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I am writing this article to satisfy the many who have watched me
eat my post work out meal and asked me a myriad of questions
regarding what they should eat before and after a class.
Some of my classmates feel like the veritable washed out
dishrag before they start their class and feel even  worse
at the end. My secret to feeling physically "up" for a class
is fuel, pure and simple. I fill up my gas tank and get
ready for the long haul. I have now noticed some of my peers
eating or commenting on what they have had to eat before
class. I'm very glad to see that they have taken my lead
as they have said that they feel a lot better. What I'm
going to do here, is give you all a guide on how to figure
out what you need as an individual to fuel your body both
before and after your work out. I'll also give you examples
of the right kind of food to consume and when to consume
it. Don't worry, I'll keep it relatively easy and practical.
You need to
make sure you are nutritionally ready to perform your activity
and to replenish stores after you're done. This may take a bit
of getting used to at first, but like anything the more you do
it, the better you get.
How much
is enough?
All of you are different sizes so it stands to reason that your
food requirements will be different. How do you determine how
much you eat before and after exercise or a class?
Calculating
pre and post class / work out carbohydrate needs.
Use the standard 0.5 grams per pound of body weight.
Example: I weigh 140 pounds, so my carbohydrate amount
is 70 grams. I will need this much for proper fueling and
recovery.
Calculating
pre and post class / work out protein needs.
Calculate the required amount of recovery carbohydrates per body
weight and take 35 % of that figure as your protein needs.
Example: I weigh 140 pounds. If I apply the formula, 0.5
C body weight = 70 grams of carbohydrate. Thirty five percent
of 70 are 24 grams of protein. This amount should be consumed
before and after your game or work out.
Pre and post
exercise carbohydrate and protein requirements
|
Body Weight
|
CHO Grams
|
Protein Grams
|
|
110
|
55
|
19
|
|
120
|
60
|
21
|
|
130
|
65
|
23
|
|
140
|
70
|
24
|
|
150
|
75
|
26
|
|
160
|
80
|
28
|
|
170
|
85
|
30
|
|
180
|
90
|
31
|
|
190
|
35
|
33
|
|
200
|
100
|
35
|
Conversions
to help you:
Each conversion is equal to one exchange or portion.
Example:
Using myself as the example, my protein needs are 24 grams. There
are 7 grams in one portion or exchange, so I would need approximately
3.5 portions. A list of real food in different portion sizes is
below.
|
Component Grams
|
Protein Grams
|
Carb Grams
|
Fat
|
|
1
Starch
|
2
|
15
|
<1 to 1
|
|
1
Vegetable
|
0
|
7.5
|
0
|
|
1
Protein
|
7
|
0
|
3 (lena) to 5
|
|
1
Fat/Oils
|
0
|
0
|
4.5
|
|
1
Fruit
|
0
|
20
|
0
|
|
1
Dairy
|
8
|
11
|
<1 to 1
|
Examples
of food portions in " real food "
| Protein |
2 Portions=14gms
protein |
3 Portions=21gms
protein |
|
6 egg whites |
9 egg whites |
|
1/2 cup
white poultry meat |
1/2 of
a whole chicken breast |
|
3/4 can
of tuna |
1 can of
tuna |
|
|
Steak (palm
size) |
|
|
Fish 6xz2
inches |
|
4 portions=28gms of protein |
5 portions=35mgs of protein |
|
1 1/4 chicken
breast |
1 3/4 of
a whole chicken breast |
|
1 1/14
can of tuna |
1 1/2 cans
of tuna |
|
12 egg
whites |
15 egg
whites |
|
Steak (1/4
size) |
Steak (palm
and 1/2 inches) |
|
Fish 6x3
inches |
Fish 6x4
inches |
|
|
|
| Vegetables |
2 portions=14gms
of carb. |
3 portions=22mgs
of carb |
|
1 glass
V8 juice |
1 1/2 galsses
of V8 juice |
|
4 cups
of salad |
6 cups
of salad greens |
|
1 cup steamed
vegetables |
1-1/2 cup
steamed vegetables |
|
2 cups
of raw vegetables |
3 cups
of raw vegetables |
|
|
|
|
4 portions=3omgs of carb |
|
|
2 glasses
of V8 juice |
|
|
8 cups
salad |
|
|
2 cups
steamed vegetables |
|
|
4 cups
raw vegetables |
|
|
|
|
| Starches |
2 portions=30mgs
of carb |
3 portions=45gms
of carb |
|
1 whole
bagel |
1 1/2 bagels |
|
2 slices
of bread |
3 slices
of bread |
|
1 1/2 cups
of flaked cereal |
2 1/2 cups
of flaked cereal |
|
2 small
potatoes |
1 3/4 baked
potatoes (small) |
|
1 cup corn |
1 1/2 cups
corn |
|
1 cup cooked
oatmeal |
1 1/2 cups
cooked oatmeal |
|
6 cups
of air popped popcorn |
9 cups
of air popped popcorn |
|
2/3 cup
of cooked rice |
1 cup cooked
rice |
|
1 cup cooked
pasta |
1 1/2 cups
cooked pasta |
|
|
|
|
4 portions=60gms of carb |
|
|
2 cups
cooked pasta |
` |
|
1 1/3 cups
cookex rice |
|
|
12 cups
of air popped popcorn |
|
|
2 cups
cooked oatmmeal |
|
|
2 cups
corn |
|
|
4 small
potatoes |
|
|
3 cups
flaked cereal |
|
|
4 slices
bread |
|
|
2 bagels |
|
|
|
|
| Fruit |
1 portion=20gms
of carb |
|
|
1 apple |
|
|
1 small
banana |
|
|
1/2 of
a large banana |
|
|
1 peach |
|
|
3/4 cup
of a cup of berries (rasberries, bluberries etc) |
|
|
1/2 of
a mango |
|
|
1 pear |
|
|
1/2 of
a large orange |
|
|
1 small
orange |
|
|
1/2 of
a glass of OJ and other juices |
|
|
|
|
| Dairy |
1 portion=11gms
of carb and 8gms of protein |
|
|
1 cup of
skim milk |
|
|
1 cup of
non fat yogurt |
|
|
3/4 cup
of partly skim ricotta cheese |
|
|
1 ounce
of low fat cheese |
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Note: The pre-exercise
amounts of carbohydrates and protein are the minimum you should
ingest before activity. There is nothing stopping you from adding
a little more if you think you need it. Be careful not to overeat.
Only you know your limits and once you have figured it out, stick
to it.
Why is timing
and amount so important?
Before exercise: You need to keep muscle glycogen stores full
and give the food you have eaten enough time to be chemically
processed and ready for immediate use. There is a difference with
the type and amount of food consumed before exercise in relation
to the timing. Let's take a closer look.
Two to three
hours before;
The quantity is the same as the original calculation. This food
can be in liquid form as a protein and carb shake or in solid
food. At this time I would suggest you eat solid food. Why? A
liquid meal will be digested much quicker than a solid meal, often
leaving you a little short on fuel two to three hours later. Solid
food takes more time to digest, so you will get a more even flow
of fuel when it comes time to expend energy.
 One
hour before;
The amount would be ½ the original calculation in solid
food and the full amount in a liquid meal. You need time
to digest the food to convert it to fuel. If you start exercising
too soon after eating a substantial meal, the blood used
to transfer nutrients from digested food to needy cells
is partially diverted to the exercising muscles. It's enough
to slow down digestion and cause you to feel somewhat uncomfortable
NOTE:
If you are planning to eat a solid meal one hour before a class,
let me make it perfectly clear that you will need the full amount
of the original calculation to have enough fuel on board, so you
will have to eat the other half two hours before the hour prior
to class. My advice? Stick to a liquid full compliment meal an
hour out. It leaves less time for confusion and is more convenient.
You can even pre-make your shakes and bring it along to class.
After exercise:
What you eat after exercise or a tough class can greatly effect
your recovery. Your complex carbohydrates are very important and
should be taken very soon after exercise to replace depleted glycogen
stores. Recovery protein is essential for repair to tissue damaged
during exercise. Another reason you should not neglect protein
post exercise is that it stimulates the action of insulin which
transports glucose from the blood to muscle tissue.
I've made mention
of liquid meals in the form of shakes. You can commercially buy
pre-mixed protein and carb powder, to which you just add water,
milk or fruit juice. You can also make your own wonderful concoctions
just using a commercial protein powder like Ultra Wheymore by
NHF. You just have to make sure that the amounts [grams of carbs
and protein] correspond to you individual needs.
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