This article addresses recommended nutrition immediately following an exercise session to aid in optimal recovery. Some may have started training for a 5K or a 10K and may even be following the training plans suggested in my 5K training or 10K training posting.
After an exercise session, be it running, swimming, cycling, or weights, we lose various vitamins and minerals through sweat. It is true that eventually we end up reloading most of the nutrients we lost through food and drink. However, to make sure that your body recovers as fast as possible and receives the needed nutrients when it needs them most, it is recommended by sports nutritionists that we eat or drink a combination of carbohydrates and protein within 30-40 minutes after each exercise session. The carb-protein combo is a good rule of thumb for most post-exercise recovery plans. However, low-key (aerobic) training that lasts less than an hour can be replenished by a sports drink containing carbohydrates and sodium. For moderate or high-intensity training sessions of up to and in excess of an hour, a recovery drink containing a mixture of carbohydrate and protein is ideal.
The reason this nutrition recovery plan is a good idea is because during the 30-40 minutes immediately after exercise the body is more capable in absorbing glucose (a carbohydrate-based energy source we consume during exercise) and protein. This means that almost all, if not all, nutrients you ingest during this window will be sucked up by your body immediately and the protein will quickly be transported to thirsty muscles (to minimize soreness and help in building strength) and the carbohydrates (and the glucose) will quickly travel to your liver to replenish it with the glucose that was used up during exercise.
There are many recovery drinks on the market today to help in proper post-exercise recovery. You can try several to suit your taste. As long as you get 15 to 20 grams of protein and about 60-80 grams of carbohydrates it will be a sufficient recovery drink. I know of some athletes who go "old-school" and use a glass of chocolate milk as their recovery drink. This may work for you if you end your workouts close to home where refrigerated milk is accessible. However if you go cycling or running somewhere and your recovery drink has to wait for you for several hours in a backpack that is in a hot car, this may not be a good idea since we all know what happens to milk after it stays in the hot sun for a while. Various sports recovery drinks have worked for me over the years. I also like the fruit or vanilla flavors. So try some out and chose one that you like best.
Several hours following exercise, once your stomach calmed down, a high protein meal with some starch is ideal. One example would be a light meal consisting of chicken breast or fish, with a side of vegetables and some rice or potatoes. Other recovery meals (or snacks) that can be eaten a few hours following exercise include peanut butter and jam bagel (or sandwich), yogurt with granola or fruit, an energy bar, pasta salad with cheese (preferably low fat), or a turkey/chicken sandwich on whole wheat.
Proper recovery is essential to keep our bodies healthy and strong so we can continue with the chosen training regimen for weeks, and in some cases, months at a time. If we recover nutritionally after exercise, our muscles, liver, and other parts of our body will be properly fueled for the next training session. This way, we can attack each session with renewed energy and perhaps with a bit more vigor as a result of past training and effective recovery.
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Nutrition Basics
We've all probably heard the suggestion that we should eat a balanced diet. For most people, that phrase has the word "diet" in there, and they automatically recoil because to many, dieting is like punishment - something to endure in order to lose weight for an important event, to fit into that suit or dress, or simply to improve their health.
Let's throw out that idea that diet is bad for you by thinking of diet as a combination of what we eat, instead of something restrictive we need to go through. Once we think of diet that way, we can approach learning about basic nutrition without a negative predisposition.
So here we go. This posting will cover the basics of nutrients that our diet consists of. The specific combinations of the nutrients that is recommended depends on each individual's goal. The goal could be simply to lose a few pounds, or for a runner, swimmer, or triathlete, the goal may be to provide their body with enough nutrients to fuel them through training sessions without burning themselves out and without eating the wrong foods that may result in stomach cramps or unneeded weight gain. Here, I will only introduce the basic components. In later postings, we will likely cover specific combinations of nutrients to reach various goals.
First, water is the most basic and obvious nutrient we need. We could not survive long without it. Water helps cool our body by producing sweat, aids in digesting food, carries oxygen and nutrients to cells that need them, and is a significant component of our brain, muscles, organs, and other body parts. Sources of water include the tap or bottled water, juices, milk, and foods such as fruit, soups, vegetables, etc.
The second nutrient are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy during exercise, provide dietary fiber, and help replenish our body's glycogen stores (which is used up during normal activity, including exercise). Sources of carbohydrates include breads, pasta, various grains such as rice, wheat, couscous, etc., fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
The third important nutrient we need is fat. Eating fats has been controversial for many years. I am referring here to the natural unsaturated fats, not the trans fats and other processed fats. Fats provide our bodies with fatty acids that we need, the most widely known of them are Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Fat also provides fat-soluble vitamins, and is needed because it is an essential component of certain cell structures. Sources of good fats are from liquid oils (such as olive or canola oil), butter, nuts and seeds (such as almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.), avocados, and fish.
The fourth essential nutrient we need is protein. Protein provides essential amino acids, is needed to maintain and develop muscle tissue, is an important component of many things our bodies produce, including certain enzymes, hormones, and the antibodies we need to produce to fight off bacteria and viruses. There are many other things protein does but for sake of brevity, I won't bore you with the list. Some sources of protein are widely known and include meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, beans, and lentils.
The fifth basic nutrient are vitamins. Vitamins are important because, among other things, they help with producing energy, help with tissue repair and red blood cell formation, and many vitamins (such as vitamin C for example) act as powerful antioxidants. Vitamins also help synthesize protein. Sources of vitamins include fruits and vegetables, lean foods, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Finally, minerals play an important part in our body's functioning. Minerals are also involved in energy production and tissue repair. Minerals help contract our muscles, this way we can use our strength effectively Minerals also help to transport oxygen to needed cells in our bodies. Some sources of minerals include fruits and vegetables, lean foods, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Of course, for us to have a complete grouping of vitamins and minerals without having to spend a fortune at the supermarket, a daily complete multivitamin with minerals can do the trick. The rest of our nutrient intake of water, fats, protein, carbohydrates has to be, for the most part, included in our meals.
Let's throw out that idea that diet is bad for you by thinking of diet as a combination of what we eat, instead of something restrictive we need to go through. Once we think of diet that way, we can approach learning about basic nutrition without a negative predisposition.
So here we go. This posting will cover the basics of nutrients that our diet consists of. The specific combinations of the nutrients that is recommended depends on each individual's goal. The goal could be simply to lose a few pounds, or for a runner, swimmer, or triathlete, the goal may be to provide their body with enough nutrients to fuel them through training sessions without burning themselves out and without eating the wrong foods that may result in stomach cramps or unneeded weight gain. Here, I will only introduce the basic components. In later postings, we will likely cover specific combinations of nutrients to reach various goals.
First, water is the most basic and obvious nutrient we need. We could not survive long without it. Water helps cool our body by producing sweat, aids in digesting food, carries oxygen and nutrients to cells that need them, and is a significant component of our brain, muscles, organs, and other body parts. Sources of water include the tap or bottled water, juices, milk, and foods such as fruit, soups, vegetables, etc.
The second nutrient are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy during exercise, provide dietary fiber, and help replenish our body's glycogen stores (which is used up during normal activity, including exercise). Sources of carbohydrates include breads, pasta, various grains such as rice, wheat, couscous, etc., fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
The third important nutrient we need is fat. Eating fats has been controversial for many years. I am referring here to the natural unsaturated fats, not the trans fats and other processed fats. Fats provide our bodies with fatty acids that we need, the most widely known of them are Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Fat also provides fat-soluble vitamins, and is needed because it is an essential component of certain cell structures. Sources of good fats are from liquid oils (such as olive or canola oil), butter, nuts and seeds (such as almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.), avocados, and fish.
The fourth essential nutrient we need is protein. Protein provides essential amino acids, is needed to maintain and develop muscle tissue, is an important component of many things our bodies produce, including certain enzymes, hormones, and the antibodies we need to produce to fight off bacteria and viruses. There are many other things protein does but for sake of brevity, I won't bore you with the list. Some sources of protein are widely known and include meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, beans, and lentils.
The fifth basic nutrient are vitamins. Vitamins are important because, among other things, they help with producing energy, help with tissue repair and red blood cell formation, and many vitamins (such as vitamin C for example) act as powerful antioxidants. Vitamins also help synthesize protein. Sources of vitamins include fruits and vegetables, lean foods, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Finally, minerals play an important part in our body's functioning. Minerals are also involved in energy production and tissue repair. Minerals help contract our muscles, this way we can use our strength effectively Minerals also help to transport oxygen to needed cells in our bodies. Some sources of minerals include fruits and vegetables, lean foods, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Of course, for us to have a complete grouping of vitamins and minerals without having to spend a fortune at the supermarket, a daily complete multivitamin with minerals can do the trick. The rest of our nutrient intake of water, fats, protein, carbohydrates has to be, for the most part, included in our meals.
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