Losing weight, maintaining weight, building muscle…
Whatever the purpose is, knowing what to do and what to eat, in short, eating well is the basis of success in sports.
Nutrition and exercise…
Both are indispensable parts of a healthy life, and it is unfortunately difficult to get one hundred percent benefit from the other without one.
For example, you have a great regular and healthy diet, but you are not the person who has been to the park in your life.
or if you do sports for 2 hours a day, but if you do not get the right nutrition according to the type of exercise you do, it means that you cannot feed the working muscles.
So what are we going to do? What will we give up or what and when will we eat?
Sports is not just about leaning on protein, eating tons of meat, dozens of eggs, and drinking protein powders like crazy. Yes, the protein needs of athletes are higher than those who do not do sports, but the contribution of protein to exercise is less than you think.
Let’s face it, you won’t be able to build more muscle with more protein, except for the first 3-4 weeks when you start exercising.
Of course, everyone will need a protein that varies according to their weight, type and frequency of exercise, but excess of this will do you more harm than good, and excess protein will be stored as fat, as in every nutrient.
For example, in order to remove urea, which is the end product of proteins, your urine output will increase and more water will be lost in the body. In addition, excessive protein intake will cause more fatigue of the kidneys and livers and calcium excretion from the body.
Let’s get to the most crucial part of the job…
CARBOHYDRATES!
The main source of energy during exercise is carbohydrates, and carbohydrates taken from food are stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. The fuller these glycogen stores of athletes, the better their performance.
But what happens when our glycogen stores are low?
That’s when your exercise performance decreases, chronic fatigue occurs, and unfortunately, your risk of injury and injury increases.
In other words, carbohydrates, which are not considered very important and even considered hostile by some, become much more important than protein when appropriate.
Eating right before and after sports both accelerates fat burning and prevents muscle loss, allowing your body to be more accurately shaped and more efficient.
But how? What should we eat and drink before and after sports?
The answer to this question depends on how long before or after the workout you eat.
The size and timing of the pre-exercise meal are interrelated. The volume of the last meal close to exercise should be small to allow gastric emptying.
The main features of the pre-workout meals;
high carb
moderate protein
low fat
Sufficient fluid and
It should be in the form of previously tried foods that do not disturb the stomach.
Here are a few menu alternatives that you can do before exercising.
- Freshly squeezed juice + 2 slices of cheese + 2 slices of whole wheat bread + 2 whole walnuts
- 3-4 grissini + 1 glass of buttermilk + 7-8 raw almonds
- 3 dried apricots + 3 whole walnuts + 1 glass of light kefir
- 4 tablespoons of yogurt with 2 tablespoons of oats + 1 tablespoon of chia seeds + 2 whole walnuts + 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1 scoop of homemade peanut butter on whole grain bread + half a sliced banana
- Oatmeal omelet with curd cheese + 1 glass of freshly squeezed orange juice
- Cheese sandwich + 1 glass of buttermilk
- Smoothie with banana + oats + peanut butter + milk
- Whole wheat pasta with tuna + buttermilk
You did your home sports and it’s over. Especially if you do not eat properly before training, your muscle glycogen stores will be depleted.
Now, your goal is to fill the empty stores with the right carbohydrates that you will get enough, on the other hand, to repair the muscles and tissues damaged during exercise with enough protein.
If you are going to have a big meal, that is a main meal, after exercise;
- Grilled meatballs + 1 serving of whole grain pasta + salad
- Grilled chicken breast + bulgur pilaf + 1 glass of ayran
- 1 portion of meat and vegetables + whole grain bread + yogurt
- Grilled salmon + baked potatoes + boiled vegetables
- Tuna sandwich + grilled vegetables + kefir
- 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites + 2 spoons of curd cheese + chia seed omelet + 2 slices of whole wheat bread
If you left the sport late or it’s your snack time;
- 4 spoons of yogurt + 3 spoons of oatmeal + 6-7 raw almonds
- 1 glass of milk + protein bar
- 1 glass of milk + 1 medium banana
- 1 cup of chocolate milk
- Alternatives such as a sandwich + 1 glass of buttermilk to whole-grain bread with smoked turkey and curd cheese will also be suitable for post-workout, providing carbohydrate, protein and fat balance.
Although it may seem like complex and intricate details at first, it is that simple.
In conclusion, there is one more thing we would like to add, which is;
Just as you will not be healthy or unhealthy with a single meal choice, your muscles will not melt away with a failing day or two.
