Hands up if you have a gym membership? That is most of us then! Unsurprisingly the fitness industry had grown into a £3.92bn industry last year, and no doubt has continued to grow this year too.

Whilst more gym memberships does not necessarily mean more of us are actually working out. Clearly more of us want to – or at least want the results working out can achieve. In particular, working out is supposed to make us look good.

The pressure to fit an image “ideal” has increased immensely over the past couple of decades.

It is commonly known that women and young girls feel a lot of pressure to look a certain way, thanks to media images and messages. However, men are increasingly under more pressure to fit into a perfect and ideal body image.Only recently there have been statistics about men being “under-diagnosed, under-treated and under- researched” when it comes to eating disorders. A sure sign that men are feeling desperate to control what they eat, particularly in combination with strict exercise regimes.

Observing any athlete for even just a day will reveal that food is important when exercising. Eating well enables you to get the most out of your workout as well as helping your muscles recover and ensure good health post exercising. Those suffering with eating disorders can often have a warped idea of what foods they should be eating.

However to get the most out of any workout, eating well is important. You only need to observe any athlete for just a day to realise this.

There are some foods which are particularly good to eat before exercising and others which should be avoided and may hinder your workout. Carbohydrates and protein, for example, are the most important components for an athlete’s diet.

Usain Bolt famously lives on a chicken diet most of the time – thousands of chicken nuggets to be precise. But his diet is only sustainable due to the rate he burns all the calories he eats. The average person’s workout would barely allow for a 10 nugget feasting.

Bananas are one of the best sources of both simple and complex carbohydrates.  Eating a banana just before exercising gives you a quick burst of energy to help give you a boost at the start of your workout. They also slowly release energy over the course of your workout.

Porridge is a similar story. A great breakfast for anyone planning a mid-morning workout would be a bowl of porridge adorned with some chopped banana. A sure fire way to give you a workout that doesn’t wear you away but leaves you feeling energized.

If you need a little sugar boost pre workout, apples could be just what you’ve been searching for. Apples help you avoid the mid-workout sugar crash that usually accompanies sweet treats whilst giving you the boost you need.

There are also some foods to avoid. Any food that disrupts your digestion such as foods high in fibre and high in fat can be difficult to digest, they are best left for no workout days.

Post workout, a meal containing eggs is ideal. Eggs are high in protein, just the thing you need to help your muscles recover.

Curd or milk contain all the essentials you need after a workout. They have been shown to be more rehydrating than water and are also an source of muscle binding protein that helps muscle recovery.

And finally water is an absolute essential, especially post workout. Every pound lost during exercise requires 2 glasses of water at least!

Just remember, food is an essential part of any workout regime. Eating the wrong foods or no food at all could do your body more damage than good. So if you are planning on going to the gym, stay fuelled and hydrated with the right foods and drink.

 

 

 

(Reference: http://www.ehfa.eu.com/node/324)