How to structure your nutrition around your workouts to maximise results..
Your nutrition pre, intra & post workout needs to be carefully constructed in order to maximise muscle growth, repair & recovery!
Pre-Workout
Ideally 1 - 1.5hrs prior to training
Short on time? Opt for a lower calorie, faster digesting meal (protein shake + banana for example)
Training longer than 1.5hrs after eating? Aim for a higher calorie, slower digesting meal (more fat + fibre to slow down digestion)
To fuel the workout (how effective your training is)
To create an anabolic environments (drive muscle growth)
Intra-Workout
If you train fasted
If you’re dieting/in a calorie deficit
If you’re training for a long period of time
If you train fasted, first thing in the morning, this is where intra & post workout meals become more important
Liquid carb sources such as gatorade/powerade + EAA + BCAA supplementation are great to use during your workout to help fuel performance
Post-Workout
It’s important to fuel your body appropriately after a workout with easily digestible protein & carb sources to maximise glycogen replenishment & improve recovery
Protein powders are grea for ease of use & digestibility, couples with high glycemic index carbohydrates
Digestion immediately post training is down regulated as blood & nutrients are preferentially diverted to the trained muscles, meaning your post-workout meal needs to be “light” & easily digested
KEY POINTS
When it comes to fuelling your workout, having carbs prior to training will benefit performance
Meals eaten closer to the workout should contain less fat (dietary fat slows down digestion)
Meals eaten further from the workout should contain more fat
Post-workout meals need to be easily digestible
The role of per-workout nutrition (refers to what you eat before, during & after a workout) is to maximise performance & improve recovery