What to eat before training? And after training?

What to eat before and after training

 

What do I eat before training?

And after training, like what?

These are two very common questions, and we will answer them definitively.

Who is this article aimed at?

For those who do hypertrophy training, lasting around 1h to 1.30h, and are looking to gain muscle mass or lose fat, while maintaining lean mass.

If your goal is to run a marathon this article is not ideal, but if, on the other hand, you want to gain muscle mass, you are in the right place.

What to eat before training?

Let's start by talking about the pre-workout meal.

The pre-workout meal should be eaten about 2 hours before picking up the dumbbells.

This meal should essentially consist of two macronutrients, protein and carbohydrates.

As for fats, although it is not necessary to eliminate them completely during this meal, it is not the best time to devour a piece of salmon.

So, now that you know what should be part of your pre-workout meal, a question arises.

But what carbohydrates and proteins should I use?

In your pre-workout meal, you should focus on complex carbohydrates and high biological value proteins.

Carbohydrates

• Sweet potato
• Oat
• Rice
• Pasta
• Whole grain bread

Proteins

• Eggs
• Chicken or turkey breast
• Tuna

Combine a food from the carbohydrate list with a food from the protein list and you get a good pre-workout meal.

If you want to add some fat, mainly for caloric reasons, use one or two egg yolks or a little peanut butter.

As for quantities, in relation to protein, you should use between 20g and 40g.

As for carbohydrates, it will depend on your goals and your eating plan.

Simple combinations

• Sweet potato with chicken breast
• Oats and eggs
• Wholemeal bread with tuna

In short, the pre-workout meal should be eaten 2 hours before training and should consist of complex carbohydrates and quality proteins.

Unforeseen events

Sometimes we eat this meal, but we only manage to go train 3 hours later.

Other times unforeseen events arise and we have to go train as quickly as possible.

What to do in these cases?

The ideal in these situations would be a light meal, consisting essentially of quickly absorbed protein and possibly simple carbohydrates, depending on the previous meal.

So what would be a good solution?

Around 30 to 45 minutes before training, try a whey protein shake with a banana, this will allow you to have the best performance in your training.

I'm dry and I'm cutting back on carbohydrates, can I just eat protein for this meal?

How can you see here It is here, it is not a good idea to train with low glycogen reserves, as this leads to greater muscle catabolism, and also to lower performance.

This is not what you want in weight training.

The ideal is to plan your diet so that you have carbohydrates before training, there are better times to cut down on carbohydrates.

What to eat after training?

In the post-workout meal, when it comes to weight training, the main priority is protein intake.

Ingesting protein during this period will cause you to go from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. (1)

As for carbohydrates, it is also a good time to consume them, as they will replace used glycogen, and the increase in insulin levels can be beneficial.

Now, what sources should you use after training?

Supplementation with whey protein At this point it is widely used, due to its rapid absorption and excellent biological value.

And it actually happens to be a good idea.

You should use around 20g to 40g of whey protein after training to maximize protein synthesis.

Regarding carbohydrates, as with the pre-workout meal, it depends on your goals.

As a general rule, use maltodextrin as a source of carbohydrates, and around 40g is usually ideal.

Briefly, after training, use a shake with around 20 to 40g of whey protein together with around 40g of maltodextrin.

It's a good idea to add creatine, especially if your goal is to gain muscle mass.

This will give you good results.

And then?

Now, after this smoothie you still can't relax.

Around 1h to 1.30h after the shake, you should focus on a solid meal, with quality proteins and complex carbohydrates.

This will help you get the most out of weight training.

And what solid meal is that? What should you include?

Carbohydrates

• Sweet potato
• Oat
• Brown Rice / Rice
• Wholemeal Pasta / Pasta
• Whole grain bread

Proteins

• Eggs
• Chicken or turkey breast
• Tuna

Have you seen this anywhere?

It's true, this meal should be in the same category as the one you eat before training.

Lean proteins and complex carbohydrates.

Is a post-workout shake mandatory?

No, the post-workout shake is not mandatory, but it has benefits. (two)

If you're not a fan of powders and shakers, immediately switch to the solid meal, with the ingredients you've just reviewed.

Conclusion

Now you know what to eat before and after training in order to get the most out of these meals.

Although pre- and post-workout nutrition is important, and brings clear benefits to achieving better results, the most important thing will always be ingesting the right amount of total macronutrients, and not just at this moment.

Betting on carbohydrates and proteins before and after training is a safe strategy to achieve good results, whether the goal is to gain or lose weight.

Carbohydrates must be adapted individually, and depending on the objective they can be higher or lower.

As for proteins, they remain the same regardless of the objective, as their role in protein synthesis is crucial.

If you have any questions, use the comments area below.

References

(1) Tipton KD, Ferrando AA, Phillips SM, Doyle D Jr, Wolfe RR. Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids. Am J Physiol. 1999 Apr;276(4 Pt 1):E628-34.

(2) Tang JE, Manolakos JJ, Kujbida GW, Lysecki PJ, Moore DR, Phillips SM. Minimal whey protein with carbohydrate stimulates muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise in trained young men. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007 Dec;32(6):1132-8.