Whether you exercise a lot or just limit your activity to once a week, what you eat goes a long way to determining how much body fat you’ll lose. You should aim for a balanced diet as always, but larger portions of carbohydrates such as wholegrain pasta or sweet potato can help give you the energy you need during exercise. Protein is also necessary in order to repair and build the muscle.
Once you’ve eaten food, you should allow your body one to four hours to digest the food before you begin exercising. Obviously, the time needed to digest will vary depending on how much you’ve eaten – an average meal will require around two hours before it is ok to exercise. Try to make your pre-sport meals high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein. If you eat too much protein or fat, the movements of foods from the stomach will slow down and this can make you feel uncomfortable during exercise. You should also bear in mind that the foods you eat post-exercise play a part in your recovery, for muscle repair and to prevent a slump in your energy levels – eat a carbohydrate-rich snack or drink within thirty minutes of finishing your physical activity.
You need to make sure you stay hydrated too, as this can have a massive impact on your performance and endurance levels. Drink plenty of water or squash both before and throughout your routine to ensure that the body stays well hydrated. Your diet will change depending on what type of exercise you are doing too, so remember that you’ll need to include different foods if you’re mixing up your routine at any point. Small portions are advised so that the body can digest them easily, making exercise more effective and enjoyable.
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