Pre-Workout Nutrition – Very Important Factor

Most body building experts usually have some plain but effective advice regarding pre-workout nutrition. They usually want their body building students to simply eat the proper foods in the hours before training and taking supplements that can maximize their productivity on the exercise floor.  

The reasoning is that the pre-workout nutrition does not just prepare one to be physically and mentally ready to handle the intensity of the programmed routines. The rationale is that without the calories on your body, you just won’t have the energy to train with intensity.

These nutritional needs will be used to meet the nutritional requirements that are sure to be lost during the routines. Eating proteins, for instance, before exercise can help maintain or increase muscle size. This is aside from aiding the body in the performance.

Proteins

When ingesting proteins before a workout will reduce the markers of muscle damage. The3 exercise degrades the myoglobin, creatine kinase and myofibrillar proteins. Carbohydrates do not seem to the same effect. 

When the muscles have less damage, the recovery is faster and you can adapt your exercise in the long-term. It brings to the bloodstream the amino acids when the body needs them the most. In turn, this boosts the muscle-building capabilities. 

Carbohydrates and fats

When taken before the exercise, carbs fuel the training and helps your recovery. It is a misconception, however, that you only need carbs if you are engaged in long (over two hours) endurance exercises. Carbs can also help in enhancing shorter term (one hour) high-intensity training. 

The carbs preserves the muscle and liver glycogen. This tells your brain that you are well-fed and helps in muscle retentions and growth. Likewise, it stimulates the release of insulin. When combined with protein, this improves protein synthesis (and prevents protein breakdown).

Fats before exercise don’t seem to improve nor diminish the routine performance. They don’t seem to fuel performance, either. (That is the work of carbs.) It does help in slowing down digestion which can maintain blood glucose and insulin levels and keep the body on a balance.

Suggested pre-exercise nutrition

For all practical reasons, depending on what fits your individual needs, you can simply have a normal meal in the few hours before you do your heavy exercise. Some people have smaller meals just before the exercise sessions. (If you are intending to put on some mass, you may want to do both.)

In option 1 (2 to 3 hours before exercise), your actual needs will vary depending on your present size (weight and height), your intended goals, genetics and the duration and intensity of your exercise routine.

For option 2 (from 0 to 60 minutes before training), you would need to eat smaller meals closer to your session. The rationale is that you have a shorter time to digest whatever you took in.

The main recommendation is to take generally only something like liquid food – a shake or a smoothie.

There is the possibility that you may not digest your food properly the closer you are to the start of your routine. It may look light, but your pre-workout nutrition is very important.