Five tips for eating, drinking and working out

Knowing when and what to eat can make a difference in how you feel during and after your workouts. Many gyms offer nutritional information as a part of their membership. Two local gyms in Delaware County, Pa., Rocky Run YMCA in Media, Pa. offers three sessions with a wellness consultant and Fit For Life Personal Training Studio in Chadds Ford, Pa. offers an on-line nutritional program. The program “gives the tools necessary to design your own weekly meal plans that meet your performance and nutritional needs by telling you the best foods to eat, their nutritional value, and the calories you need to eat to reach your goals for your lifestyle!” (fitforlifeptstudio.com.)

Here are five tips on eating and exercise:

Note: Keep in mind that the duration and intensity of your activity will dictate how often and what you should eat and drink. The longer more intense workouts will require more food and drink. 

1. Most important meal of the day

Skipping meals before exercising can cause low blood sugar, which can make you to feel weak and light-headed. You should eat a healthy breakfast one to two hours before you workout. If you have school or work, you may need to set the alarm for an earlier rise.  Many of the benefits from dinner are long gone by morning, and your blood sugar may be low. If you don't eat, you may feel sluggish or lightheaded end up with muscle cramps, during your workout. If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a lighter breakfast or drink something to raise your blood sugar. The emphasize should be on carbohydrates for maximum energy. Generally, the average woman needs 200 calories of food and 20 ounces of water 1 hour prior to her workout. Men with higher calorie needs may need 300 calories and 30ounces of water. (fun and food blog)

Breakfast options:

1. Whole-grain cereals or bread
2. Low-fat milk
3. Juice
4. Bananas

Note: Don't try any foods or drinks for the first time before a workout, or you risk an upset stomach.

2. Portion control

Be careful not to overdo it when it comes to how much you eat before exercise. Your body prefers to use carbohydrates as fuel, so your pre-workout meal should include plenty of carbohydrates from bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables and energy bars. You can even choose low-fat yogurt or some granola or cereal if you have at least 3 hours before your session. Meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, cookies and candy bars should definitely be avoided in a pre-exercise meal and as a general rule of thumb. Also avoid high-fiber foods like beans and lentils, bran cereals and fruit prior to a workout, as they can cause gas or cramping.

A general guideline:

1. Large meals. Eat these at least three to four hours before exercising.
2. Small meals. Eat these two to three hours before exercising.
3. Small snacks. Eat these an hour before exercising.

Finding the right balance for you is the key.  This amy just come by trial and error. However, if you are at the age where you are working out, you should have a general idea of what is enough and what is too much food.

3. Snacking

Pick a small snack like a piece of fruit, a sports beverage or some natural fruit juice. Snacks eaten soon before exercise probably won't give you added energy, but they can help keep up your blood sugar and prevent distracting hunger pangs. Good snack options include:

1. Energy bars

2. Fresh fruit

3. Yogurt

4. Fruit smoothies

5. Whole-grain bagel, bread or crackers with peanut butter

6. Granola bars

• If you have not eaten a meal in the past three hours, a healthy snack is a good way to go before a workout.

4. Eat after you exercise

Eating after exercise is important to restore glycogen lost during the workout session. The post-work out meal should contain some protein, some complex carbohydrates and some healthy fats too. Research from the American College of Sports Medicine has shown that eating 100-200 grams of carbohydrate within two hours of exercise. However, combining protein with carbohydrate in the two hours after exercise nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. Proteins also provide the amino acids necessary to rebuild muscle tissue that is damaged during intense, prolonged exercise (or strength-training), and can increase the absorption of water replacment. A light meal or snack within 2 hours after exercise is perfect. A Balance bar or a lean turkey sandwich on whole grain bread would make a nice after-workout snack. You can also choose an egg, or a simple salad or fruit drink. If you aren't hungry after your workout, drink juice or a sports drink to provide replenishing carbohydrates.

5. Don’t forget your H2O and fluid

Hydration is as important for your health as food, and when you exercise, your body’s water is depleted when you sweat.During your workouts, don’t be afraid to sip water. You won’t cramp from frequent small sips. To stay well hydrated for exercise:

• Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (16 to 24 ounces) of water during the two to three hours before your workout.
• Drink about 1/2 to 1 cup (4 to 8 ounces) of water every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. 
• Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups of water after your workout.

How do you know when your body needs fluid replacement?

"Exercising 1.5 hours to three hours is long enough to warrant fluid replacement due to sweat losses," says Kristine Clark, Ph., FACSM, director of sports nutrition for Penn State University Park. "How much sweat is lost influences how much sodium and potassium are lost." (webmd)

Water is best but if you're exercising for more than 60 minutes, use a sports drinks to help maintain your body's electrolyte balance. Basically, a sports drink offers your body things it might need before, during, or after vigorous exercise, aside from hydration.(webmd)

• Fuel. The carbohydrates found in sweetened sports drinks provide energy to help delay fatigue, Clark says. The Gatorade Co. says lab tests have shown that 6% carbohydrate (14 grams of carbohydrate per 8 ounces of water) is the optimal percentage of carbs for speeding fluid and energy back into the body.
• Electrolytes or Minerals. Things like sodium, potassium, and chloride that athletes lose through sweat. When water goes out of the body, so do electrolytes.