To keep our body happy, we must meet its many demands across the eight wellness dimensions: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental wellness or health (1). The physical health dimension is defined as “Caring for your body to stay healthy now and in the future” (1). Part of caring for your body is eating nutritious food and being physically active. One of the ways we can be physically active is through exercise. Exercise is defined as “a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive and has [the goal to improve or maintain] physical fitness” (2). So, the question then becomes—how do we use nutrition to fuel our body for exercise?
No Simple Answer
There is no simple answer to this question since everyone’s nutritional needs are unique, as are the types of exercise they choose to engage in. For example, the needs of a 16-year-old girl running around a track versus a 35-year-old male bodybuilder are very different. Age, gender, nutritional status, and exercise type (e.g., endurance vs. strength training) are a few factors one must consider. Yet, there are some general tips and tricks to keep in mind to fuel your body for exercise. I will talk about four of them.
General Tips & Tricks
- Have a carbohydrate-containing meal within 4 hours of exercise or a snack 1-2 hours before exercise.
The first step in fueling your body for exercise is ensuring there is fuel in the tank (3). The body’s preferred energy during exercise is carbohydrates. For your pre-exercise meal or snack, opt for healthy carbohydrates like whole grains (e.g., whole wheat bread or oatmeal) and fruits, such as apples, oranges, or bananas. Your working muscles will thank you later. Tip: for a quick pre-exercise snack, try dried fruit such as apricots or mandarin oranges.
- Avoid high-fat foods 1-2 hours before exercise.
Foods high in fat, like peanut butter, avocado, and olive oil, are great for our health and provide essential nutrients. They also help us feel full and stay full for longer. But they are not the best choice in high quantities as a pre-workout snack. This is because high-fat foods slow digestion, which may cause you to feel lethargic during exercise (4). They can also cause a stomach ache while exercising. With that said, listen to your body to determine your fat threshold to avoid these unwanted effects.
- Avoid very-high fiber foods 1-2 hours before exercise.
Like foods high in fat, having too many high-fiber foods near exercise can slow digestion and lead to feeling lethargic or getting a stomach ache as well. So, foods very high in fiber, like beans, lentils, barley, and chia seeds, may be best to avoid before a workout. The same goes for vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower (4). Again, like with high-fat foods, listen to your body to see what level of high-fiber foods your body tolerates before exercise. While fruit is high in fiber, most people have no problem eating it before a workout. Fruit also contains sugar that helps energize your workout and vitamins and minerals that keep you healthy.
- Enter your workout in a hydrated state.
Food is only part of the equation. What we drink must also be considered. The human body, after all, is made up of about 60% water. It is essential for life and numerous functions in the body.
It is important to begin hydrating before working out to enter your workout in a hydrated state. It is difficult to make up for a lack of hydration during a workout because of water lost in sweat. Some people are also not able to tolerate large amounts of water while exercising. For this reason, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that “individuals drink about 500 ml (about 17 ounces) of fluid about 2 h before exercise to promote adequate hydration and allow time for excretion of excess ingested water” (5).
Conclusion
In summary, make sure to have a meal within 4 hours of exercising or a snack within 2 hours. Selecting good carbohydrate sources is key in both instances. For the pre-exercise snack, remember to choose foods that are lower in fat and fiber so you can feel your best during your workout! Finally, drink about 500 mL of fluid two hours before working out to ensure adequate hydration and exercise performance.
References
- Stoewen, D. L. (2017, August). Dimensions of Wellness: Change Your Habits, Change Your Life. The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5508938/
- Caspersen, C. J., Powell, K. E., & Christenson, G. M. (1985). Physical activity, exercise, and Physical Fitness: Definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1424733/
- Food as fuel before, during and after workouts. www.heart.org. (2023, September 12). https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/food-as-fuel-before-during-and-after-workouts
- Cooper, J. (n.d.). Worst Things to Eat or Drink Before a Workout. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/slideshow-bad-workout-foods
- Convertino, V. A., Armstrong, L. E., Coyle, E. F., Mack, G. W., Sawka, M. N., Senay, L. C., & Sherman, W. M. (1996). ACSM position stand: Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine &Amp Science in Sports &Amp Exercise, 28(10), i–ix. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199610000-00045
Written by Jackson Hogenson. Edited by Doug Klein
Photo credits:
Doan, J. (2018). Assorted Slices Fruits. Retrieved from Pexels
Kumtanom, T. (2017). Woman Lacing Up Her Gray and Pink Nike Low-top Athletic Shoe. Retrieved from Pexels