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July 2010: Food & Exercise:

• Food is absolutely vital before & after all exercise, even if trying to burn fat. It gives us the energy to work hard enough to start the fat burning or muscle building process.
• Any exercise regime needs a nutrition regime to support it, reflecting the energy needs of the individual, and the goals of the activity being undertaken.
• Different goals & different forms of exercise need different eating regimes before & after. All need a mixture of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins & minerals.
• All individuals have slightly differing energy & nutrient requirements before & after exercise, primarily influenced by genetics, though there are some useful general principles to adhere to.

5 Pre Workout Basics:

1) The body needs to have energy readily available – ideally from a meal eaten approximately 1 – 2 hours before the workout.

2) Foods eaten need to have been digested, with nutrients absorbed into the blood & muscles to provide the energy to work intensely.

3) Carbohydrates are the prime provider of this energy, with protein available to prevent muscle breakdown. Slow digesting carbohydrates are ideal.

4) Fats, vitamins & minerals are needed for the release of energy, transport of nutrients, use of body fat, & hormone production such as testosterone.

5) Without carbohydrate, the body will not be able to work hard, potentially breaking down existing muscle to provide energy – a process called catabolism.

5 Post Workout Basics:

1) The sooner after exercise food is consumed, the better. There is a ‘window of opportunity’ with nutrients only fully utilised within 45 min of exercise.

2) Fast digesting carbohydrates are vital to replenish glycogen & muscles, enabling repair & rebuilding work to start. Without carbohydrate, the body does not utilise protein effectively.

3) Protein is required to rebuild muscle, though the body can only utilise up to 40 grams at any one time.

4) Exercise increases the need for vitamins & minerals. Intense exercise breaks down muscles, producing free radicals & temporarily weakening the immune system.

5) Within 1.5 to 2 hours of exercise a nutritious wholefood meal is vital for the continuation of the repair & rebuilding process, containing appropriate quantities of macro & micro nutrients to reflect the individual’s goals.

And when out of the gym, don’t forget:

• Our exercise regime is an hour a day – our food intake and lifestyle during the other 23 hours is of equal significance, as well as on days we do not exercise.
• For most, an intense
  exercise session will
  burn 500 calories
  maximum - it is
  surprisingly easy to undo
  this with a few glasses
  of wine/beer, a bag of
  nuts, cakes, biscuits or
  excessive portion sizes.
• The amount of food we
  eat should always reflect
  the energy we have
  recently used, and expect
  to use.
• Exercise should not be
  used as a rationale for
  indulgence – likely
  outcomes include an
  increasingly excessive
  exercise regime, yoyo
  dieting, and an ever
  greater difficulty to keep
  a healthy weight.