Sunday, July 26, 2009

Body Building Tips, How Important Is Pre-Workout Nutrition

By Ricardo d Argence

The saying says, "if you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail", and the same holds true for each and every one of your workouts. Every session in the gym should be treated as a battle, and just like any other battle in life you must enter it with proper mental and physical readiness.

A carefully planned pre-workout meal will ensure that you always enter the gym at peak strength and will provide your body with the necessary tools to battle the weights as effectively as possible.

The meal you eat before working out must accomplish three things: 1. Making you as strong as possible. 2. During the workout you should provide your mind and muscles with a constant stream of balanced energy. 3. You will be minimizing the muscle breakdown process in addition to providing the necessary tools to help your body recover post-workout.

The first thing to make sure of is that you are properly hydrated before beginning your workout. Water plays a vital role in keeping strength and energy levels peaked, so always ensure that you've consumed an adequate amount of water in the few hours before you train.

Your pre-workout meal should be eaten approximately 30 to 45 minutes before you enter the gym. The initial ingredient in this meal is, obviously, protein. Maintaining an anabolic workout state helps prevent muscle breakdown and this protein will help you do that.

Whey protein makes for a great pre-workout choice because it helps to prevent muscle catabolism during your workout. Mixing your whey with milk is a good idea because this will slow down the release of the protein and provide your body with a steady stream of amino acids throughout your workout.

Along with your protein shake you should also consume 1-2 portions of low-glycemic carbohydrates. Low glycemic carbohydrates are ideal before the workout because they are broken down and absorbed gradually in the bloodstream, providing your body with a steady stream of energy throughout your workout.

When you consume sugary food, it is immediately released into your bloodstream so your body releases a surge of insulin in order to keep your sugar level in check. choose carbohydrates that won't cause this rapid fluctuation in insulin levels so that the last thing you want in the middle of a high intensity workout.

Oatmeal, apples or brown rice are good pre-workout carbohydrate choices. These foods will fuel your body with a steady stream fo sugars throughout the workout, keeping your energy levels continually peaked. For easy digestion and to prevent you from feeling sick when you train, eat only a small pre-workout meal. It is best to exercise after eating.

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