Eat This Before and After Your Workout
There is no way you can build muscles mass if you’re not eating right before and after your workout. Sure training is the fun part of a fitness journey, but where you actually grow lies within what you eat. Your meals matter more than you think and what many people don’t understand is the fact that they break down muscle tissue in the gym and their muscles grow bigger and stronger while they’re outside the iron paradise, but a large part of that depends on what you eat and how you fuel yourself to grow.
What you eat pre and post-workout acts as the fuel for your body and determines the fate and size of your muscles. If you have been struggling with your pre and post-training nutrition, this article is for you. Let’s take a look at what to eat before and after a workout.
Make Sure it Aligns With Your Diet
Before you decide on what you should eat pre and post-workout, you need to make sure it is in line with your diet plan. The before and after-training meals should not only give you a burst of energy but should also add to your daily nutrition goal. For example, if you are cutting then you will be having less carbs than if you were bulking.
Regardless, your pre-workout meal should contain higher amounts of carbs than your other meals throughout the day, and it should also contain moderate proteins and fats as your muscles will need the glucose for energy which can be derived from breaking down carbohydrates in the body.
The post-workout meal should be high in protein, moderate in carbs and restrictive in fat content if your primary goal is to build muscle mass with minimal body fat gain. Consuming fats right after your workouts can slow down the absorption of protein by your muscles and you might end up leaving a lot of gains on the table.
The Perfect Pre-Workout Meal
- 2 Egg Whites, 1 Whole Egg, 2 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread with Black Coffee (or a Pre-Workout Supplement) – 226 Calories 28g Carbs 18.9g Protein 6.2g Fats
You need to remember that you need to eat your pre-workout meal at least 45-minutes before your workout so it has time to digest and your body can successfully absorb the nutrients and put them to work. Eating your meal too close to your workout can be worse than not eating at all.
In your pre-workout meal, you’ll be eating two egg whites and a whole egg. You have a choice of consuming the eggs boiled or in another form, such as an omelet. Along with the eggs, you’ll be eating two slices of bread, great for simple carbs that provide quick energy and can give you a pretty good pump. You can also include green vegetables like broccoli or salad in this meal for additional nutrients.
If you’re someone who likes to drink a pre-workout supplement before a training session, you should be doing it after eating the meal. You don’t need to fret if you don’t have the extra dollars for the pre-workout drink. A cup of black coffee can also do the trick.
The Best Post-Workout Meal
- Whey Protein Shake, 100g Chicken Breast, and Half Cup Rice – 398 Calories 27.5g Carbs 56.2g Protein 5.8g Fats
We recommend a high quality meal replacement. You’ll be having your post-workout meal in two shifts. You’ll have your post-workout whey protein shake right after you finish your weight training, and we also recommend doing a light cardio session after your resistance training in order to cool down. This is where drinking the protein shake will more than likely occur. After completing your cardio session, wait for ten-minutes before eating the remainder of your post-training meal. The good old chicken breast and rice have been a bodybuilder favorite for a long time.
Our Favorite Post Workout Supplement
Now, we wouldn’t leave you hanging and wondering what our favorite post workout supplement is. We stated above that a good meal replacement is great for post workout, and we stand by that. So, let’s take a look at MUTANT FLEX FOOD!
When you lack time, forget to prep meals - or s#*t just happens - be ready with fast, flexible and complete real food macros on-demand. Designed from real bodybuilding meals for real gains!
MUTANT delivers a quality product here, as they typically do. FLEX FOOD is designed after real bodybuilding meals to deliver quality macros and gains. With that being said, we know what you’re thinking, “it probably just tastes like blended up meat and rice”, however that is not the case. Let’s take a look at exactly what is in there.
Proteins
MUTANT makes FLEX FOOD with a more complete blend of milk protein concentrate (80% Micellar casein), whey (concentrate, hydrolysate, isolate), which is something you do not see in most protein powders. With your standard protein powders, they usually are either solely milk based or solely plant based, making FLEX FOOD stand out even more.
Other ingredients the proteins in FLEX FOOD come from include fermented pea, and sprouted pumpkin seed proteins. FLEX FOOD contains 92% more BCAAs and EAAs than the collagen-like beef protein isolate other MRPs use.
Greens
Alkalizing greens balance out an acidic high protein diet while superfoods and antioxidants help boost immunity and fight endless lifting, dieting, working and whatever else you pack into your daily grind. Greens are not something you typically see in your protein powders or muscle shakes, which is yet another way that FLEX FOOD has blown our minds, as it is more than just a regular old protein powder.
Carbs
FLEX FOOD’s blend of complex carbs stabilize blood sugar, fuel your brain and give your muscles the energy needed to crush weights! Healthy fats support nerve signaling, hormonal balance, and help decrease inflammation from all that heavy lifting!
Enzymes, Probiotics, and Electrolytes
Digestive enzymes + pre and probiotics ensure you break down and absorb every last nutrient while boosting gut health. Probiotic powerhouse DE111® has also been shown to improve body composition! Quality sea salt, OrganiCal™ calcium and potassium support better muscle function and hydration – no cramping!
Macros
There are a total of 170 calories which can be broken down into:
Fats- 3 grams
Carbs- 12 grams
Protein- 25 grams
Check out the full review for FLEX FOOD here!
Wrap Up
Overall, quality pre and post workout meals are absolutely crucial to ensure that you are growing. By following the aforementioned diet, you can rest assured your muscles are properly fed and the groundwork has been laid for optimal muscle gain.
What do you eat currently before hitting the gym? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
