To achieve fitness and health goals, optimizing your diet remains a priority. Your body still needs a stable nutrient source, preferably from a healthy, nutrient-dense diet, despite the many benefits exercises offers.
Eating a healthy diet can help you get the energy you need to finish a workout or simply enjoy a recreational sport or activity. When you don’t get enough calories, you’re more likely to be tired and perform poorly in sports.
Pre-Workout Nutrition
During physical activity, carbohydrates serve primarily as an energy source. Athletes’ performance and recovery are likely to be impaired if their diet does not contain enough carbs, as it is the primary fuel for the muscles during exercise.
Consuming 1-1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight within 30 minutes of training promotes proper glycogen resynthesis.
Because it increases glycogen storage, reduces muscle soreness, and promotes muscle repair during sports performance, protein is essential. Consuming a portion of protein at each meal may be beneficial for those who are physically active. 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is the current protein guideline for strength and endurance athletes (depending on training). Protein intake should be spaced throughout the day and after workouts.
Pre- and post-workout protein consumption has a similar effect on muscle strength, hypertrophy, and body composition changes.
Fats have a variety of roles in the body, including protecting our organs, assisting in the absorption and synthesis of certain nutrients, producing certain hormones, and supplying energy. These functions are critical for overall health as well as physical exercise.
Taken as supplements, the following vitamins may also help to increase muscle growth and definition:
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A is vital for bodybuilders since it helps in the repair and growth of body tissues. It also aids in the synthesis of testosterone, a hormone necessary for the development of strong muscles.
- Vitamin B3: Vitamin B3 supports muscle growth and helps you get a better pump. It can also boost glucose metabolism, raise good cholesterol, and support healthy hormone production.
- Vitamins B6: This vitamin is essential for the recovery of lean muscle after exercise or exertion. Without it, your body will not be able to bulk up. If you don’t get enough vitamin B6, your body won’t be able to produce or absorb enough amino acids from the foods you eat.
- Vitamin B12: It helps your body produce red blood cells, which carry oxygen to your muscles. As a result, B12 is a crucial component in muscle growth. When you don’t get enough B12 from your food to make red blood cells, your body’s oxygen capacity and endurance decrease.
- Vitamins B9: It plays an important role in DNA and RNA synthesis, as well as protein metabolism and red blood cell formation. All B vitamins help the body in the conversion of carbohydrates into fuel (glucose), which is then used to generate energy. Additionally, B vitamins, aid the body use protein and fats.
- Vitamin C: Taken before and after hard exercise, vitamin C may help decrease muscle soreness and speed up muscle strength recovery. It can also help decrease cortisol, a chemical that may impede the action of testosterone.
- Vitamin E: Antioxidants such as vitamin E help clean out metabolic waste while also slowing down the aging process and scavenging free radicals. Exercising causes the body to experience oxidative stress (free radicals). This vitamin helps to repair some of the damage.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D supplementation has been proven to enhance muscular strength in several trials, notably in vitamin D deficient individuals. Injuries are decreased and sports performance is better when blood vitamin D levels are higher. it also helps regulate the immune system and the neuromuscular system, as well as playing an important part in the life cycle of human cells.
Post-Workout Nutrition
The foods you consume after your training influence your muscle recovery and rebuilding process, so pick your post-workout nutrition carefully.
Muscles use glycogen, which is the body’s primary fuel source during high-intensity exercise. As a result, your muscles lose some of their glycogen. It is also possible for some of the proteins in your muscles to be damaged or broken down. To halt this catabolic process and restart muscle repair and development, you must eat protein, good carbs (sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruits, beans, brown rice, whole grains), and healthy fats. Each macronutrient plays a role in your body’s post-workout recovery. That is why it is critical to have the proper mix.
Some of the nutrients that should be included in your recovery meal are:
- L-arginine: When taken as a supplement, L-arginine improves circulation by acting as a precursor to nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator that widens your blood vessels, allowing for increased blood flow. As a result, many athletes use it as a pre-workout energy source. It also contributes to protein synthesis and muscle development. grass-fed beef, turkey, organic eggs, and pumpkin seeds are all good sources of this nutrient.
- Leucine: Among BCAAs, Leucine is the amino acid with the most direct effects on protein synthesis in skeletal muscles. Leucine has been shown to increase protein synthesis by phosphorylating proteins involved in the mTOR signaling pathway. Whey protein is the best source of leucine, with about 10 grams per 100-gram serving.
- Collagen: Muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage are stressed during exercise, and collagen is the perfect recovery protein to help build and repair them. One particularly rich source is bone broth, which is made by boiling chicken and other animal bones.
- Omega-3: Omega-3 fatty acids are well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties. However, they may also play an important role in muscle building. Omega-3 fatty acids act as a vasodilator, which helps increase the movement of oxygen into skeletal muscle during exercise.