Sports Nutrition 101 - Timing
Has your mother ever told you not to eat before you go swimming? What’s important about this adage is in it’s emphasis on the timing of the process of eating. Gastric emptying (digestion) is generally a process lasting about two hours after the ingestion of food. What this tells us, in it’s simplicity, is that for maximal nutrient uptake, and for proper digestion, we should eat our last meal at least two hours before competition.*
Hydration follows similar principles. Water should be consumed freely up until two hours before competition. Most of the elite athletes I have ever known always carried a water bottle wherever they went. The recommended intake per day is somewhere between 2-4 litres (8-12 glasses), depending on the individuality of the athlete. Moreover, a glass of water consumed immeditely when one awakes will ignite ones metabolism for the day, resulting in immeditae metabolic calorie expenditure. The indicator of proper hydration is a clear and odourless urine stream. And remember, a properly hydrated body will function more efficiently in every regard, specifically mental clarity and temperature regulation. But, if you absolutely require food or drink within this two hour buffer be sure only to “wet your lips” with water, and to eat something light and easily digestable (based on a foods glycemic index), examples being a granola bar, fruits, or even lean meats.
Post-competition is of a separate notion as far as timing goes. In the immediate time frame after competition (app. 10-15 minutes) the body is at it’s highest rate of absorbancy and delivery of nutrients. Theoretically, the body should be replenished with a balance of protein (for muscle hypertrophy, aka growth), fats (for absorption of nutrients), and carbs (for energy replacement) at this point (protein shakes are effective as well, try taking half now and half two hours later for maximum benefit).). Failure to do so may lead to a temporary immune deficiency immediately post-exercise, and distortions in the distribution of body mass.**
Other than this, remember to eat a variable diet of as much produce and lean meats as possible, avoiding processed foods with high trans-fats. Four to six small meals during the day have been proven to be more beneficial than two and three large ones. Eight hours of sleep per night is most efficient for the recovery of the muscels (between 3-5am is the most important time for muscle growth), imbalances of which I often see being detrimental in the weight loss and muscle reformation in some of my clients.
Okay, until next time,
peace and love ya’ll,
Cheers,
_Chedda B
*An exercising body will circulate up to five times as much blood through the system as normal, directed primarily towards the working muscles. That, in turn, leaves any undigested food to bounce around in the stomach in an ischemic state, lacking the blood required for proper digestion, often causing cramping and diarrhea.
**Everyone has heard of the term “getting ripped” from lifting weights and this is exactly what happens to the muscles as a result of training them. They must then repair themselves via muscle growth from protein consumption,or they may grow irregularly.