Whether you earn your living by working up a sweat or squeeze in workouts at the gym when you can, it’s easy to fall prey to nutrition errors which unintentionally hold you back from getting all that you can out of your workouts.
Most nutrition experts say that diet is approximately 70% of the weight-loss equation and exercise is the other 30%. If you don’t tweak your eating habits with your workout programme, you are likely to not see results – or at least not see them quickly. A poor diet may also make you tire out faster and increase the chances that you’ll burn lean muscle mass as energy, which could slow your metabolism.
Diet and workouts work hand in hand in terms of improving your physique, boosting your health and empowering you to be better at whatever physical activity you choose to do. That being said, both men and women are making some serious nutrition mistakes which end up costing them in the long term.
Don’t Forget The Good Fats
Getting sufficient amounts of good fats in your diet is a smart strategy for both sports nutrition and weight control. This is because fat:
- Postpones stomach emptying so that you feel fuller longer;
- Increases satiety so that hunger hormones are shut off;
- Boosts antioxidant absorption which – in emerging research – is related to leanness; and
- Increases metabolic rate in order to help you burn more calories.
In actual fact, fat is one of the most vital nutrients in your diet as it’s a structural part of your cells. This means that you can’t heal a cell or construct a new one without sufficient fat to perform these important jobs.
Cutting back too much on good fats can cause fatigue, chronic hunger, or diminished satiety, irritability, depression, a weaker immune system and even an increased risk of injury. So even if you’re trying to lessen your body fat percentage, don’t be afraid to add in almond butter to a smoothie, top off your salad with avocado, and sauté your veggies in extra virgin olive oil. Filling the fat gap could be the key to seeing results in your weight-loss efforts.
Drink Enough Fluids Before A Workout
If you feel weak after a hard, sweaty workout, it may be at least partially due to dehydration. Many people don’t realise that just a 2% level of dehydration in the body equates to about a 10% decrease in performance, which worsens as dehydration worsens.
Dehydration may not only make you feel fatigued, but it can cause headaches and contribute to cramping. Drink water or low-calorie fluids throughout the day and include 450 to 600 ml with your pre-workout meal two to four hours before.
Drink 150 to 300 ml within 30 minutes of the start of your workout. Continue to drink that amount every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. If you are a heavy sweater, you could need to drink on the higher end of the recommendation to stay hydrated and help prevent a decrease in performance..
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Good nutrition is essential to all forms of physical activity. Find out more about optimal sports nutrition by studying our Sports Nutrition Diploma. Find out more by following this link.
