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| Eat yourself fit |
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| Thursday, 03 May 2007 | |
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Load up on carbs Carbohydrate, in the form of glycogen, is the main fuel used for virtually all types of exercise. The harder and more often you train, the more carbs you'll need. Experts recommend getting about 60% of your daily calories from carbohydrates found in bread, potatoes, noodles rice, pasta and fruit. If you consume 2,500 calories per day (the recommended amount for active teenagers) you should eat about 375g of carbohydrate. That's equivalent to 4 slices of bread, plus a jacket potato, 2 apples some pasta, yoghurt and a cereal bar. GI - What is it and how to use the chart below This is a ranking of foods from 0 - 100 based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. The higher the GI the higher the blood sugar levels after eating that food. Eating low GI meals 1-2 hours before exercise can help your training performance by providing slow-release energy thereby delaying fatigue. After exercise you need to get carbohydrates into your bloodstream and muscle cells rapidly to kickstart glycogen replenishment, so choose a high GI food. For example baked potatoes (GI 85) and white rice (GI 87) both have high GI's meaning they produce a rise in blood sugar almost the same as eating pure glucose. GI ChartIndex Sugar Dairy Fruit Grain Vegetables High GI Index foods 100+ Maltose Dates Parsnip Beer Alcohol 90-100 Glucose Rice Glu drinks Sport drinks 80-89 Jelly Beans White Rice Potato, baked Pretzels mashed potato Rice crispies Cornflakes Rice Cakes 70-79 Jam Watermelon Wheat cereals French fries Crackers Pumkin Cheerios Corn chips Bagels Whole Wheat Bread Saltine Crackers Pancakes Waffles Medium GI Index foods 60-69 Soft drink Ice Cream Pineapple Rye-crisp Cornmeal Corn syrup Raisins Shredded wheat butter mash potato Sucrose Bananas couscous Honey Apricots Brown rice Muesli pasta 50-59 Chocolate Low fat Ice Mango Sweet corn Corn cream Kiwi Pastry popcorn Oatmeal sweet potato All-bran yam Rye-bread carrots Grren peas crisps Low GI Index foods 40-49 Lactose Orange Juice Oatmeal dried peas Snickers Grapes Wheat bran baked beans Apple Juice Whole wheat pasta Oranges sponge cake spaghetti whole wheat 30-39 Butter Apples Rye Tomato soup Milk Pears Chick peas Flav Yoghurt Strawberries Black eyed peas Unripe banana Split peas Black beans <30 Fructose Peaches Barley Kidney beans Grapefruit Lentils Plums Dried peas Cherries Soy beans Greens Peanuts Eat the right fats The next most used fuel during exercise is fat. Certain fats - the omega-3 fatty acids - are beneficial for your performance. They enhance oxygen delivery around the body and evn help your body burn fat more efficiently. Aim to have at least a weekly portion of oily fish (i.e. salmon, tuna or mackerel) or a daily tablespoon of omega-3 oil such as flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil or omega-3 blended oil. Unfortunately there is no benefit in upping your intake of other fatty foods - they wont help your performance at all. What's more, foods such as cakes, chocolate and biscuits, which are all high in saturated fats, are dense in calories, have little filling power and are all too easy to overindulge in. The result? Unwanted body fat. Plump for protein If you're exercising 3 or more times per week you'll need a little extra protein to help repair and build new muscle tissue. Aim to get 1.2-1.4g per kilogram of body weight per day if swimming is your main exercise activity. Include 2 portions of high protein foods such as meat, chicken, fish, dairy products, eggs, beans, lentils, grains, nuts, seeds, soya beans and quorn. Protein supplements are not necessary, for most exercisers.
Regular exercise increases your vitamin and mineral requirements above the recommended daily allowance set for the general population, so you'll need to step up your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables - aim for 5 to 7 portions a day. You'll also need many of the B vitamins (found in wholegrains, pulses, beans, nuts, and lean meat) for energy production. Before exercise If you plan to exercise for longer than an hour, consuming a pre-workout drink or snck rich in carbohydrate 30 0r 60 mins before exercise will benefit your performance. Those extra carbs will help boost your stamina and postpone fatigue. For shorter workouts, a pre exercise snck may not give you any extra benefit. Most of the energy needed for exercise is provided by whatever you've eaten hours or days before. A balanced diet that includes enough carbs will produce high levels of glycogen (stored carbohydrate) in your muscles. Avoid sugary foods and soft drinks just before exercising. These cause a quick surge of blood glucose followed by a sharp fall, which may leave you feeling tired and unable to keep going at a good pace. Don't skip meals! Exercising on an empty stomach may result in earlier fatigue. If you train in the evening, eat about 3-4 hours before hand. Best snacks
During exercise If you're exercising for more than 90 mins, you can help delay fatigue by consuming 30g - 60g of carbohydrates per hour. This will help maintain your blood-glucose levels and improve your endurance. Start eating or drinking after about 30 mins and continue at regular intervals. Best snacks
Kick-start your recovery with a high-carbo snack or drink within 2 hours of exercise. Your muscles replenish their glycogen stores faster during this 2 hour window, so virtually all the carbs that you eat during this time will be stored in your muscles rather thatn as fat. The latest research recommends adding a little protein to your recovery snck to enhance glycogen recovery. Best snacks
Between workouts Eat little and often. Dividing your food intake into 5 or 6 meals/snacks a day encourages your body to use the calories more efficiently than storing them as body fat. It also helps keep your metabolism revved up and provides a continual supply of nutrients for muscle growth and repair. Ideally you should get enough vitamins and minerals by eating a balanced diet, particularly if you are having more than the recommended 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. A supplement is not a healthy replacement for a healthy diet but it can top up your intake and provide extra insurance against deficiency. Try combining a good multi vitamin with an antioxidant supplement such as higher nature super antioxidant. What to drink Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water during the day. Top up with 150 - 200ml of water 45 mins before you exercise. Experts recommend that you drink 125ml to 250ml every 10 - 20 mins of exercise. After exercise, drink 1.5 litres for every kilogram of body weight you've lost. Have 250ml straight afterwards, then drink at regular intervals. Water is the best sports drink if you are exercising for less than an hour. But for longer sessions, an isotonic sports drink with between 4g and 8g carbohydrate per 100ml will help maintain your blood sugar levels and combat fatigue. Make your own by diluting fruit juice with 1 or 2 parts water.
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 May 2009 ) |
Knowing what to eat (and how much and when) is crucial for getting the most out of your workouts. Get it right and you'll train better, feel terrific and achieve faster P.B's. Bad eating habits on the other hand can undermine your efforts. Although fitting a healthy diet around a busy schedule is often difficult, skipping a meal or going without breakfast will leave you lacking in energy. Attempting to exercise on an empty stomach results in early fatigue and reduced stamina. Dieters please note: - 'most weight loss diets - especially low-carb ones also sap your energy, burn muscle and ironically, result in a worse body shape'. Planning what you eat after your workout is important too, as you need to give your body the nutrients it needs for repair and recovery.
Don't forget your vitamins and minerals
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