Saluterra: Sports nutrition

Whenever you engage in vigorous or strenuous physical activity, your body uses up its energy resources (carbohydrates) and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium). To maintain stable energy levels and overall good health, as well as reduce muscle soreness, you need to replenish those resources as soon as possible — preferably, soon before, during, and just after your workout.

While carbohydrates provide you with energy necessary to perform any activity, electrolytes perform the following functions:

Sodium

Potassium

Calcium

Magnesium

— regulates your body’s fluid balance

— regulates your metabolism

— regulates your muscle contraction and heart rhythm

— regulates the levels of the other electrolytes

How to prepare your body to prevent muscle soreness
and to maximize the positive effect of workout

Many people experience muscle soreness after exercise, particularly when the exercise regime is new or when its intensity or duration has increased dramatically.

As with everything we do, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” for muscle soreness:
• always warm up thoroughly before any vigorous or strenuous activity
• increase your activity levels (duration or intensity) gradually
• perform a variety of exercises, working different muscle groups
• maintain proper nutrition before, during, after, and in between workouts

Nutrition before workout

Having a full meal just before vigorous exercise could cause discomfort, including stomach cramps and nausea. Therefore, we recommend instead:
• either a very light, easy-to-digest meal 1–2 hours before workout,
• or a sports drink (e.g., Torch Pre-Burn) 15–30 minutes before workout.

An example of a light, carbohydrate- and electrolyte-rich meal could be a fruit smoothie. To make one, blend together:
• 1 small banana (potassium and magnesium),
• 1/2 cup strawberries (sodium),
• 1/4 cup raisins (carbohydrate and potassium),
• 1/4 cup raw orange and/or lemon peel (calcium),
• 1/2 cup soft tofu (with calcium sulfate) or low-fat milk for extra calcium,
• 1/4 cup maple syrup for extra carbohydrates and magnesium.

To make the smoothie more liquid, you can add some mixed fruit juice.

Avoid fatty foods before exercise as they are difficult to digest. Should you opt for an energy bar instead of a smoothie, check its nutrition panel to confirm the bar is relatively low in fat (no more than 5g total fat).

Nutrition during workout

It is important to hydrate while you exercise.

However, just drinking water could be a bad thing here. Excessive amounts of water could actually be toxic! Also, water further dilutes your body’s electrolytes that are already being depleted due to physical activity.

We recommend drinking a good quality sports beverage instead. Avoid drinks that are basically sugar water, and choose one that both hydrates you and helps replenish your electrolytes (e.g., Torch Hydrate).

Nutrition after workout

Post-exercise sustenance is crucial for your muscles to recover and for your body to regain its chemical balance.

For best results, have a full meal soon after workout — within less than two hours, the sooner the better. Your meal’s effectiveness can be reduced by as much as 50% if you wait too long.

What you consume is just as important as when you consume it — and will depend on your primary goal: muscle building versus fat loss.

Regardless of your goal, it’s a good idea to take a pro-muscle-recovery sports drink (e.g., Torch After-Burn) immediately after exercise. This will help replenish the glycogen, electrolytes and fluids your body lost during workout, while enhancing muscle growth, speeding up muscle recovery, and boosting your energy.

The meal should follow the 65-20-15 rule (65% carbohydrates, 20% fat, 15% protein).

While most of the carbohydrates should come from fresh fruits and vegetables, inclusion of higher glycemic carbohydrates, such as whole grain pasta or rice, is also recommended for muscle builders to quickly activate your insulin. This will help restore glycogen, which your muscles use as fuel. If, on the other hand, you are primarily trying to lose body fat, you should stay away from high-glycemic carbs.

Limit your fats to the essential fatty acids, mostly omega-3 and omega-6 (preferably in 1:2 ratio). You will find them in olive or flax-seed oil, many nuts, and seafoods. Avoid heating oils or nuts as heat makes them release harmful free radicals.

The amino acids in your protein-rich foods will help restore your muscles and make them stronger. Choose lean proteins (grilled, broiled, or baked lean poultry or tofu) and, if possible, go for organic foods to limit toxins.

One idea for a post-workout meal could be a spinach salad — the amount you eat depends on the duration and intensity of your workout, as well as your goal (more for muscle building, less for fat loss). Muscle builders could also have a slice or two of whole-grain bread or a side dish of whole-grain pasta or rice, while fat losers should just have the salad.

Nutrition in between workouts

To maintain stable blood sugars (stable fuel supply for your entire body) throughout the remainder of the day, be sure to consume several small meals each day with wholesome snacks in between.

Unless you eat a perfectly balanced diet that consists exclusively of whole, certified organic foods, you are probably NOT getting all of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the amounts your body needs.

You can make up for those deficiencies by taking a dietary supplement formulated specifically for fitness-conscious people like you (e.g., Isotonix Champion Blend). It can help boost your performance and sustain your endurance in addition to maintaining optimal cardiovascular health and a healthy immune system.

Or you can choose general health supplements instead. If you are not sure which ones are right for you, take the free online Nutri-Physical quiz. And to learn how you can maximize the absorption of the nutrients you take, read about isotonic delivery.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments. We will appreciate your feedback.

To your health!

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