Ladies, have you exercised regularly every week? Exercise must be carried out seriously and disciplined regardless of whatever goals you expect from exercising, for example, as an effort to lose weight, as an active lifestyle, or even as preparation for certain competitions.
Knowing when and what to eat can maximize your workout results. Here are five tips you can apply regarding the relationship between your food consumption and your exercise.
1. Make time for a nutritious breakfast.
If you exercise in the morning, you have to wake up earlier, so you have time to have breakfast at least 1 hour before the exercise session. Various studies show that consuming carbohydrate foods or drinks can increase the performance and duration of your exercise. If you exercise on an empty stomach, there will be chances of feeling a headache, weakness, and fatigue during the session. Eat a light breakfast and focus on carbohydrates for maximum energy sources.
2. Watch your portions
Pay attention to the portion size or the amount of food you eat at breakfast before exercising. If you eat large portions, at least give it 3-4 hours before exercising. Meanwhile, if it's food with small portions or snacks, give it a range of 1-3 hours from exercise. This is so that we don't want to get weak during exercise or even be too full and cause side stitches, known as a suduken.
3. Consider eating/drinking snacks
Most people choose to have a snack right before or even during exercise. There may be better choices than eating snacks if you want a sufficient energy source, but by consuming snacks, we can get rid of hunger in the stomach so that we can exercise more focus. Snacks that you can eat include energy bars, bananas, apples, yogurt, or other sports foods/drinks.
4. Restore energy by eating after a workout
Diet is not an excuse not to eat after a workout. Eating is the best way to help the body restore energy from exercise. Consuming foods that contain carbohydrates and protein within 2 hours after exercising can help the body to repair muscle tissue damaged by exercise.
5. Don't forget to drink
Our bodies need a certain amount of fluids to avoid dehydration. Drink before, during, and after exercise. To get good hydration while exercising, the American College of Sports Medicine issued the following drinking guidelines:
- Drink about 2-3 glasses before starting the exercise
- Drink about half to one glass every 15-20 while exercising. Adjust the amount with body size and weather at that time.
- Drink about 2-3 glasses after exercising
Water is generally the best drink to replace lost body fluids during exercise. However, if you exercise for more than 60 minutes, drink a sports drink. Sports drinks help maintain electrolyte balance and provide extra energy because they usually contain carbohydrates.
Remember that the main factors influencing our need to eat and drink are the duration and intensity of the exercise we do. Try to listen to the signals sent by the body. Also, don't use diet as an excuse for you to consume a much lower number of calories than needed. Not consuming enough calories can cause various other health problems, such as loss of muscle mass, affecting the balance of hormones in the body, and disrupting a woman's monthly cycle.
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Source:
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021). Eating and exercise: 5 tips to maximize your workouts. Mayo Clinic. [online]. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045506