Do: Eat often. The best way to keep your body fuelled is by eating five or six smaller meals a day, between 300 and 600 calories each. Each meal should consist of two-thirds carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and one-third high-quality protein like fish, chicken or tofu. If you're pressed for time, plan ahead and always carry healthy snacks.
Don't: Exercise on an empty stomach. It's especially important to boost your energy before a workout, no matter how early your morning run is. "I recommend getting a little bit of protein and some carbohydrates into the bloodstream," Guest says. "Most importantly it's going to prevent amino acid break down, but it's also going to allow you to run longer. It's counterintuitive, but the ingestion of those tens of calories will result in a burn of an extra hundred."
Don't: Load up on fatty foods before a workout. According to Guest, it takes fats three to five hours to fully digest, and it's important to give your system at least two hours to process them. So, skip the post-dinner ice cream if you have an evening elliptical session planned.
Do: Refuel right after a sweat session. "After a high-intensity workout, you want to get something into your system immediately; you'll recover more quickly, and be able to work out just as hard sooner," Guest says. The enzymes that produce muscle-repairing glycogen are working at double the rate after exercising, and there's a brief window of time to take advantage of that accelerated process. Missing that opportunity results in longer recovery periods, and can keep you out of the gym for days at a time.
Page 1 of 2 - Four more great nutrition tips on page 2.
