You may not realize that just as important as what you eat and drink before a workout is what you eat and drink AFTER a workout. During exercise, especially an intensive training regimen, the body uses up a lot of its stored energy. That is why it is so important to refuel after a workout with foods and beverages that will help replenish the nutrients you may have lost during your routine.Replacing those nutrients requires at least a fundamental knowledge of which ones might have been used up so that you know what needs to be replaced. Below we have listed five of the top foods you can consume before a workout and five of the top foods you can consume after a workout.
- Water – Be sure to drink enough to replace losses due to perspiration; 16-24 ounces per pound of sweat lost. You should be able to determine this by weighing yourself before and after the workout.
- Sports drink – replaces carbohydrates and electrolytes quickly if exercising vigorously
- Whey Protein – quick-digesting protein that aids in muscle growth and repair post-workout
- Simple carbohydrates – essential to building adequate glycogen stores for recovery and
- continued training; examples — baked chips, Chees’ Its, pretzels
- Low-fat chocolate milk – quick and easy; good carb-protein mix to aid in recovery
Interested in reading more? Feel Free to check out our Top Five Reasons People Exercise
