Eating right for exercise

Sensei Jane Chaplin of region 16 gives us some valuable tips for maximising our training by following a few very simple dietary tips.

Sports drinks will not only replace lost water, but can also provide vital nutrients to maximise your recovery and growth.

We all know and understand the importance of a balanced lifestyle; it promotes overall health as well as physical and mental well-being. An un-balanced lifestyle can lead to stress, fatigue and poor health.

One key ingredient to help maintain a good balance is exercise, the other is food.

We all know how important it is to eat a healthy diet and how beneficial eating before any exercise is. A pre-exercise meal ensures our body has adequate stores of glycogen which acts as the secondary long-term energy storage, made primarily by the liver and the muscles it can also be made by the brain and stomach. By eating a carbohydrate fuelled meal our body is able to sustain a good energy source throughout our training. Carbohydrates are the most important fuel for our muscles and an essential source for energy. In a sport such as karate where precision, quick thinking and co-ordination are required, carbohydrates are vital.

However, did you know that as much as a pre-exercise meal is vital, eating after exercise is just as important? A post-exercise meal is critical to our body’s recovery.

So what should we consume after exercise?

Hydration

Replacing any  fluid lost during exercise is the highest nutritional priority.

Water is normally sufficient for replacing fluids, however, for a high intensity session lasting more than 50 minutes a sports drink may be more beneficial. The carbohydrates in a sports drink will assist in maintaining energy levels and the salt will help keep our body hydrated.

NB – for any training lasting more than 30 minutes fluid should be consumed during your session.

	Here are some sources of carbohydrates, but be carefl what you eat late at night unless you want to put weight on.

Carbohydrates

After training it is important to consume carbohydrate within 15 minutes, fruit or juice is a great way to do this.

Research has shown that 0.3-0.6 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight within 2 hours of endurance exercise builds glycogen stores for continued training.  This is because carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin which aids the production of muscle glycogen.

 

NB - For the optimum result aim to have a carbohydrate rich food or drink within 30 minutes of exercise.

The DVD is very professionally designed

Protein

Protein is also essential after exercise. Protein provides the amino acids needed to rebuild muscle tissue that is damaged during intense, prolonged exercise. It will also increase the absorption of water and improve muscle hydration. The amino acids in protein can also stimulate the immune system, helping to build resistance to colds and other infections.

Good sources of protein can be found in most fish, eggs, cheese, yoghurt, nuts and seeds.

Summary

In short after exercise your body needs to be given the right nutrition to help build and repair muscles and provide enough energy to continue to exercise. A good combination is 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein.

Solid foods are a great way to do this; however a sports drink will not only ensure you get the right carbohydrate/protein ratio and meet the 30 minute window, it will also have greater benefits to those who train later in the day or during the evening because it provides the nutrients your body needs without the calories just before you go to bed.

t really is a temple and really should be worshipped at. As Lao-Tzu once said “He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire”.