Doctors recommend not only physical activity but also good nutrition to stay healthy. However, what is the recipe for having a quality of life? First, the balance between sport and food. Everything we ingest becomes a source of energy for the practice of exercise, and it is this combination that we will discuss below.
If you are looking for quality of life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal is to perform 50 minutes of weekly exercises.
The Importance Of Good Food In Physical Activity
Beforehand, just practicing physical exercises in isolation does not guarantee a healthy life. Thus, good nutrition also becomes essential in the process. Eating good food helps store and replenish the body’s energy stores.
Nutrition is crucial to ensure a good result for those who practice some physical activity regularly. Therefore, it must be balanced and complete, allowing the body to perform all its functions properly and achieve good performance.
Correct nutrition helps to avoid fatigue, optimizes the recovery period, and reduces the risk of injuries, in addition to ensuring the proper replenishment of energy stores. On the other hand, not meeting adequate nutritional demands can impair post-workout recovery and compromise the health of individuals. Therefore, it is essential to follow up with a nutritionist to assess which nutrients should be included in the practitioner’s diet so that they achieve their goals without developing a nutritional deficiency.
When preparing a diet for athletes, several factors must be considered, such as training routines, activities, eating habits, family history of diseases, percentage of fat, and muscle mass.
Having the follow-up of a nutritionist is essential and can increase performance in exercises. This professional helps balance the number of nutrients that should be ingested before or after physical activity. With proper nutrition, a decrease in fatigue can occur. In addition, an adequate intake of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals helps the body perform better in physical activity.
What To Eat Before Physical Activity?
Primarily, consume foods rich in carbohydrates before physical activity. In other words, they are the ones that will prevent the burning of muscle mass, the drop in performance and even fatigue. It is recommended to eat food one to two hours before exercising. First, prefer whole foods, as they provide energy for longer.
Likewise, some foods are like fuel for the body. Some are naturally thermogenic, like ginger, cinnamon, green tea and coffee. They, by the way, quickly give energy and accelerate metabolism. Check out the list of pre-workout foods:
- Rice
- Potatoes or cassava
- Oat
- granola
- Pastas
- Bread
- Cookies
- toast
What To Eat After Physical Activity?
Above all, right after the practice of physical activity, it is essential to replace what was spent. The menu should rely on carbohydrates, which provide energy quickly. Also, protein sources serve to help with muscle regeneration.
To exemplify: ingesting papaya, banana with oatmeal or sweet potato after training is recommended. The use of supplements, such as whey protein, for example, can also help with recovery. However, only use supplements if you have the recommendation of a nutritionist.
Don’t Forget To Hydrate
First of all, hydration acts as an ally of physical activity. Practicing exercises causes the body to lose water and other minerals. To avoid dehydration during the practice of physical activities, it is recommended to take the following:
between 400 and 500 ml of mineral water two hours before starting the exercises;
between 50 and 100 ml of mineral water every 20 minutes of activity;
about 500 ml of mineral water in the next hour.
By the way, the need to increase mineral intake must be verified in sports of high intensity or long duration. For these practices, it is recommended to change the final portion of water for isotonic or coconut water. In some cases, such as marathons or tennis matches, isotonic or sports drinks may be recommended.
5 Benefits Of Hydration
Water is fundamental to the functioning of the body. Below check out how hydration is essential along with physical activity:
- Regulates body temperature
- It helps control blood pressure
- Improves heart function
- Improves kidney activity and detoxification of the body
- Allows the digestive process