Choose different snacks for different workouts—the shorter the duration, the fewer calories you need to replenish— and always pay attention to your hunger cues. Activity trackers like the Fitbit and Jawbone have become a trendy way to estimate physical activity expenditure throughout the day. But a Iowa State University study found that not all devices are accurate in estimating calorie burn during workouts. The least accurate device, the Basis Band, had an error rate of This is dictated less by numbers and more by listening to your body.
It may seem counterintuitive, but eating more throughout the day may be your ticket to consuming fewer calories overall, especially if you tend to pig out post-workout. You may feel like you burned a million calories during your Spin class, but research shows that we tend to overestimate our energy expenditure during exercise—by as much as four-fold, according to a study from the University of Ottawa. One high-tech way to prevent overestimating your calorie burn: wear a heart-rate monitor.
Most of these include a sensor worn around your chest and a wristwatch, which sync together wirelessly. Replacing the fluids you lost during a workout should be priority number one, Matt Fitzgerald, a certified sports nutritionist and author of Diet Cults and The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition.
Taking in too much water or any fluid can cause water intoxication due to excessively low levels of salt in the body.
But the truth is, you might not need to, says Brown. In that case, yes, you should have something to eat. Again, this varies person to person, but in general Ansari recommends bringing along a snack for workouts that last more than 45 minutes. In those instances, eating or sipping something simple, like a piece of fruit or an electrolyte drink that contains carbs, can provide the energy boost you need to finish feeling strong.
What foods are best? Go for simple carbohydrates, which help quickly refuel your muscles, and protein, which helps rebuild your muscles, says Raffals. She recommends chocolate milk, as it combines both macronutrients. Other good post workout bets, per Ansari, include: fruit or a bar with a protein shake; Greek yogurt with fruit, granola and toast; a lean protein burger with a bun, avocado, and a side of salad and fruit; and a veggie and quinoa bowl with avocado, a cup of soy milk, and a piece of fruit.
Make sure you hydrate post workout, too. And if you got super sweaty during your workout, consume electrolytes to replace what you lost. Bananas, which contain the electrolyte potassium, are a solid pick, says Raffals.
Instead, think back on when you last ate. Both experts advise eating something before a morning workout. Doing so will give you the energy you need to train harder and get the most out of your workout.
Simple foods like a banana, diced fruit, raisins, dates, or a bar are good options. It generally takes 2—4 hours for food to completely move from your stomach to your small intestine 1.
For most people, 1—2 hours is sufficient after a moderate-sized meal, while waiting at least 30 minutes after a snack is fine. At that point, food has digested enough to avoid stomach upset. That said, as the intensity of the exercise increases, so does the risk of side effects.
While it generally takes 2—4 hours to fully digest a meal, waiting 1—2 hours after a moderate-sized meal and 30 minutes after having a snack should be sufficient before exercising to avoid side effects. When it comes to eating before exercise, meal size and composition play a significant role. The larger the meal you eat, the longer it will take to digest, increasing the amount of time you should wait before exercising. Meals that are higher in fat, protein, and fiber tend to be digested slower than those containing a larger proportion of simple carbs and more processed proteins, such as those found in some protein shakes and supplements.
While the side effects that may result from eating close to a workout are highly individual, the most common ones are digestive symptoms and performance issues.
Eating too close to working out may cause some digestive discomforts. The most common ones include 2 , 3 :. Data suggests that endurance athletes like runners and cyclists are at the highest risk of experiencing these side effects due to the nature of their sport 2.
Lower intensity sports such as golf, walking, and archery are much less likely to trigger digestive symptoms. Furthermore, most of these side effects can be avoided by allowing some time for digestion before training.
Usually, 1—2 hours is sufficient after a moderate-sized meal, while waiting at least 30 minutes after a snack is fine.
While fueling up for an intense training session is important, eating too close to a workout may harm your performance. Athletes and recreational gym-goers often experience a feeling of sluggishness when exercising right after a meal. A small study in 10 male basketball players found that several of them experienced nausea, belching, and stomach bloating when a protein and carb meal was consumed before training, compared with eating a high carb meal without protein 4.
Some people may experience various side effects when exercising shortly after eating. These include bloating, nausea, cramping, reflux, vomiting, diarrhea, sluggishness, and potentially hindered performance. While data on the specific amount of time you should wait is limited, here are some general recommendations:. Some endurance sports, such as running , cycling, and cross-country skiing, lasting over an hour may require eating while exercising to maintain energy stores. You may find that you can comfortably train shortly after eating, or on the contrary, you may require waiting several hours to avoid side effects.
0コメント