Planning Your Pre And Post Workout Meals

You already know that the best way to lose excess fat and gain muscle mass is through a good diet and exercise routine. But, what you may not know is that your exercise efforts may all be in vain unless you give special focus to your pre- and post-workout meals. In fact, what you eat about an hour before and after a workout session are the two most important meals of the day. It can spell the difference between enhancing your body’s natural ability to build lean muscle and wasting the hours you spend at the gym.

The primary goal of pre-workout meals is to prepare your body for the large amount of pressure and stress that you will soon subject it to. When your body uses up all of its stored energy during intense workouts, it will start converting carbohydrates into the energy that you need in contracting your muscles. It is therefore only logical for you to stock up on carbohydrates right before a workout session to make sure that your body has all the ingredients it needs to create energy.

Pre-workout meals should consist mainly of complex carbohydrates and proteins to maximize your body’s muscle-building potential. To make sure that your body has enough time to process these nutrients such that it is readily available when you work out, it is best to have your meal at least an hour before your workout session. Another option is for you to drink a protein shake or fresh fruit juice 15 minutes before your workout begins.

Post-workout meals are the most important meals of all. Remember that an intense workout session often creates small tears in your muscles, and your body will naturally attempt to repair and strengthen these muscles in the hours immediately following the workout. To make sure that your muscles are indeed able to rebuild themselves, you have to consume the right post-workout meals.

Carbohydrates are necessary for replenishing fuel sources and protein for promoting muscle repair and strengthening. The sooner you consume these nutrients, the sooner your body can begin healing itself. The goal of post-workout meals, therefore, is to refuel your body quickly and provide it with the necessary ingredients for rebuilding and strengthening your muscles.

Consuming a sports drink is an excellent way to begin your post-workout nutritional intake. Fruit juice is also a good option. The necessary next step is to consume a good source of protein. A whey protein shake should serve this purpose perfectly. Just as with your pre-workout meal, timing is also essential in consuming post-workout meals. It is best to provide your body with the necessary nutrients less than 90 minutes after a workout.

Here’s another piece of useful advice: Increase your calorie intake on your workout days by NOT including your post-workout meals in logging your daily calorie count. This helps ensure that you consume about 25% more calories on the days when you work out. The logic behind this technique is that an intense workout uses up a large amount of calories and you will have to replace these lost calories in order to maintain balance in your nutritional intake.