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Eating and exercise: Time it right to maximize your workout
What to eat: Getting the right fuel for your best performance
Food provides your body with necessary energy. To make the most of your workouts, focus on these foods.
Carbohydrates: Your body's chief source of fuel
You'll feel better when you exercise if you eat foods high in carbohydrates and low in fat. Your body stores excess carbohydrates as glycogen — primarily in your muscles and liver. Your muscles use stored glycogen when needed for energy.
A diet containing at least 50 percent of calories from carbohydrates allows your body to store glycogen, but if you're a long-distance runner or you exercise for long periods of time, you might want to consume more carbohydrates regularly and consider carbohydrate loading before a big athletic event.
- Good carbohydrate sources include cereals, breads, vegetables, pasta, rice and fruit.
- Foods high in fiber and fructose right before an intense workout may cause problems. High-fiber foods, such as beans and lentils, bran cereals and fruit, may give you gas or cause cramping. Fructose, a simple sugar found in fruit, can increase the tendency for diarrhea with high-intensity exercise.
- Consider beverage sources if you don't like to eat solid foods before exercising. You can drink your carbohydrates in sports beverages or fruit juices. Do what feels best to you.
Protein and fats: Important, but not your body's top fuel choice
Protein isn't your body's food of choice for fueling exercise, but it does play a role in muscle repair and growth. Most people can easily get the protein they need from food sources and don't need additional protein supplements. Good protein sources include:
- Meat
- Dairy products
- Nuts
Fat is an important, although smaller, part of your diet. Fats, as well as carbohydrates, can provide fuel for your muscles during exercise. Try to get most of your fat from unsaturated sources such as:
- Nuts
- Fatty fish
- Vegetable oils
Avoid fatty foods just before exercising, though. Fats remain in your stomach longer, causing you to feel less comfortable.
Water: Drink plenty to avoid dehydration
Your body uses the water in your blood to carry nutrients such as sugar (glucose) to cells and to remove waste products from the cells. The presence of water in your body ensures that you can safely sustain physical activity. As you exercise, your body produces heat. This heat leaves your body as you perspire, taking with it electrolytes — elements, such as potassium, calcium, sodium and chloride. If you don't replace the fluid you lose during exercise, your heart rate increases and your temperature rises, putting you at risk of dehydration as well as compromising your workout.
To stay well hydrated during exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you:
- Drink enough fluid to balance your daily fluid losses. You'll likely need more on days when the temperature and humidity are high.
- Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (0.5 to 0.8 liters) of water before your workout.
- Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (0.5 to 0.8 liters) of water after your workout for every pound (0.5 kilogram) of weight you lose during the workout.
- Drink about 1 cup (0.25 liters) of water every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. You may need more the larger your body is or the warmer the weather is.
Water is generally the best way to replace lost fluid, unless you're exercising for more than 60 minutes. In that case, sip a sports drink to help maintain your electrolyte balance and give you a bit more energy from the carbohydrates in it. The sodium in sports drinks also helps you rehydrate more quickly.
Let experience be your guide
When it comes to eating and exercise, everyone is different. So pay attention to how you feel during your workout and your overall performance. Let your experience guide you on which pre- and post-exercise eating habits work best for you.
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- deBoer SW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 22, 2008.
- Volek JS, et al. Nutritional aspects of women strength athletes. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2006;40(9):742.
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2007;39(2):377.
- Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2000;100(12):1543.
