Proper nutrition helps fuel your workouts. It provides energy from carbohydrates and protein and promotes muscle development, endurance and recovery.

Eat a variety of foods and focus on proper portion control to manage calories. Choose nutrient-dense foods like leafy green vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and unsaturated fats. Pre-workout meals and snacks should be eaten two to three hours before exercise. Contact Chase Lynn Fitness & Nutrition for professional assitance.

Protein provides the amino acids that make up the building blocks of all tissues and are vital for a wide range of metabolic functions. There are 20 total amino acids; nine can be generated by the body and 11 cannot (known as essential amino acid, or EAA). Dietary proteins provide the essential amino acids, which must be consumed to ensure adequate protein availability for optimal health and physical performance.

Ingestion of protein has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS), thereby promoting muscle growth and hypertrophy. A variety of factors can influence MPS including exercise intensity, protein composition, protein timing and carbohydrate availability.

Athletes typically consume a diet rich in protein, and the importance of consuming high-quality protein has been well established in the literature. Protein can be ingested both before and after resistance training to optimize recovery and enhance strength- and hypertrophy-related adaptations.

Studies using a variety of protein sources and dosing protocols have shown that consuming protein in the immediate post-training period enhances gains in squat and bench press strength. However, the effect of timing appears to be largely dependent on the amount of protein that is already being consumed. Specifically, higher intakes of dietary protein (2-3x the RDA) appear to promote greater increases in fat-free mass when ingested both before and after training compared to lower intakes [75, 76].

While single investigations that use short-duration, high-intensity exercise have shown that protein supplementation improves strength outcomes, results from several meta-analytical and other systematic approaches have not found a consistent impact on protein-supplementation and endurance performance. Additionally, most of the cited studies that report improvements in endurance performance using protein supplementation utilize a time-to-exhaustion test rather than an incremental-effort protocol which may not accurately reflect competition and/or pacing demands.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, also known as carbs, provide energy for your body and are one of the three main ways that the body obtains calories. Carbohydrates are made up of sugars, starches and fiber. They are found in foods like fruits, grains and milk products, and are a very important part of a healthy diet. Each gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories. The body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose, which is used for energy by cells and the brain. When the body doesn’t need glucose immediately, it is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen for later use.

The body needs carbohydrate for energy during exercise and to repair and recover after workouts and competition. Depending on the intensity of the activity, carbohydrate requirements can vary considerably. During the past 5-10 years, significant advances in the understanding of carbohydrate metabolism during exercise has made it possible to provide more specific recommendations on carbohydrate intake.

A carbohydrate is a molecule with carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). Chemically, carbohydrate molecules can be broken down into simple sugars, disaccharides and polysaccharides. The simplest sugars are monosaccharides, which have one glucose molecule. Examples of monosaccharides are fructose, sucrose and lactose (milk sugar). Added sugars are found in many foods. Disaccharides have two or more sugar molecules bonded together and are referred to as table sugar or cane sugar. Examples of disaccharides are sucrose, maltose and lactose. Polysaccharides are long chains of sugar molecules and are referred to as starches. Starches are found in foods such as potatoes, rice, lentils, beans, peas and whole-grain bread.

During exercise, the body needs glucose to fuel muscle cells and the brain. Glucose is the preferred fuel for the muscle and brain, so when available, it should be consumed to maximize performance. If the body is not able to consume enough glucose, it will use other sources of energy such as fat or protein.

To prevent a “crash” in energy during exercise, it is recommended to eat a source of carbohydrate within an hour before exercising. A good choice is a sports drink or an easily digested meal such as a piece of fruit and yogurt, a low fat sandwich or piece of toast with honey, a small bowl of cereal and milk or a banana and peanut butter.

Fats

Fats provide energy to the body and are important building blocks of cell membranes, sheaths around nerve cells, hormones and other cellular functions. They also serve as a source of fuel for low-intensity exercise and help regulate the body’s endocrine system (how hormones are produced).

The type of fat you eat is important for fitness. Healthy fats are unsaturated and found in foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, plant based oils and fish. Unsaturated fats should make up 20-35% of your total calories and the majority of that should be from polyunsaturated sources.

Unlike carbohydrates, which can be stored in the muscle and liver for immediate energy, fats are primarily used as a long-term energy source. They can also contribute to the feeling of fullness after meals and can help prevent overeating by making you feel satisfied with less food.

While fats may have gotten a bad rap in the past due to the low-fat food fad, your body does need some fat in order to function properly. Including some healthy fats in your diet can improve satiety, aid in weight loss, decrease the risk of heart disease and help maintain muscle mass as you strength train.

The best dietary fats for fitness are monounsaturated fats, which are found in foods such as avocados and olive oil, and polyunsaturated fats, which are most often found in plant-based foods. For example, the plant-based fats in peanut butter, pistachios and walnuts are rich in unsaturated fats. You should aim to include these types of healthy fats in your diet as they can help you stay on track with your fitness goals and keep you energized during workouts.

Water

Water, comprised of two hydrogen (H) atoms bound to one oxygen (O) atom, covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and is vital for all plant and animal life. The simple molecule has extraordinary properties that support life, including its ability to hold onto and transport other molecules, as well as regulate body temperature. It also enables muscle cells to energize, and it is used for breathing and absorbing nutrients.

The human body needs sufficient fluid intake to maintain normal function and to flush out toxins through urine and faeces. It is also important for lubricating joints and keeping them flexible, especially during exercise. If a person becomes dehydrated, muscles tire more quickly and performance suffers.

Fluids help to control blood pressure and keep the heart properly pumping. They also help lubricate the digestive tract and prevent constipation. The best beverage for hydration is water, and it is generally recommended that people drink water with meals and snacks. Fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, and oatmeal are good sources of water as well.

Some people enjoy sports drinks, which are available bottled or canned and contain electrolytes (chiefly salt) along with sugar for energy and flavorings. They can be useful for replenishing lost electrolytes and calories during high-intensity exercise lasting an hour or more.

There is a huge market for these products, and many choices include fruit flavors, sweeteners, and other additives. However, the evidence supporting their benefits is not strong and they may be better avoided if possible, because they can increase the amount of sugar consumed.

Water is also important because it allows proteins to perform their essential functions in the cell. These proteins, made up of long chains of amino acids, must fold into a specific shape to perform their job, which is crucial for their ability to provide structure, receive signals, carry out metabolic reactions and digest nutrients. Without this ability, the cell would not survive.