Food Full, Fool Less

    Are you a hungry, active individual looking for the perfect snack before exercise, a tired athlete rummaging for a delicious meal after a hard work out or even someone who wants to nibble at something after playing for five hours straight on their Wii?

    It is easy to take for granted that through exercise we can all lead healthy lifestyles and increase the quality of life. But receiving the maximum benefit from exercise involves more than just waking up everyday and doing an hour of jumping jacks, push ups and sit ups before heading out to work or school. In fact, diet is the key to generating good performance.

    There is no particular diet that suits everyone. Every individual’s needs vary depending on the type and intensity of physical activity, the frequency and duration of the workout, the individual’s size and weight and the overall calorie intake needed. But there is a general criterion for what to eat before and after exercise. 

    Before heading out to bike, play basketball or even enjoy a regular Sunday walk near the ocean, it is necessary to gratify the desires of the stomach to reach a level adequate for exercise.

    “It is not the food, but the type of macro-nutrient they eat before exercise. Carbohydrates are the most important fuel for the body to intake,” said Cheryl McKenzie, a Ph.D. licensed sport nutritionist in Arizona.

    Generally speaking, the best choices before exercise are victuals low in saturated fat and refined sugar—in other words, carbohydrates. The reason is simple: the body stores carbohydrates in many forms and later uses it as energy during exercise. More specifically, it is our primary energy source; our diet should contain seventy percent carbohydrates . However, because our muscles can only retain a limited amount of gylcogen (a form of carbohydrate), these stores should be replenished throughout the day, especially before exercise.

    “A pre-meal should consist of 10-30 grams of wheat protein along with liquid carbohydrates such as fruit juice and Gatorade,” said Jeff Kotterman, director of the National Association of Sport Nutrition (NASN). “A one to one gram ratio of these products is essential for a good balance of diet.”

    Fifteen percent of calories should come from proteins including lean meat, fish, and eggs. Next in importance are fats. Although it is best to abstain from food high in fat, our pre-exercise meal needs approximately 20 to 30 percent of fat per day with less than 10 percent of this coming from saturated fat. Without these three substantial organic compounds to furnish nutrition, the stomach will be running on empty, lowering the effectiveness of an exercise.

    But what to eat isn’t the only thing to consider. When to eat is just as important. Guidelines suggest allowing four hours for digestion of a big meal (1200-2000 calories), two hours for a light meal (600 calories) and at most an hour for a snack (300 calories). As a workout draws near, it is crucial to hammer away on the intake of carbohydrates and focus less on fats and proteins simply because carbohydrates are digested in the small intestines while fats and proteins are broken down in the stomach. What this means is that cramping and indigestion are more likely to occur if the stomach is glutted with high fat and proteins. 

    Philip Acciarito, 20, exercises on a daily basis and agrees with the importance of timing his meals. “I don’t start exercising until I feel my food has been digested,” he said. 

    Moreover, eating a heavy meal right before a workout may cause vomiting or nausea. “I do not run on empty stomach, but if I am going to eat anything, it has to be at least 1-2 hours prior to exercising,” said Tak Huang, 35, a vigorous weekend jogger and biker.

    Hydration is also vital. Throughout exercise, the consumption of water enables us to preserve the fluid volume in the blood, maintain a cool body temperature and restore the depletion of fluids to sweat. 

    Kotterman said that 6-12 ounces of water every 15-20 minutes is required for an hour-long workout, McKennzie suggests “Drink[ing] two cups [of fluids] 15 minutes before the exercise, four to eight ounces every 15 minutes during light exercise and 16 ounces for very intense/ heavy exercise.” Kotterman also recommends sports drinks with high carbohydrates such as fruit Juice or gatorade. McKenzie stressed drinking a beverage that contains electrolytes to recover lost fluids from sweating.

    â€œYes! I definitely drink a lot of water during my work out because I believe it helps my body rejuvenate from all the sweat!” exclaimed 28-year-old Vera Yau.

    The post-exercise meal is fundamental for recovery from exercise. “After swimming or playing handball I feel tired, weak and worn out and that is when food comes into place. I eat right after I finish playing my sports to boost my body’s energy levels and it feels great!” said 13-year-old Thinle Wangmo, a dedicated swimmer and handball player.

    As a matter of fact, research indicates that eating is crucial in the 45 minutes right after exercise to help the body recover. Furthermore, McKenzie recommends a one to three ratio of protein to carbohydrate whereas Kotterman believes a one to four ratio is just as efficient. 

    Studies also confirmed that consuming carbohydrates two hours after exercise would maximize energy replacement, but more precisely the 15-20 minutes immediately after a workout. After the two-hour window, the replacement rate would decrease from seven or eight percent an hour to five percent an hour.

    Following the guidelines above won’t guarantee rock-hard abs, but it is the first step to eating healthy and staying healthy. “Each meal serves a different purpose in the way the body utilizes, replenishes and stores energy; therefore they are all the most important,” said McKenzie. After all, you are only foolproof if you got the right food.