Red Deer Life - July 4, 2006

Pre and post-workout meals can be an important factor of getting the most o your exercise regimen. I know I utilize a lot of space to talk about nutritional items but food is the catalyst to increased progress or performance with the application of exercise.

Let's discuss what will increase performance and progress before a workout and after. In terms of strength training pre-workout meals need to be comfortable to digest and reasonably low glycemic. Glycemic is the term given to the rate at which any food items or combinations of items will stimulate an insulin response upon digestion. For a strength workout we want to provide our body with a consistent release of energy. A so called "energy-rush" is not desired as this will yield inconsistent training results with a loss of strength. For example, consuming something high in refined carbs or sugar will dramatically increase blood sugar and give us that energized almost euphoric feeling. Within minutes, generally right in the middle of your workout, your body begins to secrete plenty of insulin to stabilize blood sugar. As they say in physics: what goes up, must come down. Rapidly decreasing blood sugar will cause immediate strength loss and lethargy.

A better approach would be to consume some whole foods. A portion of lean meat like chicken or fish with slower digesting starches like rice, oatmeal or whole grain bread. This should be comfortable in the stomach and provide a stable insulin release. This way the only drop in blood sugar comes from the anaerobic training effect by where the stored glucose in the muscle is used. As stored glucose is used we fatigue and allow our body's other energy systems to go to work. With a stable insulin release and a lower level of available glucose our body very efficiently begins to seek other energy sources. One of the things it does is to begin to break down fatty acids to be used for energy. This is an obvious benefit for anyone wishing to maintain a leaner physique. Another thing is to begin the release of glucagon to enable the increase in blood glucose from other areas such as the liver. Now a small amount of this glucose may find its way to our muscles during our workout but mainly this is the body's way of protecting the brain and its vital need for glucose.

However after your training is completed we've created an internal environment that can really yield some dramatic results. Because your body now has less glucose available then it would like and we have the glucagon floating around in our blood our insulin sensitivity or ability to absorb carbohydrates effectively is greatly heightened.

You can consume up to 30% of your total calories for the day post workout and be comfortable that it is not likely to be added to the fat stores you dread around the waist or hips. This is the only good time to be consuming high sugar items, even refined sugar can work well here. I would also recommend some protein as well and particularly a whey isolate for its high rate of absorption and its minor insulinogenic ability. (Meaning it can further aid in creating an insulin response.) As the now readily available glucose is being shuttled into the muscle tissue this process also attracts proteins and water to the muscle as well. This sequence of events yields much faster recovery, a heightened metabolic rate, and most important greater growth and muscular development. Next to breakfast these just might be the two most important meals of the day.