Sports nutrition. What to eat before, during and after training

Having signed up for a gym, many beginners have a question about whether sports nutrition is necessary and what it should be. The answer will depend on the goals, since the concept itself implies:

• A balanced diet consisting of freshly prepared foods;
• Biological supplements made from natural ingredients;
• Clearly calculated nutritional value of food.

You can determine the optimal nutrition option for yourself only by understanding their features, pros and cons.

What do sports supplements consist of?

Nutrition for athletes consists only of natural ingredients, excluding chemicals. In other words, this is the same food that we eat every day, just in a different form. This method of nutrition is more balanced for the human body under conditions of increased stress on the body. People often compare doping and steroid-type drugs with sports supplements. This fact discourages novice athletes from supplementary nutrition.

Steroids and various doping agents can, of course, do a lot. The person becomes much more resilient. It will be difficult for a mere mortal to compete with him. But this is a temporary effect. Plus, it causes enormous damage to the body. Sports drugs have a completely different component. They replenish the body with exactly the microelements it needs at the moment. A person who regularly exercises or simply builds muscle mass should limit himself in food by following a diet. In this regard, the body is starving, it lacks certain microelements. And here sports nutrition comes to the rescue.

Indication of composition not in %, but per serving

Sometimes I am amazed at how stupid most people are. I once talked to a guy who compared 2 types of gainers. Serious Mass from Optimum Nutrition and some others. So, in Serious Mass the serving size indicated by the manufacturer is 334 grams. And there’s as much as 50 grams of protein per serving! That is, 15%, which is very little even for a gainer. And the other gainer he compared had 160 grams per serving and had 40 grams of protein per serving. That is already 25%.

So, he tried to prove to me that Serious Mass is better because it contains more protein. After all, it contains 50 grams, and that one contains only 40 grams. It looks like he didn't know what % was at all. And this is just one of the cases. In my practice there are quite a few such imbeciles.

So, most manufacturers indicate the composition per serving in order to disguise the composition of the product and present it in a more favorable light. After all, 15% protein sounds much worse than 50 grams per serving.

Why do you need supplements for those who want to get in good shape?

A person eats a variety of foods, trying to saturate his body. But it is not always the case. If we have a full stomach, this does not mean that the body has received everything it needs to function flawlessly. Basically, our diet is supplemented by semi-finished products or sandwiches, in which the content of vitamins and beneficial microelements is zero.

And for people with an active lifestyle who regularly visit the gym, sports supplements are a must. You may ask, what should those who just decided to lose those extra pounds do? The answer is clear: only sports nutrition with a well-designed diet. No amount of sandwiches can nourish your body with energy. Only heaviness in the stomach and a feeling of fullness.

So, in summary, how can nutrition for athletes help us:

1. Maximum fills the body with beneficial properties consisting of microelements and vitamins.
2. Infuses the body with additional energy to achieve excellent results during training.
3. Following a diet helps your metabolism work more efficiently.
4. The nutritional elements present in nutrition for athletes are instantly absorbed.
5. Keeps a person's appetite under control.
6. Muscles grow much faster. In case of damage, quick recovery.
7. During training, it helps burn excess fat.
8. The joint parts of the body and ligaments are reliably protected under heavy loads.

This is not a complete list of the beneficial properties of sports nutrition. Any athlete taking these supplements could increase this list significantly. After all, he has to experience everything himself.

Bibliography

• Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes - Monique Ryan
• The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition - Anita Bean
• Caffeine for Sports Performance - Louise Burke, Ben Desbrow, Lawrence Spriet
• The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition - Matt Fitzgerald
• Diet of Champions. 5 Nutrition Principles for Top Athletes - Mat Fitzgerald
• Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook-5th Edition
• Nutrition for Runners - Jeff Galloway
• Sports nutrition. What to eat before, during and after training - Renee McGregor
• Ergogenic effects of sports nutrition. Scientific and methodological recommendations for coaches and sports doctors - N.I. Volkov, V.I. Oleynikov
• Anatomy of sports. Myths about a healthy lifestyle - Eduard Bezuglov

Types of Nutritional Supplements

Each athlete has a specific goal in his results. Based on this, he makes an individual set of supplements that will help replenish the losses in his body. There are several subclasses of nutritional supplements that are responsible for specific recovery processes. Let's look at the main types.

Proteins in supplementary nutrition

Protein is a dry mixture consisting of almost 100 percent protein. When we go to the gym, we all dream of beautiful muscles. This is where protein comes into play. Even for those who have decided to simply lose weight and build muscle mass, protein is essential. Without this procedure, all the work is in vain. It is the muscles that work to remove excess fat deposits from the body. And although we achieve different goals, the road to a positive result is the same.

Immediately during training, muscle fibers are injured and destroyed. Therefore, it is necessary to take a protein-fortified shake immediately after training.

Protein particles are not all the same and each have their own purpose:

1. Animal protein based on egg white.
2. Plant based soy protein.
3. Whey-based protein is quickly absorbed.
4. Calcium caseinate protein is slowly absorbed.

The types of protein listed above perform different tasks. But they have one goal – to increase muscle mass as much as possible in a short time.

Gainers are a mandatory component

Gainers are a mixture of carbohydrate and protein. This supplement has the main goal of maintaining energy levels for the effectiveness of workouts and muscle growth after. Gainers can contain 30% carbohydrates with a protein content of about 50%. Carbohydrates fill the body with glucose when the body is stressed. Gainers are consumed simultaneously with proteins. It is better for a person who is overweight to refrain from taking gainers due to their high calorie content. There is a risk that subcutaneous fat will grow along with the muscles. But ectomorphs simply cannot do without gainers. Since it is difficult for such people to gain weight, regardless of food intake.

Energy drinks are indispensable for fatigue

Where can those who want to lose weight get energy for training? Energy engineers will come to the rescue. But despite some benefits, frequent use is not recommended. Energy drinks excite the human nervous system and lead to such troubles as:

1. Addiction.
2. Frequent heartbeat.
3. Insomnia.
4. Nervous fatigue.

Energy drinks include the following components:

• glucuronolactone;
• green tea extract;
• caffeine;
• Guaranine

It is important! All these elements enter the body of every person, but in limited quantities: during breakfast in coffee, at dinner in a cup of tea. But you don’t need to take energy drinks unnecessarily so as not to harm your health.

Amino acids are the main component of the structure of the body

Amino acids are an integral part of the body's nutrition. They are found in animal or plant foods consumed by humans. Amino acid is a building material for cells in the human body. Therefore, the amino acid complex must be taken as a supplement during the training process.

The most popular amino acids are considered to be:

1. Histidine.
2. Methionine.
3. Lysine.
4. Alanine.
5. Glutamine.

In fact, there are many more names. Once in the human body, an acidic mixture of various purposes is formed. Amino acids can be taken during training, as well as after training. And it wouldn't hurt to take a supplement before bed to prevent muscle breakdown.

Fat Burning Supplements

Supplements for accelerating fat burning in the body during sports do an excellent job. You should not assume that by taking the supplement you can sit in a chair, eat a sandwich and drink soda without causing damage to your figure. Fat burners begin to work at the moment of intense stress on the muscles. They use energy by burning fat cells rather than muscle mass.

Here are several types of fat burners:

1. Omega-3 fatty acids.
2. L-carnitine.
3. Appetite suppressants.
4. Thermogenics.
5. Fat blockers.
6. Carbohydrate blockers.
7. Diuretics.

When using these supplements, results will be visible only if a balance is maintained between dietary intake and physical activity.

It is important! It makes no sense to increase the dose, hoping for a quick result. There are risks of poor health and harm to health.

What is hyponatremia?

This is a state of low sodium concentration in the blood (below 135 mmol/L). In sports, it usually occurs in the heat and under heavy loads. Those at risk are those who drink a lot of plain water and do not replenish the loss of electrolytes (primarily sodium) with the help of isotonics, hypotonics, salt tablets, salt, salt gels and other sports and regular nutrition. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 13% of Boston Marathon participants experienced mild hyponatremia because they drank too much water. The first signs of hyponatremia: nausea, rapid weight gain, colorless urine, convulsions.

Signs of more serious hyponatremia: apathy, dizziness, stupor, loss of orientation in space, very severe fatigue and lethargy, vomiting. Even coma is possible.

A 40-year-old Australian competitor died at the 2015 Ironman Frankfurt competition. The triathlon took place at a very high temperature, it was 40 degrees. The athlete lost consciousness immediately after the finish and died after two days of resuscitation. A diagnosis was made of cerebral edema caused by a lack of salts in the body.

The consequences of hyponatremia can be so tragic, and therefore replenishment of electrolytes, and especially sodium, in the heat should be taken as responsibly and seriously as possible.

How to choose the right supplements

Should you take supplemental nutrition? It is important to understand that sports supplements are not a panacea. The main thing in the health of the body is good nutrition. Additional nutrition plays a big role, but this is rather in favor of product manufacturers who earn good money from it.

Nevertheless, sports nutrition is necessary in several cases:

• you are subject to severe physical overload;
• there is no opportunity to eat food on time;
• you have a metabolic disorder;

Of course, all these supplements have a number of advantages compared to regular food. Eg:

1. Cooking speed.
2. Possibility of use anywhere and at any time.
3. The component is absorbed much faster.
4. Highest nutritional value.
5. The cost of the initial components using these additives is lower than the cost of products containing an equal number of elements.
6. It is easy to count the amount of substances consumed.

All these arguments put all kinds of supplements in first place and can be considered indispensable assistants for everyone who leads an active lifestyle.

Today, the nutrition market for athletes has enormous volumes. The seller can easily sell you the first product he comes across and tell you that you need it. But in order not to be a simpleton, here are some tips:

When building muscle mass you need:

1. 1.5 hours after the morning meal and after physical activity - gainer.
2. Before getting ready for bed - protein.

If you are focused on gaining muscle and burning accumulated fat, then you need:

1. Half an hour before training and for half an hour after - whey-based protein.
2. 45 minutes before classes - L-carnitine.
3. Before you go to bed - protein

It is important! When purchasing, choose supplements with a low price. As a rule, the price is inflated due to the brand.

No need to purchase large boxes of food. The shelf life of opened packages is not long. In addition, this supplement may simply not be suitable for you. It is preferable to choose a country of manufacture between the USA and Germany. In these countries, the production of sports nutrition is widely developed and proven by many years of experience.

How much water do you need after?

Fluid loss during exercise is calculated as follows: weight before exercise - weight after exercise. The result obtained must be multiplied by one and a half - and the resulting volume of liquid must be drunk within three hours.

Example: before training we weighed 67.1, after - 66.2.

In the next three hours you need to drink:

(67.1-66.2)*1.5 = 1.3 liters of liquid.

The benefits and harms of sports nutrition

People who use additional components in the form of sports supplements can achieve certain successes in achieving their goals:

1. The energy accumulated in the body will increase the results of training.
2. Vitamins will play their role to improve tone.
3. Muscle mass will increase with good progression.
4. Fat deposits will simply melt before your eyes.

These are positive aspects for which the entire set of microelements contained in the supplements is responsible. Do not ignore product expiration dates. Since only natural products are used in production, after this period everything will turn into a useless drink.

And of course, you need to remember that each person has an individual body and reacts differently to the perception of certain products.

There are several disadvantages to using supplements for sports:

1. Allergic reaction to taking this product.
2. The product is not manufactured to a quality standard.
3. Additives are not used for their intended purpose.

You need to use sports supplements in moderation, without harm to your health. Don’t forget about regular food, rich in healthy vitamins and microelements. If you have any questions, consult a nutritionist.

Portions too big or too small

In relatively inexpensive products (as a rule, these are gainers), the portions are often too large so that a person drinks it faster and buys it again. For example, if you take the same Serious Mass, then there are 334 grams per serving. Can you imagine what this is? That's 1250 kcal!! And almost all of it is carbohydrates! Even a healthy man will find this supplement to his regular diet a lot. Men need to reduce this portion by 2 times. And for women - 3 times.

In expensive products (amino acids, BCAAs) they usually indicate the opposite, small portions. Because if a person sees that he is paying a lot of money for a product that he will eat in 10 days, then he will not take it. And if there are small portions, he will see that it will last him for a month or two, and will consider it profitable.

For example, BCAA 1000 Caps from Optimum Nutrition. The serving size indicated is 2 capsules. Which contain only 1 gram of BCAAs. 1 gram!!! Yes, 100 grams of protein contain 15–17 grams of BCAAs. And here we are offered to eat 1 gram of BCAAs. That is, to eat 10 grams of BCAAs (and at least girls should consume that much), you need to swallow 20 capsules a day! This is the minimum for girls. And for more or less large guys? 40 capsules per day. So it turns out that this expensive packaging will last for 10 – 20 days. But if you knew this, many of you simply would not buy it.