Simple, Smart, Nutrition

When you exercise your body needs appropriate nutrition for before, during, and after workouts to best fuel the body and help it to recover.

The foundation of the diet should be low-fat. It should also consist of 65% carbohydrates, 20-25% fat, and 15 % protein. To determine the daily caloric requirement take the current body weight x 10. The resulting number will be the resting metabolic rate. For example, 155 X 10 = 1,550 = RMR. Next, determine how many calories you need for physical activity energy expenditure. Low-level equals 3-5 calories per minute; moderate equals 6-10 calories per minute, and high equals 11-15 calories, super instance equal 16-20 calories per minute of exercise. Then take the number of calories per minute and multiply that by how long you were exercising. The result will be the amount of calories you use to exercise.

If we take the previous formula and say this person exercised for 30 minutes X 6 calories per minute, we get 180 calories. Let’s also add on a moderate run of 30 minutes at a 10 minute mile pace, that is 10 calories per minute or 300 calories expended. The total formal activity expenditure for the day was 480 calories.

You can also determine the amount of calories you use for daily activity that is separate from scheduled exercise. Sedentary: add 20-30% of calculated RMR. Moderate: add 40-50%. Active: add 60-80 percent. If we take our previous example saying that the person is active; we calculate: .6 X 1,550 RMR = 930 daily activity calories.

Now if we add 1,550 RMR + 480 formal exercise calories + 930 daily activity calories = bedaubing we get 2,960 requirement for the day! Pretty simple, and easy to do! (1).

Before working out chose a low fat, high carbohydrate diet on a daily basis. Why? This will maintain glycogen stores (carbohydrate stores) in the muscle and liver. Avoid foods in high fat and protein before a competition or working out. A banana is a great food to have if your working out for less than or greater than an hour. It is easy to grab and go, and easy to digest. It is a moderate glycemic food which will sustain sugar levels over a longer period of time. It provides 11 percent of daily fiber. It also contains b-vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. It is also a good source of probiotics, which help with nutrient absorbing. Potassium is also another nutrient helps reduce muscle cramping, fatigue, weak muscles, headaches, and high blood pressure.

During a workout of over 30 min it is ideal to have a balance of fluids and carbohydrates. Fluid intake must match sweat loss. Carbohydrates maintain stamina by providing energy and sustaining blood sugar levels. Every hour of endurance requires 100-300 calories of carbohydrate or .5 grams of carbohydrate per body weight.

Twelve four ounce gulps of a sport drink equals 25 calories per four ounce that alone would give you 300 calories. I recommend NUUN tablets which dissolve in water. There is no sugar just electrolytes and ginger which calms the stomach.

If you are looking for a snack during exercise some good foods to eat are: bananas, raisins (easy to carry on long runs, not as gooey as carbohydrate gels, or fruit snacks, and less expensive), potatoes (endurance bike riders often eat potatoes on long rides, it is best to bake them before though!).

What to eat after a workout depends on whether or not a you are a recreational exerciser or one on a more demanding training level.

The recreational exerciser working out 3-5 times per week at a moderate intensity, and optimal performance is not a goal, glycogen stores can be replaced with a regular diet that is high in carbohydrates (60-65%). If you work out two times a day, or compete 2-3 times a week attention to recovery diet is critical.

If you are working out hard and often fluid replacement is critical after exercise. Foods high in water such as watermelons, sports drinks, and water, are the best for fluid replacement. Try to get at 8 ounces of water into your body first and foremost.

After a workout the first carbohydrate feeding should be 15 minutes after cessation of exercise. If you wait longer, glycogen will not be replenished as quickly.

You should consume 300 calories within 2 hrs of finishing, which should begin 15 minutes of stopping exercise. Follow with 300 additional carbohydrates every two hours for 6-8 hours.

It is a good idea to mix protein with recovery foods.

Protein stimulates insulin, which helps herd blood glucose into the muscles to enhance glycogen replacement.

Good sources of protein are lean meat, quinoa (if you haven’t tried this grain you definitely should it is the protein powerhouse of grains, a great and simple way to eat it is boil carrots, celery, potatoes, and quinoa in some water, and viola protein stew, yummy, yummy!) low fat milk, soy milk.

Always be careful more protein is not always better. It is important to maintain protein needs for muscle growth and cellular repair and production by keeping protein intake at 15% of daily caloric intake.

The priorities after exercise are carbohydrates and fluids.

A simple meal to try which provides these nutrient qualities is a Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry over rice with a salad.

I like asparagus so I usually put it together like this:

1 cup chopped asparagus, put a little bit of olive oil over them, (teaspoon).

4 oz. firm tofu, steam the tofu.

½ cup of brown rice. Easy way to cook rice, just like pasta, let some water come halfway to a boil, add the rice and the asparagus, (tip add enough water just to cover the rice, to much is okay you will have to drain it afterwards), once the rice has boiled add the tofu and cover for 20 minutes or until the rice is soft.

2 cups of spinach lettuce

1 cup cucumber

Adequate nutrition is important to any goal in fitness and in life! Have fun with your food, fuel your body to work and play hard, and be smart about your nutrition!

1. Energy expediture calculation source: Brooks, Douglas, 2004, The complete book of personal training. ISBN 0-7360-6694-2