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 Staying Fuelled During Exercise |
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Staying Fuelled During Exercise
Staying Fuelled During Exercise
By: Fran Grossman, RD, MS, CDE, CDN
Healthology AtalantaDuring exercise, we sweat due to an increase in heat production. Water or other fluids serve to cool down our body. If we do not replace fluids fast enough to offset the fluids lost through perspiration, we will become dehydrated.
Pre-Workout or Competition
Research shows that proper food and fluid intake prior to working out or engaging in a competition will improve endurance. Results also show that athletes who eat prior to exercise feel better and find the activity less rigorous than those who choose to fast.
The athlete who risks eating and drinking too close to a competition or workout may suffer from gastrointestinal distress such as nausea and cramping.
Specific guidelines for eating prior to a workout or competition are:
· Eat approximately three hours before your competition or workout. Individual preferences may somewhat vary that time.
· Eat foods that contain mostly complex carbohydrates, low-to-moderate amounts of protein, and low amounts of fat.
· If you are preparing for a competition, it is not a good idea to introduce new foods and beverages into your diet.
· Your pre-workout or pre-competition meal should contain 85 to 200 grams of carbohydrates, which will supply 400 to 800 calories.
· If you are nervous or anxious about the upcoming competition, then you may replace your meal with a liquid-nutrition meal supplement.
· Drink 16 to 20 ounces of water or sports drink one to two hours prior to your exercise or competition. This will provide a base of proper hydration for your body.
· Consuming a sports beverage a few minutes prior to exercise or competition will help you maintain your blood glucose levels.
· Drink approximately four to eight ounces of fluid immediately before you start a workout or competition.
· If you are within two to three hours of a workout or competition, decrease the size of your meal.
· High-carbohydrate meals are recommended for pre-workout and pre-competition. Carbohydrate loading is only necessary if you will be performing nonstop activity for more than 90 minutes. If you are engaging in marathons, hiking, biking, or other elongated and constant workouts, then carbohydrate loading may enhance your performance.
· If you are working out or competing at higher altitudes, a carbohydrate diet supplying about 70 percent of your calories may be beneficial.
Some easy-to-prepare and easily portable meals prior to a workout or competition include:
· Cereal with skim milk and fruit.
· Turkey sandwich with tomato, whole-grain bread-no mayonnaise.
· Pasta with low-fat sauce.
· Whole-grain bagel and low fat cheese.
During Workout/Competition
Replacing carbohydrates and fluids during exercise that is more than an hour in length can delay fatigue and enhance endurance by maintaining muscle glycogen stores.
Fatigue can be delayed by consuming 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour (120 to 240 calories from carbohydrates). Carbohydrates are best provided at regular intervals.
Often, sports drinks that contain a variety of nutrients are better tolerated than solid foods during exercise or competition. General recommendations are to drink four to eight ounces of a sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes after the first 30 minutes of exercise. Regardless of thirst, water or a sports drink should be consumed every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise or competition.
After Workout/Competition
The immediate goal after a workout or competition should be the replenishment of glycogen stores. Additionally, carbohydrate ingestion should begin as soon as possible, with the ingestion of 30 grams of carbohydrate, or 120 calories, within thirty minutes.
Carbohydrate intake should continue at two-hour intervals for up to four hours. If this does not occur, then glycogen repletion and endurance will be impaired.
The equivalent of two cups (one pint) of fluid should be ingested for each pound of body weight lost. If exercise or competition is in excess of one hour, your body is at risk for excessive sodium and potassium loss. While most electrolytes are replaced at the post-workout or competition meal, sports beverages will be beneficial if the athlete is not hungry or unable to have an appropriate meal.
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Disclaimer
Our Fitness Articles have been collated from many sources. Whilst we are careful to only publish the ones we believe are most accurate and relevant we cannot guarantee their accuracy. Before you put any of the ideas into practise we suggest you seek advise from a professional in the sport you participate in. We cannot be held liable for any injury or problems that occur by following any advice published on our web site.
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