There are many theories out there about what exactly works when preparing and recovering your body for or from exercise, but what really works? Let’s talk about it.
The importance of eating and drinking before exercise is often underestimated. You may think it’s better to go to the gym on an empty stomach, but if you think about it this way it might put it in to perspective for you. Normally, when you go eight or nine hours without eating you’re starving. Remember, that’s what’s happening after a night normal night of sleep. You can’t expect to run your car on an empty tank of gas and you should NOT expect that from your body. Giving your system something easy to digest, that is a quick source of sugar, is a great pre-workout snack (like an apple or a banana). Athletes know that carbohydrate filled meals are great before a race or game, but even a carb-rich snack pre-workout will top off your stored muscle energy (referred to as glycogen). I would recommend oatmeal or cereal with low fat milk here; it’s not too heavy and allows me to work out without an empty tank. Same goes for protein, we all know protein helps our bodies build muscle, but it also helps repair it. If you eat enough protein before you hit the gym or compete; you could limit your muscle soreness. Sounds great right? I don’t know anyone who’s a fan of walking around like they’ve got something stuck up you know where, and you all know exactly what I’m talking about; especially after lunges!
When it comes to hydration, you should begin your fluid consumption an hour before you start exercising and continue throughout to replenish what you’re losing through sweat. Water is enough if you’re exercising for around sixty minutes. Those of you who workout out for longer than sixty minutes, whether it’s because you’re training for a sport or you’re a distance runner, a sport drink is a better option for you. You need to replace the electrolytes we talked about previously in the Diet Soda Fiend entry.
When it comes to recovery, I want to talk about a couple different options. The essential goal of recovery is to restore what you lost, replace muscle fuel, and provide the ideal aid to repair the muscle tissue you just damaged. Sports drinks are great here like I said before, but there are other options that we’ve been told about in recent findings for example: chocolate milk, cherry juice, and Clif Bars.
(Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition: SCAN, 2009).
1. Chocolate Milk: Drinking 1% chocolate milk is one of the best recovery items out there. Two cups of this can give the body around 300 calories, 52 grams of carbohydrates, about 15 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat. It does contain some saturated fat and is fairly high in sugar, but as an occasional glycogen-boosting drink after a workout, chocolate milk is a perfect option. Just don’t incorporate it into every meal thinking you’re doing your body good. It is caloric and high in sugar; just use it when you need it.
2. Cherry Juice: I read an article in Men’s Health Magazine on this one, pretty recently. In the study, 10 men were given an ounce of CherryActive cherry juice twice a day, then did a lower-body workout specifically designed to make them tired and sore (how fun). Within 24 hours, their muscles bounced back to 91 percent of their original strength. This compares with 85 percent recovery when they drank a placebo. It may not be a huge difference, but when you’re a looking to train every day, this could be a great option for you to try. Why not increase your strength by six percent if you could? Even better, when participants were consuming this juice researchers found fewer indicators of muscle damage within the blood. Cherries are packed with antioxidants called anthocyanins, which apparently help with muscle inflammation (I’m learning too)!
3. Clif Bars: These are all natural energy bars, made up of organic ingredients! They are a great option both pre and post work out. With information from the website, I just chose an example Chocolate Chip Clif Bar to talk about here. This bar contains over 23 vitamins and minerals it’s only 240 calories, low in fat, high in fiber, a great source of complex carbohydrates; these bars speak for themselves. Check out their website, you’ll be impressed.
SCAN also has a list of snack ideas to fuel muscle growth I thought was worth sharing: flavored milk, nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew) and crackers or whole wheat toast, granola with low fat milk, cottage cheese and salsa with tortilla chips, trail mix with dried fruits and nuts, meal replacement shakes, and I’m adding in my own personal favorite Greek yogurt.
Lastly, here’s a workout move targeting the shoulders, upper back, and core that I love!
Stability Ball Shoulder Press
The importance of eating and drinking before exercise is often underestimated. You may think it’s better to go to the gym on an empty stomach, but if you think about it this way it might put it in to perspective for you. Normally, when you go eight or nine hours without eating you’re starving. Remember, that’s what’s happening after a night normal night of sleep. You can’t expect to run your car on an empty tank of gas and you should NOT expect that from your body. Giving your system something easy to digest, that is a quick source of sugar, is a great pre-workout snack (like an apple or a banana). Athletes know that carbohydrate filled meals are great before a race or game, but even a carb-rich snack pre-workout will top off your stored muscle energy (referred to as glycogen). I would recommend oatmeal or cereal with low fat milk here; it’s not too heavy and allows me to work out without an empty tank. Same goes for protein, we all know protein helps our bodies build muscle, but it also helps repair it. If you eat enough protein before you hit the gym or compete; you could limit your muscle soreness. Sounds great right? I don’t know anyone who’s a fan of walking around like they’ve got something stuck up you know where, and you all know exactly what I’m talking about; especially after lunges!
When it comes to hydration, you should begin your fluid consumption an hour before you start exercising and continue throughout to replenish what you’re losing through sweat. Water is enough if you’re exercising for around sixty minutes. Those of you who workout out for longer than sixty minutes, whether it’s because you’re training for a sport or you’re a distance runner, a sport drink is a better option for you. You need to replace the electrolytes we talked about previously in the Diet Soda Fiend entry.
When it comes to recovery, I want to talk about a couple different options. The essential goal of recovery is to restore what you lost, replace muscle fuel, and provide the ideal aid to repair the muscle tissue you just damaged. Sports drinks are great here like I said before, but there are other options that we’ve been told about in recent findings for example: chocolate milk, cherry juice, and Clif Bars.
(Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition: SCAN, 2009).
1. Chocolate Milk: Drinking 1% chocolate milk is one of the best recovery items out there. Two cups of this can give the body around 300 calories, 52 grams of carbohydrates, about 15 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat. It does contain some saturated fat and is fairly high in sugar, but as an occasional glycogen-boosting drink after a workout, chocolate milk is a perfect option. Just don’t incorporate it into every meal thinking you’re doing your body good. It is caloric and high in sugar; just use it when you need it.
2. Cherry Juice: I read an article in Men’s Health Magazine on this one, pretty recently. In the study, 10 men were given an ounce of CherryActive cherry juice twice a day, then did a lower-body workout specifically designed to make them tired and sore (how fun). Within 24 hours, their muscles bounced back to 91 percent of their original strength. This compares with 85 percent recovery when they drank a placebo. It may not be a huge difference, but when you’re a looking to train every day, this could be a great option for you to try. Why not increase your strength by six percent if you could? Even better, when participants were consuming this juice researchers found fewer indicators of muscle damage within the blood. Cherries are packed with antioxidants called anthocyanins, which apparently help with muscle inflammation (I’m learning too)!
3. Clif Bars: These are all natural energy bars, made up of organic ingredients! They are a great option both pre and post work out. With information from the website, I just chose an example Chocolate Chip Clif Bar to talk about here. This bar contains over 23 vitamins and minerals it’s only 240 calories, low in fat, high in fiber, a great source of complex carbohydrates; these bars speak for themselves. Check out their website, you’ll be impressed.
SCAN also has a list of snack ideas to fuel muscle growth I thought was worth sharing: flavored milk, nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew) and crackers or whole wheat toast, granola with low fat milk, cottage cheese and salsa with tortilla chips, trail mix with dried fruits and nuts, meal replacement shakes, and I’m adding in my own personal favorite Greek yogurt.
Lastly, here’s a workout move targeting the shoulders, upper back, and core that I love!
Stability Ball Shoulder Press
2. Start position: Position dumbbells to ear level with an overhand grip (palms facing forward).
3. Press hands up above head keeping wrists over the elbows and arms moving parallel to body at all times.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep back and head straight in a neutral position - hyperextension or excessive flexion may cause injury.
6. Complete 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
You made it with TONS of time to spare! Well written too :)
ReplyDeleteHey Alexis! Your blog is really great.. I have a question to this one. I'm one of those who wouldn't eat before a workout and go on an empty stomach. So, how much time in between a meal and a workout would you suggest eating a snack? And eating one even though you're not hungry?
ReplyDeleteHi Alexis - your mom told me to check out your blog - very well done - I hope to learn a lot from following you especially as an "old lady" trying to keep up with 2 girls 13 and 10 - getting in shape is always on my list of to do. Also want to definitely direct you to a fabulous whole raw food that aids dramatically in recovery after workouts and just is good for every cell in your body. Check out Mila by Lifemax at www.jodim.lifemax.net read everything you can and then let me know if you'd like to talk - It's awesome and I'd love to mail you a sample to try!
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