So, today we’ll talk about how to eat before and after training in order to lose weight and in order to build muscle.
Build muscle or lose weight
If your goal is to build muscle, then exercise and proper nutrition are a must. Workouts in this case should be 4-5 times a week, with large weights and a small number of approaches. Particular attention should be paid precisely to the fact that work with weight should be based on the limit, i.e. the last approach should really be the last, and not so that you can lift dumbbells 20 more times, for example. Cardio exercises should also be, but more in the form of warm-up and cool-down, i.e. not as intense as those who want to lose weight.
If your goal is weight loss, then you need to work with small weights, 3 sets of 10-12 reps (for girls) at a good pace with minimal rest between sets.
Nutrition before and after training
15-20 minutes before training, you can have a snack with yogurt (natural) or protein shake and fruit, after which you can train for 30-60 minutes at an intense pace, or 1-1,2 hours, but already of medium intensity, which includes stretching, cardio and strength training.
It should be noted that immediately after training, after 20-30 minutes, there should be an abundant intake of protein and carbohydrate foods. At this time, a metabolic window opens in the body, when the body is actively consuming protein and carbohydrate foods for muscle recovery. Due to this, muscle growth will occur, otherwise, the muscles will be destroyed.
The optimal nutrition after a workout is a protein shake and cottage cheese, as it is considered the fastest-digesting protein, unlike, for example, meat. The body will spend a lot of time and energy on the assimilation of meat, and after training it needs to immediately get protein and simple carbohydrates. The body needs a lot of protein and carbohydrates at this time, but it will digest everything, because due to a critical condition, he will quickly process them and nothing will be deposited in fat, everything will go to muscle recovery. Never eat fat or drink caffeinated beverages (tea, coffee …) after exercise, because caffeine interferes with glycogen and interferes with muscle recovery.
The only thing to remember is that such post-workout nutrition is designed only for training aimed at muscle growth, because many are engaged in endurance, fat burning, etc.
Many people prefer to work out in the evenings because of work. Therefore, the question: how to eat after training, in this case, is also very relevant. Many nutritional guides say you should eat less at the end of the day. Reduce carbohydrates to reduce body fat. However, if you train, then none of these principles apply. So you need to replenish energy reserves in the muscles after training, you still need nutrients for recovery.
After dinner, you need to do something and go to bed after a while. This way you will not gain excess fat, because metabolic processes are accelerated after training, and proteins and carbohydrates are used to replenish reserves.
If you want to lose weight
It is worth noting right away that it is impossible to train on an empty stomach in any case. The stomach is considered hungry if it has not eaten for 8 hours. For example, immediately after waking up, you cannot practice without a light snack, you need to have a snack or drink plain water. Thus, you start the metabolic process for burning fat.
For weight loss, after training, you can not eat for 1 hour, only drink water. After 1 hour, eat a balanced meal of protein and carbohydrates. At the same time, carbohydrates should be healthy, not chocolate, but brown rice, buckwheat, coarse pasta, cereals, bread, vegetables, etc. Protein – fish, chicken, egg whites, etc.
Just don’t eat fatty foods after training. And also avoid drinking caffeinated drinks.