Do you have any nutrition or fitness questions? Consider me your personal health and wellness mentor. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to answer your questions and thoughts.
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Hi Jessica - this is from Shari Berry. this is great..so I get asked quite a bit of what to eat prior to a long workout. I usually tell people what works for me but from your perspective what would you recommend to eat prior to a long run like 16 or 20 miler...and what would you eat before doing back to back group fitness like FIT + TC.....given that one is very long cardio and the other is cardio strength combo...would you suggest different prework meals? Shari Berry
Thank you Shari for your great question. I am often asked the very same thing. Both endurance and strength training emphasize a high carbohydrate, moderate protein, low fat, and low fiber pre-workout snack. Strength supports slightly higher protein and slightly less carb than endurance but it is very similar. For a pre-workout snack it should be about 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to an activity. With this being said, during the pre-workout nutrition phase it is about comfort and glycogen (energy). Many people have different foods that “sit” better than others. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) SCAN Dietetic Practice group recommends the high carbohydrate, moderate protein, low fat, low fiber snack. A couple examples of this would be a piece of fruit, a couple crackers and low fat cheese, and/or a sports drink (some people prefer a liquid over food if they get pre-event nerves). For pre-exercise meals it is recommended to be 3-4 hours prior to exercising, once again, due to comfort. Meal examples are a meat and cheese sandwich plus a piece of fruit or pasta with tomato sauce and cheese. For the first part of the workout the high carbohydrate foods will provide us with energy for glycogen repletion. The low fiber and low fat snacks emphasize less abdominal discomfort plus satiety. Moderate protein provides enough protein to potentially help with muscle repair and post exercise soreness. Before my races I actually like eating a low fiber granola bar and prior to that a breakfast of eggs and sausage. So you never know, what feels good to one, may be completely awful for another. I have spoken with people who even have to train with the specific beverages being offered at the event to ensure it is tolerated. Try a couple different low fat, low fiber, moderate protein, high carbohydrate snacks and analyze how you felt during your work out. The bottom line is about getting the energy to perform and avoiding gastrointestinal upset. There are additional recommendations for during long events and post. Let me know if you would like more information regarding this. Always remember workout snacks are to be planned with our daily caloric requirements not necessarily a special loaded addition. The six small meals method or 3 meals plus 3 small snacks are nice ways to fit all of your daily needs.
Sorry for the LENGTHY answer. Also a great resource is the ADA Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group at http://www.scandpg.org/sports-nutrition/sports-nutrition-fact-sheets/
3 comments:
Hi Jessica - this is from Shari Berry. this is great..so I get asked quite a bit of what to eat prior to a long workout. I usually tell people what works for me but from your perspective what would you recommend to eat prior to a long run like 16 or 20 miler...and what would you eat before doing back to back group fitness like FIT + TC.....given that one is very long cardio and the other is cardio strength combo...would you suggest different prework meals? Shari Berry
Thank you Shari for your great question. I am often asked the very same thing.
Both endurance and strength training emphasize a high carbohydrate, moderate protein, low fat, and low fiber pre-workout snack. Strength supports slightly higher protein and slightly less carb than endurance but it is very similar.
For a pre-workout snack it should be about 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to an activity. With this being said, during the pre-workout nutrition phase it is about comfort and glycogen (energy). Many people have different foods that “sit” better than others. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) SCAN Dietetic Practice group recommends the high carbohydrate, moderate protein, low fat, low fiber snack. A couple examples of this would be a piece of fruit, a couple crackers and low fat cheese, and/or a sports drink (some people prefer a liquid over food if they get pre-event nerves). For pre-exercise meals it is recommended to be 3-4 hours prior to exercising, once again, due to comfort. Meal examples are a meat and cheese sandwich plus a piece of fruit or pasta with tomato sauce and cheese.
For the first part of the workout the high carbohydrate foods will provide us with energy for glycogen repletion. The low fiber and low fat snacks emphasize less abdominal discomfort plus satiety. Moderate protein provides enough protein to potentially help with muscle repair and post exercise soreness. Before my races I actually like eating a low fiber granola bar and prior to that a breakfast of eggs and sausage. So you never know, what feels good to one, may be completely awful for another. I have spoken with people who even have to train with the specific beverages being offered at the event to ensure it is tolerated. Try a couple different low fat, low fiber, moderate protein, high carbohydrate snacks and analyze how you felt during your work out. The bottom line is about getting the energy to perform and avoiding gastrointestinal upset.
There are additional recommendations for during long events and post. Let me know if you would like more information regarding this.
Always remember workout snacks are to be planned with our daily caloric requirements not necessarily a special loaded addition. The six small meals method or 3 meals plus 3 small snacks are nice ways to fit all of your daily needs.
Sorry for the LENGTHY answer. Also a great resource is the ADA Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group at http://www.scandpg.org/sports-nutrition/sports-nutrition-fact-sheets/
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