breakfast cereals, soda, fruit juice,table sugar, sugary desserts, ice cream, muffins, bagels, and other carb-rich snacks Food Type: Starchy Foods - Consume within 1-2 hours after exercise - Examples: Bread (preferably whole grain), pasta (preferably whole grain, flax or soy), Rice (preferably whole grain, wild, unprocessed), potatoes (preferably sweet potatoes or yams), oats (preferably whole oats), cereal grains (wheat, rye, etc.) Food Type: Fruits and Vegetables - Consume with each meal - Examples: Spinach, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges, avocados, berries, celery root, rutabega, parsnip, daikon, etc. Types of Carbohydrate and When to Eat Them For Muscle Gain: Food Type: Exercise Recovery Drink - Consume during and after exercise Food Type: Simple Sugars - Consume immediately after exercise (if at all) Food Type: Starchy Foods - Consume within 3 hours after exercise Food Type: Fruits and Vegetables - Consume with each meal As you can see, depending upon your personal goals, you will need to adjust your eating strategies accordingly. We can further personalize your plan during your one-on-one nutritional counseling session. I look forward to hearing from you! Eat vegetables with EVERY meal.
Science has demonstrated that in addition to the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) packed into veggies, there are also important plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that are essential for optimal physiological functioning. Vegetables (and fruits) also provide an alkaline load to the blood. Since both proteins and grains present acid loads to the blood, it's important to balance these acids with alkaline-rich vegetables and fruits. Too much acid and not enough alkalinity means the loss of bone strength and muscle mass! Here's a great way to ensure that you're getting enough vegetables: eat 2-3 servings (a serving of veggies is about 1/2 a cup) with every meal. Yes, that means you should be eating veggies every 2-4 hours. Follow this habit and you'll be getting 10-15 servings of cancer-fighting, free-radical destroying, acid-neutralizing, and micronutrient-rich power per day. MAKE IT A HABIT TODAY! Eat complete, lean protein with EVERY meal.
Do you want the best of all possible worlds - the best health, the best body, and the best performance? It's hard to achieve all three of these without adequate protein. You may be able to get enough protein without eating complete lean protein at each meal, but I've found it's hard to do. By following this advice, you'll not only ensure an adequate intake of protein, you'll also maximally stimulate your metabolism, improve your muscle mass and recovery, and reduce your body fat. So how much do you need? Women should get 20-30 grams of protein per meal - the equivalent of about 1 palm-sized portion of protein. Men should get 40-60 grams of protein per meal - the equivalent of about 2 palm-sized portions. Complete Protein Sources: Lean Meats - 93% lean ground beef, chicken, turkey, bison, venison, etc. Fish - salmon, tuna, cod, roughy, etc. Eggs - eggwhites, occasional whole eggs with Omega-3's Low-fat dairy - 1% cottage cheese, plain yogurt, greek yogurt, part-skim cheese, string cheese, etc. Vegetarian choices - tofu, tempeh, soy burgers, veggie burgers, soy jerky, soy sausage, soy bacon, seitan, unsalted nuts and seeds, nut butters - ex. natural peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter, etc. Milk protein supplements - whey, casein, milk protein blends Remember, protein is not limited to just breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Every meal or snack, every 2-3 hours, should contain complete, lean protein. |
AuthorAlissa Robertson, MS, RD, Nutrition Specialist and Owner of Lifestyle Management & Nutrition, received her Bachelor's Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from the University of Vermont. Upon graduation in 2003 she spent four years providing nutrition education and counseling to local Vermonters. In 2007 she returned to the University of Vermont to complete a two-year Master's program in Dietetics and Nutrition. She is now practicing as a Registered Dietitian at Essex Physical Therapy located in Essex Center, Vermont. Archives
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