Table of Contents
What to Eat To Fuel Your Workouts- Top Pre-Workout Meals
No matter what your workout routine, you need to ensure that your body is properly fueled before you work out. Firstly, you need to make sure that you are properly hydrated by drinking 20 ounces of water an hour before working out as well as drinking fluids throughout the workouts.
Pre-workout meals should consist of mostly complex carbs. Examples of these slow burning carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, rice, pasta, and cereals. These foods take your body longer to digest which will keep your blood sugar levels even and keep you from feeling tired half way through your workout.
Here are three of the top pre workout foods.
1.Almonds.
Almonds are a great source of essential fats which are essential for your health. These nuts will fill you up and give you energy throughout your workout and even beyond. Eating about 15 almonds about half an hour before you work out.
If you’re a bodybuilder looking for a quality nutrition source to help build lean muscle mass, look no further than almonds. Almonds contain many vital nutrients, including protein and healthy unsaturated fats. Since protein is the main component for increasing your lean body mass, almonds will definitely fit the bill as a solid choice for your training table.
2.Pasta.
If you have ever been a dieter, the word pasta may make you cringe. The fact is whole wheat pasta eaten in moderation is actually very good for you. Pasta contains complex carbohydrates which will keep you full and energized. Eat half a third of a half of a cup of whole wheat pasta about two hours before you work out.
3.Lentils.
Lentils are legumes which are related to peanuts and beans although they are not as sweet. They are an amazing source of protein, fiber, Vitamin B, iron, calcium, and other essential nutrients and vitamins. They are great for a pre workout snack because they provide an energy boost without fat or calories.
Surprising as it may be, lentils contain 18 grams of protein per cup. Cited by Men’s Fitness as a top muscle-building food, lentils are also an easy way to get your carb fix with nearly 40 grams of protein per cup.
When to Eat
Although it is essential to fuel your body before a work out, watch how much you eat. The less time until the workout, the less you should eat. It takes time to digest food, so you don”t want to eat a big meal right before hitting the gym or you will not feel so well working out. A good rule of thumb is to eat about two hours before you work out letting your body have time to partially digest the food.
What You Need for Endurance When Working Out
So perhaps you are just getting back into fitness after a prolonged stint of a sedentary lifestyle caused by accident, illness or injury. Or, alternatively, perhaps you have been working out for some time now, but want to push things to the next level. Whatever the case, building stamina can take some time, but can be very rewarding in the end. Stamina can make all the difference in your workouts as it can allow you to push yourself harder without driving yourself into the ground.
Building Stamina
To begin with, building stamina requires that we feed our body the right nutrition. Building endurance and stamina take a lot out of the body so we need to ensure that we are feeding it all the essential vitamins and minerals used in muscle development. For starters, if you are not already, begin taking a multivitamin and mineral complex. Raw or whole food supplements are always best because these are easily absorbable by the body.
Protein – Carbohydrate – Fat Ratios
On top of this, you’ll also want to consider your whole diet. For heavy training, you need at least 60% of your diet to come from healthy carbohydrates, with 15% protein, and 25% healthy fats.
Hydration
Getting and keeping your body hydrated is the next step. Water is essential to all life, and when you are very active you can lose a lot of it through perspiration. Make sure to drink at least 8 cups of water each day and more if you feel dehydrated after a long workout.
Drink 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before you start exercising. Consume 8 ounces of water 20 to 30 minutes before you start exercising or during your warm-up. Drink 7 to 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise. Consume 8 ounces of water no more than 30 minutes after you exercise
Rest
Adequate rest is also very important to building your endurance. You need at least 7 hours of sleep each night. This is truly key to building muscle, because it is in this time that your muscles can properly heal and get geared up for another gym session.
Training
When it comes to actual training, you need to begin slow to prevent fatigue or injury. If you are just starting out, begin by doing about thirty minutes of cardio and weights three to four times a week. Once you begin to feel accustomed to this, keep adding on minutes and increasing intensity.
Up your workouts to forty minutes and increase your stamina in the cardio section and your power in the weight lifting segments of your workouts. You should be able to notice a difference in your abilities within two months. Keep upping your workouts and tweaking them every few weeks so as not to allow your body to get too accustomed to one thing. Challenging your body will build endurance and lead to greater weight loss and building lean muscles.