With week 7 underway and with us now looking at macro intake and increasing protein, I want to provide some helpful information on how you might want to spread out and plan on when to consume certain macros.
Peri - Workout
Peri - Workout is a term that covers the timing of nutrition around your workouts. Timing what you eat and when, can help maximize performance in the gym, and maximize muscle gain.
There are 3 times we will be looking at:
Peri Workout nutrition is most effective and important for individuals who are:
1) Leaner - as nutrient supply is smaller.
2) On lower calories - as nutrient supply is smaller since you are eating less calories.
3) Are doing bodybuilding style training (high volume) as this type of training is demanding and depletes nutrients more.
The ideal time to eat to fuel recovery & promote muscle growth
Pre workout meal
Ideal: Eat 1 - 1.5 hours before training
Eating 1 - 1.5 hours before training is best as it gives your body time to digest - But working out when you can, is better than not working out at all. So don’t let these “ideal” guidelines prevent you from doing what’s best for your time / lifestyle & schedule. If you can’t consume your Pre workout meal within this idea timeframe, then here are some basic rules of thumb:
If eating closer to your workout (40min or less) then you want to aim to eat less in calories & consuming quicker digesting carbs (such as fruit).
If you’re eating hours before your training (more than 1.5hours out) then it would be wise to consume higher calories and a meal higher in fat and fiber because these slow down digestion.
Pre workout meal:
The most important meal of the day. It will determine how you feel before starting your workout and how much energy and intensity you have to give. This meal will fuel your workout. You want it to be made up of carbs and protein.
Ideal macros:
1g of carb per kg of bodyweight
0.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight
0 - 20g of fat
Intra workout meal
Intra workout nutrition:
Nutrition consumed during your workout. This is helpful for individuals who have not eaten before the workout and like to train fasted, or if you have longer workouts (over an hour +). For intra workout you want a liquid based carbohydrate, such as gatorade or monster energy drink. You can consume it 20-30min into your workout.
Post workout meal
Post workout nutrition:
Ideally consumed within a 5 hour window from your Pre workout meal (so in this 5 hour window you would have eaten your pre workout meal, completed your workout, and then had the post workout meal). Carbs & fat are less important for this meal since your body won’t need the energy in the same way that it did before your training session. So if you’re cutting weight aim for the lower end of the carb recommendations and use this as a time to get in your protein.
Ideal Macros
0.5 - 1.5 g of carb per kg of bodyweight
0.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight
0 - 20g of fat
Remember, this information is what the current science says on how to eat to maximize your workouts and muscle growth. BUT you don’t need to strictly follow these guidelines in order to see change & growth. Apply what you can, when you can, but as long as you’re eating protein, staying in your calorie range, training consistently and progressively overloading the muscle. You will see the change you desire. So don’t get so caught up on the information above that it prevents you from doing what you can. Giving 100% effort and doing everything right is best…but rarely are we capable of that. However if you do your best, and give what you can, (even if its just 60%) you will still see change. And it’s better to give 60% and see change, then to aim for 100% end up failing, giving up and ultimately doing 0%.
Other things to do after a workout?
In order to look and feel your best, you have to treat your body right! That means eating nutrient dense foods, hitting your protein goals and stretching and doing cool downs after your workouts. Exercise can be hard on the body, so eat in a way to promote recovery, stretch and mobilize in a way to promote recovery, do everything you can to make this process easier on your body. The better you take care of your body, the better it can take care of you. If you struggle with feeling sore after your workouts, it might be because you aren’t stretching the muscles you’ve worked, and/or you aren’t eating enough nutrient dense foods to replenish the nutrients your body loses during the workouts. So eat in a way to fuel your workouts, to fuel recovery and to get your micronutrients in. I eat plenty of vegetables and whole foods for this reason, while also taking my daily vitamins. I also regularly stretch and do mobility work to keep my joints healthy and my muscles flexible. Stretching after a workout helps prevent soreness, so make sure to stretch!
Assignment
This week I want you to continue aiming to hit your protein goals, but also be intentional about fuelling your workouts. Play with your carbs and try to make sure your’e consuming carbs before your training sessions. Carbs are the bodies main source of energy! So eat some carbs before you train and try to notice if you feel differently. By being intentional about our pre workout meals, we are more likely to enjoy our workouts, push harder and also feel our best during the workout. If you aren’t properly fuelled for your training session, you may notice headaches, dizzy spells and generally feeling low in energy (especially if you’re eating in a calorie deficit). So be intentional about your pre workout meal and report in to me if you notice a change!
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