How Should Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition Be?
The nutrients consumed before and after exercise affect the workout. For a more efficient exercise experience, paying attention to the food consumed is beneficial for those interested in sports, and our advice is in the continuation of the article.
How Should Pre-Workout Nutrition Be?
Optimal nutrient intake before exercise not only helps maximize performance but also minimizes muscle damage. The questions of whether to eat before and after exercise, and how pre- and post-workout nutrition should be, are questions that everyone who exercises or plans to incorporate sports into their lives seeks answers to.
The answer to the question of whether to eat before exercise will be "yes" because you need quality energy to support you during your workout. However, how long before exercise the meal is consumed and its content are extremely important.
Approximately 2-3 hours before exercise, a comprehensive meal with sufficient carbohydrates and protein, low in fat or fat-free, can be consumed. For example, if you are going to exercise at 5:00 PM, you can eat such a meal at 2:00 PM. For ideal pre-workout nutrition, the pre-workout meal should be low in fat and fiber, and contain moderate protein and carbohydrate sources, along with adequate fluids.
If you are going to start exercising within 2–3 hours, lean protein sources, a grain option like rice or pasta, and low-fiber fruits or vegetables can be consumed. In pre-workout nutrition, a bowl prepared with oatmeal, healthy nuts, valuable seeds like chia and shelled hemp seeds, and low-sugar fruits would be an excellent option. The acai berry, famous for being an Amazon fruit that is low in sugar and supports the performance of athletes worldwide. For example, a smoothie or an oatmeal bowl prepared with acai powder can be a great option, packed with healthy carbohydrates and supporting muscle recovery with its antioxidants.
As another example, a pre-workout meal you prepare with 1 glass of milk or plant-based milk, 1 medium banana, shelled hemp seeds, maca root powder, and cocoa powder can be an energizing, filling, light, and effective meal that will support you throughout your workout. Maca root powder is a natural energy source with its vitamin B2 content. While cocoa powder supports you with its protective antioxidants, the omega-3 and protein-rich shelled hemp seeds will combat inflammation that may occur after exercise.
How Should Portion Sizes Be in Pre-Workout Nutrition?
Portion sizes vary depending on the intensity of the sport, gender, and body weight. If you plan to exercise within an hour or less, yogurt and fruit or a healthy protein smoothie can be consumed. Choosing easily digestible protein sources will make you much more comfortable during exercise. Pea Protein and Brown Rice protein can help you as gluten-free and lactose-free protein sources. Easily digestible foods that do not upset the stomach should be chosen before exercise. Sufficient water should be consumed before starting sports. Therefore, water should be drunk regularly throughout the day and with the pre-workout meal.
How Should Post-Workout Nutrition Be?
The primary goal of post-workout nutrition is to provide the right nutrients for the body's recovery and repair, and to maximize the benefits of exercise. During exercise, muscles use glycogen stores as an energy source. This partially depletes glycogen in the muscles, leading to a risk of muscle breakdown where some muscle proteins are broken down.
After exercise, the body tries to repair damaged muscle proteins and replenish depleted glycogen stores. To help replenish lost glycogen in muscles and repair them with protein and amino acids, appropriate amounts of carbohydrates and protein should be consumed after exercise.
Since insulin secretion, which supports glycogen synthesis, is better stimulated when carbohydrates and protein are consumed simultaneously, consuming both carbohydrates and protein together helps maximize protein and glycogen synthesis. For example;
- Protein source + rice or pasta + vegetables
- Whole grain bread + a salad containing a protein source
- Protein source + baked potato and plenty of salad
If a meal cannot be eaten after exercise, a small snack can be made within the first 30-60 minutes to start the body's recovery process, using additive-free protein powders that can be added to banana and milk.
Replacing fluids lost through sweating is vital, so plenty of fluids should also be consumed after exercise. Muscle protein breakdown is triggered during exercise. Therefore, adequate protein consumption before and after exercise helps to enhance muscle protein synthesis, prevent muscle damage, and support recovery.
Many studies have shown that protein consumption before and after exercise is important for improving performance and increasing protein synthesis. For vegan and gluten-free protein blends that do not contain additives, thickeners, etc., you can check the "Plant-Based Proteins" section on our website www.naturiga.com. In addition to unflavored protein powders like Organic Pea Protein, Organic Brown Rice Protein, you can also find blends of these powders and different flavored vegan protein blends supplemented with various vegetable and fruit powders.
If you exercise regularly and with a certain intensity, your protein requirement can be slightly higher than the generally recommended amount to support muscle tissue growth and repair. For a normal person, a protein intake of 0.8 grams per kg is recommended. For individuals with high exercise intensity, the amount of protein to be consumed will also be higher.
While fulfilling your protein needs, if you want to benefit from protein powders, we recommend that you check the label of the protein blend you purchase to ensure it does not contain additives, thickeners, nature-identical flavorings, or similar ingredients. You want to be sure that you are not consuming substances that could be harmful to your body in the long term while supporting your protein intake for a healthy life.
Dietitian Ege Bölük
I graduated from İstinye University, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2020 and worked in the clinic of a specialist doctor in bariatric nutrition to specialize in this field.
I continued my career by completing various trainings on multidisciplinary approaches to eating disorders, the use and support of nutritional supplements in diet, psychodietetics, nutrition and physiotherapy in athletes, celiac disease, and gluten enteropathy.
After joining the Naturiga team, I am working on functional nutrition and supplementary foods with functional medicine dietitian Mr. Erdi Uğur.
