Pre- and Post-Workout Meals

Although it might feel like it’s malfunctioning sometimes, your body is essentially an incredibly complex machine. And, just like any other machine, your body has to be fueled properly to work the way that you expect. This is especially true if you plan on putting yourself through a particularly challenging workout. But, do you just fuel your car up once before a trip and then forget about it? No, you have to refill the tank afterward. So, let’s take a look at the fuel requirements of your body both before and after your workouts. Keep in mind, though, that the exact structure and size of these meals will depend largely on your goals and training style. These recommendations are general guidelines and will need to be tweaked to be ideal for you. Before Your Workouts The goal of your pre-workout meal is to make sure that you have the necessary fuel to get you through to the end of your activity. To properly design your meal, then, you need to understand your body’s needs during exercise. As you challenge your muscles, they are damaged at the microscopic level. Your glycogen stores are also depleted and used up as fuel. If […]