Pre-Exercise Nutrition Lecture

Instructor: Jack, Sports Dietitian at Ink Nutrition

Introduction

• Importance: Enhances performance and prevents GI discomfort.
• Target Audience: Both elite athletes and casual exercisers.
• General Advice: Individual needs vary, consult a dietitian if necessary.

Main Goals of Pre-Exercise Nutrition

1. Maximize glycogen stores
2. Allow sufficient digestion time
3. Use familiar, simple foods
4. Achieve optimal hydration

Maximizing Glycogen Stores

• What is Glycogen?: Carbohydrate storage form, essential for endurance/high-intensity activities.
• Daily Diet: High in high-quality complex carbs.
• Pre-Exercise Meal Composition: High in complex carbs, moderate protein/fat, low fiber.

Carbohydrate Needs

• Endurance Athletes: Focus on carbs, even the night before an event.
  • Carb Amount: 0.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight in pre-exercise meal.
  • Example: 200-pound person needs 100 grams of carbs.
• Strength Athletes: Balanced meal, not as carb-focused but still essential.

Protein Timing

• Post-Workout Priority: Only have pre-exercise if post-workout meal is not possible.
• Later Digesting: Avoid right before exercise to prevent upset stomach.

Carb Loading

• Goal: Enhance endurance through glycogen supercompensation.
• Modern Strategy: 3 days of high carbs (70-80% of calories) while tapering exercise.
• Practical Application: Focus on increasing carb intake 24 hours before, except for extreme endurance events.

Timing and Digestion

• 2-4 Hours: Time needed to digest a meal sufficiently.
• Planning: Crucial for performance.
• Last-Minute Snacks: Easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich snacks can be ingested within an hour of exercise.

Familiar Foods

• Importance: Avoid trying new foods before big events.
• Practice: Use training sessions to determine what foods work best.

Hydration

• Continuous: Hydration should be a day-long effort.
• General Guideline: 5-7 mL/kg of body weight 3-4 hours before exercise.
• Pre-Exercise Water: About a cup 10-15 minutes before exercise.
• Avoid Overhydration: Rare but possible; look for pale yellow urine.
• Electrolyte Balance: Necessary for long, hot, and sweaty endurance activities.

Practical Meal Ideas Pre-Exercise

• 2-3 Hours Before:
  • Pasta with tomato sauce, shrimp, and roasted veggies.
  • Salmon with sweet potato and broccoli.
  • Turkey sandwich with fruit.
  • Clean burrito bowl.
  • Huevos rancheros.
  • Grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and fruit.
  • Oatmeal with walnuts and berries, possibly with eggs on wheat toast.
  • Stir fry with high complex carbohydrates.
• Within 1 Hour Before:
  • Fresh fruit: banana, orange, peach, grapes, melon, berries.
  • Dates, figs, sports drinks.
  • Half PB&J on white bread.
  • Toast with peanut butter, banana, honey.
  • Crackers with hummus.
  • Fig bars, energy chews, small smoothie or oatmeal bowl.
  • Baked potato, pretzels, applesauce.

Foods to Avoid Pre-Exercise

• Excessive Dairy: Milk, yogurt, cheese.
• Greasy Foods: Burgers, fries, pizza.
• High-Fat Foods: Creamy dressings, excessive oil/butter, fried food.
• Excessive Sweets: Be mindful of cake, cookies, candy.
• Beverages: Soft drinks, energy drinks; moderate coffee/tea due to diuretic effect.

Summary

• Daily Diet: High in carbohydrates, especially for endurance athletes.
• Timing: 2-3 hours before with balanced meals; light snacks if needed closer to exercise.
• Hydration: Constant, not just before exercise.

Next Week

• Topic: Post-exercise nutrition and recovery meals.