Know what to eat before and after weight training

Nutritionists recommend the right foods for those who want to lose weight or gain muscle mass

Before or after training, adequate nutrition is essential to ensure health and help you achieve your goals, whether it is losing weight, maintaining weight or gaining muscle mass. “It is advisable to never do physical activity on an empty stomach and, regardless of the time of physical activity, it is important to always eat about an hour before and not to stop eating immediately after physical activity or within an hour”, recommends Tamara Stulbach, PhD in Nutrition and Public Health and specialist in Sports Nutrition.

What to eat before training?

According to Maristela Bassi Strufaldi, nutritionist and Master’s Degree in Clinical Endocrinology, during pre-workout it is essential to consume foods source of carbohydrates. “It provides the body with muscle glycogen, an essential fuel for energy during exercise, helping to maintain or build lean mass and burn body fat,” he explains.

Furthermore, fiber is also important before training. “Options rich in fiber, such as fruit, bread and whole grains, are also interesting, as they promote a gradual supply of glucose into the blood, maintaining energy intake during activity and preventing hypoglycemia,” he adds.

What eat at after training?

After training, Tamara Stulbach recommends eating foods containing carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, in order to replenish muscle glycogen and recover electrolytes (essential minerals) lost during exercise. “Rapidly absorbed carbohydrates (such as fructose, contained in fruits such as bananas) are more effective. A tip for building muscle is to combine rapidly absorbed carbohydrates with a source of protein such as low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheeses and even protein bars in some specific cases”, adds Maristela Bassi Strufaldi.

Food for every goal

By tailoring your diet to your goals, you ensure a more effective training. Below, nutritionists provide some tips on how to do this:

To maintain weight

If you exercise in the morning or late afternoon, have breakfast or a snack of bread, milk, cereal and fruit. After exercise, eat fruit or, if you’re already eating dinner, a good portion of vegetables, with carbohydrates, which can be a serving of brown rice or corn, and lean proteins, such as chicken fillet or scrambled eggs. If you do the activity after lunch or dinner, eat about two or three hours before and have a light meal, without fatty foods.

To lose weight

To lose weight it is recommended to consume low-fat foods and the meal before physical activity should be light, such as fruit and skimmed milk or skimmed yogurt. After training, opt for fruit. If you exercise after lunch or dinner, do not eat fried foods and give preference to vegetables and lean proteins.

To increase muscle mass

The recommendations for before training are the same as those who want it maintain weight, however, to increase muscle mass, it is recommended to eat protein foods after physical activity. The lunch or dinner menu should contain proteins of high biological value, such as meat, chicken or fish, and carbohydrates, such as rice, potatoes or pasta.

Remember that it is important to consult a nutritionist before making any changes to your diet. This way you protect your health.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.