Proper Preparation Prevents Pour Performance!
Its hot, the summer is coming and you want to maximise the precious time you have been putting in at the gym, pool or studio. You want your hard work to pay off and we don’t blame you. It’s a simple request. So how can we make each and every session as efficient and as rewarding as possible? Easy. Proper Preparation Prevents Pour Performance.
Pre workout nutrition is key. Get it wrong and you’re likely to feel weak, drained or lacking that ‘pop’ in your reps.
Whether your goal is muscle building, fat loss or health & wellbeing,there are 3 / 3.5 things we think you should focus on.
1. Get your energy levels right
Your body requires different kinds of energy depending on the kind of training you are doing. But there are two key nutrients you can focus on to support more effective weight training for most people with body composition goals.
Creatine
Found in certain protein sources and supplementations, creatine helps support the creatine phosphate energy system, which comes into play in short, explosive movements, such as jumping, power cleans etc. Supplementing with around 5g of creatine daily can help you eke out those extra few reps in a hard set, helping you to increase your training volume over time.
Carbohydrates
Or glycogen, the primary source of energy from carbohydrates.
So, focus on eating good-quality carbs from whole foods to replenish muscle stores. For body composition clients, we find it best to consume carbohydrates either post-workout or in the final meal of the day.
But if you are training for performance, a pre-workout meal several hours before your session can help you feel psychologically prepared to perform at your best.
Good sources of carbs include sweet potatoes, oats or grains. If you’re in a pinch, try some rice cakes and honey 20 – 30 mins prior to training.
2. Protein
Protein synthesis repairs and rebuilds muscle tissue. We can stimulate this process two ways, Lifting weights and eating protein.
Everyone worries about consuming that post-workout shake in the so-called ‘anabolic window’. But research shows that total protein intake throughout the day is most important.
However, making sure you ingest amino acids in some form, whether through solid food or our research-based supplement products can help provide the building blocks to start repairing muscle tissue straight from the off.
3. Hydrate
Dehydration will kill your exercise performance. Even dehydration levels of 2% will impair your strength and power output needed for an effective workout.
But that doesn’t just mean drinking during your workout or when you’re thirsty; it means keeping your body properly hydrated throughout the day. 1 litre per 20-25kg of bodyweight throughout the day should be the goal.
3.5 Electrolytes
Focusing on replenishing electrolytes is also important to help support and maintain optimal cellular hydration levels. Sugars, salts and other essentials that you lose through sweat, when replenished, can dramatically improve your performance and encourage a more swift recovery. Simple effervescent tables or powders will dissolve easily in water and are an easy option for intra workout supplementation.
