Proper nutrition before and after a workout

jess_mcguess

I’ve started training for a Triathalon and can’t find any consistency in what one should be eating prior to and following a good, hard calorie-burning workout (like a mile swim or 30-mile bike ride).
I’ve been feeling fine after exercising, I just want to make sure I’m giving my body the fuel it needs. Anyone have profound advice based on their expertise or experiences?

acbraswell

That's awesome that you're training for a Triathalon!! Disclaimer: I'm not a nutritionist, but do see one a couple of times a year and here's the advice I've gotten and what works for me. For workouts under an hour, you really don't need any extra fuel if you have an adequate diet. For anything over an hour, have a 100-150 calorie snack with simple carbs and a little protein about an hour before workout (I like a boiled egg and some crackers). Something easy on the tummy. After the hard workout, something with a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein for muscle recovery. Low-fat chocolate milk is her recommendation since it's quickly absorbed. If you're exercising in the heat, you may want to add an electrolyte mix to your water (I like Nuun or Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration mix).

Good luck in your training!

jjpptt2

It's almost all personal preference. I rode 34 miles the other day fasted and was fine, but that's me.

Before the workout is all personal preference - some people like food, others don't. During the workout, most people stick with stuff that's easy to carry/open/eat/digest. Anything from peanut m&ms or rice crispy treats to dried fruits to energy gels and gummies. All can work, just gotta figure out what you like. Post workout is all personal preference. I believe a 4:1 carb-to-protien ratio is considered ideal, but I'm not sure how much benefit the average person sees from that as opposed to most any carb/protein intake... so take it for what it's worth.

DX2JX2

Interestingly, while the recommendation to have a post-workout meal or drink within 30 minutes after completion isn't a bad one, it's not entirely necessary for most recreational exercisers. While the marginally faster recovery time is beneficial to those doing really intense two a days or something like that, those of us who exercise once a day at a recreational level don't really need it.

It's not that it doesn't provide any benefit, it's just that the benefit provided doesn't make the biggest difference in the world. So people who exercise with the intent to burn calories don't really need to 'give back' 150-200 of those calories to a post workout meal/shake that they wouldn't have eaten/drank otherwise. I'll try to find the source article.

But to answer the original question - fueling time is absolutely personal. The only absolute truth is that you have to fuel the performance that you want overall regardless of when you get it down your gullet.

cwolfman13

jess_mcguess wrote: »

I’ve started training for a Triathalon and can’t find any consistency in what one should be eating prior to and following a good, hard calorie-burning workout (like a mile swim or 30-mile bike ride).
I’ve been feeling fine after exercising, I just want to make sure I’m giving my body the fuel it needs. Anyone have profound advice based on their expertise or experiences?

First and foremost, the makeup of your diet on the whole, including adequate calories throughout the day is the most important thing.

I don't do triathlons, but I have done plenty of endurance cycling events. If my training ride is an hour or shorter, I don't really worry too much about pre and post ride nutrition. 20 miles on the bike is typically my fasted limit...anything longer and I will eat beforehand...usually a bagel and peanut butter. I do recovery fuel for anything over 30 miles...chocolate milk is my go to for that. For me this is important namely because if I don't get that recovery fuel in, I'll be on my *kitten* the rest of the day even if I'm otherwise eating right throughout the day...I'm not generally hungry right after a ride, so chocolate milk is easy enough to replenish glycogen and get in some quick calories.

Beyond that, I really just focus on making sure I'm getting adequate calories when I'm training. I don't typically try to lose weight while I'm training for an event as I find that my recovery and performance suffers so I eat a lot when I'm training. I do better with cutting weight when I'm doing a moderate amount of cycling, lifting, and walking for general fitness because it's easier to control my calories since I'm not starving all the time...something to consider...your mileage may vary as I know a lot of people do just fine cutting weight and training simultaneously.