Nutrition

The demands of training and the requirements of our sport means that we need to be more conscious of what we are eating, and perhaps more importantly, how much we are eating. Nutrition plays a key role in maximizing the training benefits and recovery of athletes at any level.
Woman cutting a pear in her kitchen

Exercise & Nutrition

Exercise intensity and duration are dependent on the levels of glucose your body has readily available. The intensity and duration also influence muscle glycogen use; the higher the intensity and the longer the session the faster glycogen and glucose are depleted.

A good nutritional plan for any athlete should include amounts of carbohydrates and protein. Carbs during the day’s prior to exercise has shown to maintain muscle glycogen and improve performance. Carbohydrate and protein combination was found to be the most beneficial for those with limited recovery time or those on a ketogenic diet.

Important Thing to Keep in Mind for Your Exercise Nutrition Plan

  1. Stay hydrated- Dehydration while working out will inhibit success and gains.
  2. An effective plan can have serious benefits including improved cardiovascular health, increased strength, improvements in blood pressure, and improved overall body composition.
  3. The best pre and post nutrition plans work when they boost energy for exercise and in your life overall, as well as results.
  4. Nutritional needs vary by individual and by workout plan. There are pre and post workout plans that cater to the “average” individual or athlete to achieve general gains and improvements.
    Anti-inflammatory diet
  5. Pre-Workout Meal Plan: Three to four hours before a HIIT workout, plan on moderate-to-high carbohydrate intake, and a moderately high intake of protein. Examples would be dried fruit, trail mix, and nuts, a Greek-yogurt smoothie with fruit in it, cottage cheese with trail mix or nuts, peanut butter with banana, or whole-wheat/grain toast with peanut butter.
  6. Post-workout Meal Plan: Within an hour of your HIIT workout, consume a snack that is high in carbohydrates.  Your post-workout meal plan is not dissimilar to your pre-workout meal plan. Make sure your intake is moderate to high in carbohydrates and moderate to high in protein. Avocados or guacamole with pita, pita and hummus, whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana, fruit, cheese, and crackers, or cereal that is high in carbohydrates with fruit and soy milk.
woman on the barbell

Post Exercise Meal Impact On Triglyceride & Cholesterol Levels

M. Kaviani Obesity is a leading global health problem and is associated with multiple chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and certain types of cancer (Miyazaki et al, 2002, Ross et al, 2002).  There is a significant correlation between obesity and plasma triglycerides, with heavier individuals having higher triglyceride levels.

Food vs Protein Supplements

Evan Stevens The final talk in this session was a breath of fresh air for a lot of us. It dealt with the comparison of regular foods versus the use of protein supplements. What researchers wanted to know was if regular food was as good, if not better, than supplementing with protein powders and drinks

strawberries

Precision Nutrition and You: Nutrigenomic Approaches To Disease And Health

Evan Stevens We have previously discussed the growing field of nutrigenomics here at Forever Fit Science in the article How Should I Eat. The idea of personalized nutrition was introduced – eating based who you are; how nutrition interacts with your genetic make-up. The study of these interactions falls under an umbrella term called “nutrigenomics” (or

omega 3 foods

Fill Up On Omega-3s

Dayton Kelly This article was adapted from a combination of speeches given at the European Sports Science Conference 2017, most notably Edholm, P. et al. . Fill up on Omega-3s for strength, lean mass and safety in old age. Though the degree of strength loss that occurs as a result of aging remains debatable, it

stopping to drink hydration

Stopping To Drink: Is It Worth The Time?

Dayton Kelly This article was adapted from a combination of speeches given at the European Sports Science Conference 2017, most notably Lewis James PhD (Loughbrough University, UK). Research in dehydration and exercise has long been clouded in uncertainty despite athletes having been observed to lose three to four liters of water an hour exercising in

gender based nutrition

Re-Thinking Gender Based Nutrition

Dayton Kelley Gender Based Nutrition This article was adapted from a combination of speeches given at the European Sports Science Conference 2017, most notably Emma Stevenson PhD (Newcastle University, UK). The world of sports is rapidly growing and evolving with more people involved in organized exercise and sport than ever before. International competition in men’s

The Truth About Carbo Loading

Evan Stevens Carbo Loading Carb loading, for those who haven’t been around sport for the past 40 years or so, is when you workout really hard, deplete a lot of your glycogen, and then stuff your face full of CHOs so you boost your glycogen levels up past your baseline amount of glycogen. Known as

muscle soreness

Protein Quality Dictates Recovery, Not Timing

Evan Stevens “Oh, I’m sore today.” “I feel like it’s getting harder to work out every day like I used to.” “I don’t feel like I am recovering after a workout.” These are the three most common complaints I hear from my parents after they’ve had a hard workout these days. They feel as though

healthyeating

Exercise Enjoyment May Affect Post-Workout Eating Habits

Catherine O’Brien While a healthy lifestyle is dependent upon various factors, it is widely accepted that nutrition and exercise are two primary factors. Nutrition and exercise interact with one another and increased physical exertion calls for greater caloric consumption. Anyone who has worked out in the morning and found themselves ravenous for lunch at 10:30am

woman drinking

Effects of Alcohol On Your Workout

Gillian White – MSc, PhD (C), University of Toronto, Department of Exercise Sciences Is a post-workout social getting in the way of your training? One of the major areas of study in exercise science in both research and as an active person, is learning how to get the most out of your workout. How do

father and daughter grocery shopping

Counting Calories May Prevent Overeating

Dayton Kelly As we all know, the food we eat has an enormous impact on our body weight and health. Obesity is highly related to the onset of numerous chronic diseases and the risk of many diseases can be largely mitigated by improving one’s diet and exercising. Understanding how our body responds to eating is

grocery shopping

3 Tips To Minimize Everyday Chemicals

Adriane Cook B.S. Kinesiology, Michigan State University www.balancewithme.com Chemicals, toxins, and pollution, oh my! Do you ever feel as though every product you buy and food you eat is laced with hidden toxins and chemicals? Do you find yourself overwhelmed, wanting the healthiest life for you and your family, but not sure where to start?