August 2023 – Nutrition and Fitness
What to Eat Before, During, and After a Workout
Everybody knows that you need to eat the right things if you want to stay healthy and fit. But what are the “right things”? What does your body need in order to help you stay active?
One important answer is glucose. Glucose is the fuel your body needs, especially at the beginning of exercise. Even after you’ve been exercising for a while and your muscles are getting energy from fat, glucose is still important. It’s like gasoline for your body – so keep your gas tank full.
Where do you get glucose? You get it from carbohydrates. Maintain a well-balanced diet and choose lots of fruit and vegetables to go with your grains (pasta, rice, bread, cereal). And remember to eat the right things at the right times – food takes time to digest.
Water is another part of eating healthy. You need water to keep the nutrients circulating in your body and to clear out the waste. And you sweat off a lot of water when you exercise (even if you’re swimming). You can get your water from milk, juice, sports drinks – or plain old water.
Here’s what to eat and drink before, during and after exercise:
More than 3 hours before exercising
- Eat a regular meal if you want, since you’ll have enough time to digest. Balance a serving of lean protein with a good amount of carbohydrates – rice, spaghetti or bread – plus fruit and vegetables and water, milk or juice.
- Drink regular amounts of fluid – a glass or two every hour.
Just before exercising
- Stick with light, easy-to-digest snacks. Go for fruits and fruit snacks, perhaps with a few light carbohydrates (graham crackers, cereal).
- Keep yourself well hydrated so you’ll have enough water circulating in your system (but not so much that you feel overfull or will have to keep stopping for restroom breaks).
During exercise
- Drink an average of a cup of liquid every 15 to 20 minutes.
- Water will be fine for short exercise periods, especially if you’ve eaten enough in advance. For exercise lasting more than an hour, you may want to keep your energy up with sports drinks or an electrolyte drink.
After exercising
- If you will be exercising again in the next 24 hours, eat some carbohydrate- and protein-rich foods within a 30 to 60 minutes of your workout.
- If you will be exercising again in a day or two, make sure to keep lots of carbohydrates in your diet to keep your glucose gas tank full.
Ask Your Pharmacist
Question: I’ve been getting heartburn, but only when I exercise. I checked with my doctor to rule out anything serious, and I’m told it can be fixed with lifestyle changes. What can I do to stop “feeling the burn” during my workouts?
Answer: Reflux, also known as heartburn, is when contents from the stomach rise up into the esophagus or throat. And even though exercising and reducing excess weight is a way to reduce it, the exercise itself can sometimes trigger reflux. If you’re doing an activity that shakes or jars the body, or that puts pressure on the abdominal area, you may find your stomach contents escaping. This can lead to phlegm or acid in the throat… and may do damage over time.
Cases where you should check with a doctor:
- Whether you’re exercising or not, if you have chest pain you should seek medical care to rule out more serious conditions. What you’re experiencing might not be reflux.
- Is your reflux severe or happening often? Discuss with your doctor. It may be causing damage, and you may need treatment.
Things you can do to avoid heartburn during exercise:
Before you exercise
- Try eating a smaller amount than you usually do, and eat it earlier.
- Avoid any foods that trigger heartburn for you and stick to foods you already know don’t bother you. This might take some trial and error to figure out.
- Choose foods higher in carbohydrates, instead of fat and protein which take much longer to digest.
- Eat slowly
- Skip the straw! Drinking through a straw leads to more air being swallowed.
While you exercise
- Hydrate wisely – sipping water can help clear stomach acids out of the throat, but drinking large amounts in a short period of time can fill up your stomach and cause more heartburn
- Dress in loose clothing – avoid tight waistbands
- If you can, choose activities that are less jarring and put less pressure on the stomach.
- Consider lowering the intensity of your workout, or try changing what time of day you work out.
These simple lifestyle modifications might be all you need to stop having reflux when you exercise.
If you’ve followed these tips and are still “feeling the burn”, speak with your Pharmasave pharmacist to learn about treatment options.
Health Tip
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy fresh produce from the garden. Did you know these foods are full of nutrients that can help you during physical activity? Iron-rich greens such as spinach and chard, and fruits rich in antioxidants like strawberries and blueberries, can help you stay energetic and recover faster after exercise. Eat more fruits and veggies and enjoy a healthy and active summer.
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