One of the biggest doubts of those who are exercising regularly is what to eat before training to reach their goals. Experts warn that no matter what the purpose, it is essential to eat well and drink enough water to ensure the proper functioning of the body and enhance the results of physical effort.
Sports nutritionist Diogo Cirico, coach at Growth Supplements, says that those who practice physical activity need a reinforced diet to be more willing to train. “Reducing the amount of calories is not interesting even for those who want to lose weight, since the person will not be willing to have an intense training routine”, he explains.
conscious choice
There are different ways to deal with the moment before training, but ideally, the meal should be eaten three to four hours before physical activity. Cirico suggests inserting nitrates, micronutrients and anti-inflammatory foods into the diet. “They are mainly present in vegetables, which have slower digestion”, he says.
Those who aim for hypertrophy should consume carbohydrates and proteins, such as a plate of pasta with meat, potatoes and chicken, or bread with egg — these options will give energy to the muscle.
But if the goal is to burn fat and increase muscle definition, the dish must have proteins and carbohydrates from vegetables, which cause satiety and gastric comfort without increasing the amount of calories.
Water is also key to boosting performance during training, stimulating hypertrophy and fat reduction.
Match the dish to the schedule
The nutritionist explains that the training schedule interferes with the choice of food, but not with the body’s needs. “Who trains in the morning will use the energy provided by the last meals of the previous day. If the exercise is at night, the energy will come from what the person ate in the afternoon, ”he says.
Therefore, those who exercise in the morning should choose slow-digesting foods the night before, such as meat, extra virgin olive oil, sources of carbohydrates (rice, beans, potatoes and cassava) and lots of salad. These are options that reduce the chance of turning the energy consumed into fat when sleeping.
After training
As important as what precedes the exercise is what follows the training. While carbohydrate is the source of energy for the muscle to work, protein will be the nutrient responsible for repairing muscle damage.
“In the post-workout period, it is recommended to consume meat, chicken, fish, eggs and even vegetables rich in protein (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts), especially for those who do high-intensity training”, points out Cirico .
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