1. Your body works a lot like a car; it needs fuel to function effectively.Your muscle cells function similarly to a fuel tank, stored carbohydrates serve as a rapid source of fuel. Eat carbohydrate-rich foods prior to you workout to reduce the drain on your body’s stored energy.
2. The most effective way to fuel up your body is with energy rich nutrients. Eat a large meal four to six hours before your work out. Eat a lighter meal two to three hours before physical activity. Grab a snack 30 minutes prior to exercise. If you’re an athlete, 50 to 60 percent of your diet should be made up of carbohydrates.
3. Recharge your battery.Refuel during workouts that are more than 30 minutes in length. Drink fluids that have simple carbohydrates.
4. Tap into your reserve fuel tank for extended bouts of physical activityYour body begins to burn fat as fuel (“in the flames of carbohydrates”) after about 18 to 20 minutes of aerobic exercise (long to moderate distance).
5. Hydrate, Hydrate and Re-hydrate.It is imperative to replenish the liquids you lose when working out. While exercising, be sure to drink fluids every 10 minutes — don’t wait until you are actually thirsty.
6. Protein is key to muscle maintenance and growth. Your body must receive adequate amounts of protein to function properly and repair damaged tissue.Be sure your body receives the recommended daily protein requirements: 1.0 to 2.0 grams per kilogram body weight (1.0-1.5 grams/kg for “ball” sports such as tennis, golf, football and squash and 1.50-2.0 grams/kg for the more extreme sports such as marathon running and body building).
7. Protein vs. Carbohydrates.Carbohydrates are instant fuel for the muscles. Protein assists recovery and repair, helping damaged muscles maintain muscle mass and increase girth.
8. Maximising your fuelling and refuelling efforts. Be sure to eat a carbohydrate-rich food within 30 minutes of completing your exercise regime. Take in easily digestible carbohydrates, which are converted into glucose and stored in muscles as glycogen (quick fuel).
9. Reducing recovery time.Adequate protein. Antioxidant nutrients. Adequate fluid.
10. Use supplementation to your advantage.Vitamins and minerals help assist the body’s chemical reactions and regulatory processes. Antioxidant nutrients can help you reduce your recovery time. Supplements are especially beneficial for athletes susceptible to decreased immune systems.

Related posts:

1. An Introduction to Sports Nutrition
2. Nutrition Tips
3. Basic Guide to Nutrition

I was hoping that you could help me with a problem that I’m encountering in my work outs.  I’ve recently signed up to do my local Race For Life and its my first ever race.  I followed your 5k running plan last year from May and I now have a time of around 40 minutes for the 5k on flat ground.  My goal is to complete the race in 30 minutes or less as I really want to push myself and make it a challenge as I have some friends who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past year and to do something easy doesn’t seem quite right.

The problem I have is that I cut down on my carbohydrates to lose some weight and I lost what I wanted, but recently I’ve noticed that I really struggle to complete my running workouts and my instructor said that this was down to dropping the carbohydrates.  When I asked for some advice on how to reintroduce carbohydrates without gaining the weight I’d lost, he started to tell me about protein supplements and that as a vegetarian I’ll always have a problem with my body storing fat.  Now I’m totally confused.

My training at the moment is two sessions a week in the gym and I alternate this between interval training on an incline of 1%, a distance run of 5k on the same incline and a hill climb which I never seem to complete the required distance on.  I’ve been training since January and I thought that by now I’d be finding things a little easier, but I’m not, I’m really struggling.  I also go ice skating once a week with a half hour lesson one week, and half hour practice session the next.

My diet is mostly the same with a 0% fat Greek yoghurt with pecans and almonds with vanilla essence for breakfast, either a caser salad with almonds instead of croutons or a mandarin salad with Quorn or a bowl of soup for lunch and then an evening meal of whatever mum cooks (always involves some kind of protein but can be carbohydrate heavy).  On the days I go to the gym I also have a banana in the afternoon.  Is there anything you could suggest either diet or fitness wise that I could do to improve my results as I really don’t want to feel like I’m going to pass out or am exhausted half way through my run.
 
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Natalie
Answer:

Hi Natalie

Vegetarianism can be a challenge for anyone undertaking exercise or training. Your trainer is right to recommend a protein supplement as it sounds as if you have a fairly low amount of it. If you eat eggs you could consider having a poached egg on wholemeal toast for breakfast every second day and adding some more types of nuts and seeds to your yoghurt breakfast – this will provide added nutrients, oils and proteins.

An issue I see almost every day is that of people forgetting that carbohydrates are not only made of wheat! Rice (brown is better as it isn’t refined as white), millet, quinoa, oats are all very good grains to eat that are usually not as refined as wheat, providing good quality carbs. The more a grain is refined the less nutrients and natural satiating or ‘filling’ components it will have  – so you will eat more of it, and potentially put on weight.
If you cannot seem to get enough energy firstly think if you have enough varied foods to gain the amount of nutrients required – its appears you do not. Either you will need to increase your food content or take a multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Best regards,

Emma Wight-Boycott
MSc Nutr (2009), PGDip Nutr, PGcACNEM, Dip. Sc Nutr

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1. Need To Lose Weight
2. 5k Treadmill Workouts
3. Carbohydrates