"Should I eat before I workout?...what should I eat?"
"What should I eat after I workout?"
"What about fasted cardio?"
"Do I need more protein?"
This list of questions goes on and on!
While everyone is different, and should play around with what works for them we'd like to offer some simple guidelines to help you figure it all out.
The 2 hour rule pre/post workout:
If it has been over two hours since you've eaten you may want to try some fast carbohydrates for a pre-workout snack. Everyone is different as far as what their stomach will tolerate during a workout, but try out some of the suggestions on the 30 minute list! You may find a little bit of carbohydrates prior to your workout gives you that extra boost you need midworkout.
If you know you are not going to eat for two hours after your workout, a post workout snack is necessary! Check out the 60 min and post workout section for some great suggestions here. For most people a good rule of thumb is a 2:1 carbs to protein ratio after a workout within 30 minutes. This is of course based on your goals but will work well for the large majority of people.
60 minutes:
If you have a little more time prior to your workout or are planning on working out for an hour or more (or more intensely than usual) you are going to want a little more fuel to get you through! You want to shoot for something with both carbs and protein in this case to help you get the most out of your workout.
Check out the 60 minute list for some awesome suggestions here!
Fasted cardio:
People often believe they will burn more fat if they are always doing their cardio with no food in their system. This one can be a tricky one. While it is true your body will have to burn stored carbs/fat if it doesn't have fuel to burn, our bodies only hold on to so much. The trouble with this is you will run out of "gas" to perform your workout at an optimal level quicker if you do not have any food in you. So ultimately you may not get as great of a workout, which will lead to less of a calorie burn, which in turn may mean you are not getting anymore out it than if you had eaten!
So basically when it comes to fasted cardio it is really just a matter of preference. If you are going to do it, do it first thing in the morning. Also, make sure to get your post workout meal in asap in order to repair your body and be ready for your day!!
Hydration:
A good rule of thumb is to shoot for anywhere from half your body weight in ounces of water up to a gallon a day!
Try and have at least 8oz about 15-30 min before your workout, and get in 8-16oz within 30inutes afyer your workout!
Remember:
EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! These are just some great guidelines to get you started! If you need help figuring it all out we can help! We've got a nutrition program that can help you with not only this but your nutrition all throughout the day! Email us for more information at: info@ffcfonddulac.com
Lastly, if you are are training for some sort of event there are a lot more things to think about when it comes to pre/post/during workout nutrition! We can definitely help! When training for endurance or high intensity events nutrition can and will make or break your performance. If you'd like help creating a nutrition plan just for you and your training shoot us an email and we'd be happy to help!
We hope this helps clear up some questions, and gets you moving in the right direction! Whether this was helpful or not we'd love to hear from you!! Let us know what you think!
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