The right fuel for your daily workout
Early birds need to pep up their blood sugar, refuel their muscles and drink around a pint of water to replenish the water lost during sleep - remember, your body has been on an eight-hour fast. "Dehydration is one of the biggest factors in morning workouts," says sports nutritionist Drew Price.
Some people can exercise on very little, but if you love breakfast, aim for a small but healthy one - such as oats, yoghurt and fruit or brown toast with a little jam - no less than an hour (preferably longer) before you work out. Think little portions: exercising on a full stomach will only make you nauseous.
Breakfast refuseniks can up their blood sugar with half a banana or half a slice of bread before they work out, and then eat a healthy breakfast afterwards, such as fruit, oats, wholemeal toast and a poached egg washed down with a pint of water.
Is it ever OK to exercise on an empty stomach? It depends on the individual. Dr Garry Palmer recommends that, for intensive workouts, the athletes he works with delay the solids and opt for a pre-exercise sports drink instead.
It is nearly 1 o'clock, your stomach is growling, but you are determined to hit the gym. You can't eat lunch before a workout, so, ideally, you should snack on some fruit, nuts and yoghurt at "around 10:30-11 am to stabilize your blood sugar," says Price. "Then have lunch after you've exercised."
If you're too busy to remember to do this, nibble a banana or raisins right before you exercise. Sports drinks are advisable only if you are doing high-intensity exercise or working out for more than an hour, otherwise you will be saddled with spare calories. A quick cuppa can help (30-45 minutes before), but have tea or regular coffee, not a double caramel latte.
"Caffeine is a double-edged sword," says Price. "It allows your nervous system to fire more easily so you can do more work without feeling it. But too much of it can dehydrate you." Sensible post workout lunch choices are a chicken or salmon salad or sandwich, veggie bean tortilla, or tuna and a jacket potato, plus fruit.
Dodge the afternoon munchies by eating a yoghurt and fruit around 3-4 pm. This fuels the body ready for your evening workout, and keeps your blood sugars up so that you won't be ravenous by dinner and therefore more likely to overeat.
Heidi Skolnik, a sports nutritionist, advises eating a small carb snack immediately after your workout, particularly if you have a long journey home (fitness lore states that you should eat or drink carbs 15-30 minutes after exercise to repair the muscles).
For dinner, have lean protein and plenty of colorful vegetable, such as salmon with stir-fried vegetables and wholegrain rice or pasta, pasta with chicken breast and steamed or roasted vegetables, chicken and vegetable couscous, or lentil-and-bean tabbouleh with vegetables.
Avoid eating a mountain of pasta, for example, and loading your body (and waistline) with carbohydrates. Again, make sure you drink enough water - especially if you're drinking alcohol.
The Guardian
(China Daily 09/19/2007 page19)
