Whether the session is early in the morning, during your lunch break, or at the end of the day before dinner, when is the best time to eat your food?
When it comes to sports practice, everyone has their favorite schedule. Some people like to start their day with a run or some other sport before going to work, others take advantage of their lunch break or at the end of the day, and others finally indulge in physical activity in the afternoon on weekends. : Then the question may arise, when to eat your meal? Before or after your session?
A question of digestive distress
It’s no surprise that a ‘real’ meal, rather than a snack, is preferable after you’ve finished your session to avoid digestive discomfort. before, our stomach will be full and digestion will slow down,” comments sports nutritionist Laura Martinez.
During exercise, our digestive system will be put on standby and then we may experience reflux or gastric reflux.
Victoria Tchaikovsky, sports doctor
Slower and obviously disturbed. The reason is simple. “During physical activity, the blood circulates in our muscles, and not in our digestive system, which can harm the assimilation of food,” explains Victoria Tchaikovsky, sports doctor and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal and spine pathologies. In addition, during training, our digestive system will be put on standby, then we can have reflux or gastric reflux. To avoid these discomforts and give the stomach time to digest, it is better to separate your meals and sports activities by 3 to 4 hours.
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On the other hand, if you had your last meal more than 4 hours before your workout, it’s important to have a snack. Practically 30 minutes before classes, you eat a banana, some almonds or a handful of dried fruits. And what about sports that you do after you wake up in the morning? The advice is the same: “eat a piece of honey on pure bread” half an hour before, advises the sports doctor.
Post-sports menu
What we put on our plate after sports activity is essential for the body to recover properly. Exercise leads to muscle damage. To do this, include protein in your meal , salmon, or plant-based alternatives like tofu,” says sports nutritionist Laura Martinez. You’re consuming fiber-rich starches to boost your energy reserves containing foods such as rice, pasta or wheat. Vegetables are also necessary, “they are rich in vitamins, they contribute to the recovery of muscle tissues” and hydrate us, comments sports doctor Victoria Tchaikovsky. You can also supplement your diet with omega-3 fatty fish such as sardines, canola or walnut oils, or even oily seeds is the doctor.
After the session, we give the muscles protein, particularly chicken breast, salmon, or plant-based alternatives like tofu.
Laura Martinez, sports nutritionist
After all, while good hydration is essential before and during exercise, it is just as important after exercise. The body sweats and therefore loses water and salt. For optimal muscle recovery and combating soreness, we move towards salt-rich water , “which helps retain water in blood vessels so cells stay hydrated,” reports Victoria Tchaikovsky. All that’s left to do is put on your sneakers.
Source: Le Figaro
