My City March 2023

MYHEALTH

Make the Most of Your Workout! with Proper Nutrition

BY SHANE JACKSON, CHHC, BSCJ, MSCJ, PH.D "Your Favorite Health Coach"

W e all know that nutrition is important to good health, but maintaining a balanced diet is far more important for an athlete. From a sports point of view, there is a diet re lated to workouts and general nutrition. It refers to nutritional needs pre-workout, during a workout and post-workout. It is primarily about consumption of fluids and carbohydrate cal ories and a little bit about sodium. Moreover, caloric mix and quality, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients have important roles to play in general or overall nutrition. Pre-Workout For basal metabolism and exercise associated with warming up, your body may use 250 calories per hour. Ingesting this amount of caloric energy in the hours before your workout may allow you to keep glycogen levels in both the liver and muscles high and prevent lowering of blood sugar levels at the start. For multi-hour events in conditions of heat and

humidity, consume salty foods, and sodium-rich solutions and gels. Sodium helps you retain more of the fluid you take in, which is lost through sweating. This increases your blood plasma volume, reducing strain on your cardiovascular system as it works to send oxygen to your muscles and cool your body down. An athlete needs quality carbs, lean protein, heart-healthy fats and fluids. For quick energy, our muscles rely on carbohydrate foods like breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables. We need protein for muscle growth and for the blood cells which bring nutrients and oxygen to your muscles. In addition to food, keeping your body hydrated is essential. The American Col lege of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests drinking beverages at a slow pace at least four hours before exercise. If you don’t produce urine or your urine is dark or concentrated, you should drink slightly more about two hours before exercise. Moreover, a snack rich in sodium keeps you hydrated for a longer time.

Besides natural intakes, some coaches also suggest use of supplements like

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