Fuelling your body after a workout is crucial

Something that many amateur or beginner “athletes” are yet to learn is how and when to fuel our bodies during physical activity.

There is a lot of information on the net about fuelling but very often it’s one of the last things on the minds of people new to exercise or formal sports. It took me many years to venture into the world of fuelling before, during or after exercise.

Sport supplements

For the longest time, I was very sceptical about sports supplements. In fact, I even used to think that the sports supplements that come in those big containers at the chemists are illegal supplements. So with that, for a long time, I would eat a banana before heading out for a run or a cycle, drink water during activity and eat a sandwich afterwards.

As the years go by and as I continuously engage with fellow athletes and coaches, I have learnt about the importance of fuelling before, during and after physical activity. And also that fuelling is not necessarily about sports supplements but more about feeding the body to prepare it for activity, keep it going during the activity and for recovery afterwards.

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Beginners seldom think of the before and after and tend to focus more on the during. For example, many runners and cyclists will hardly have something to eat and drink before a race event or they’ll have something small like fruit or cereal.

Then during the event, there are often refreshment stations offering a few snacks, water and a sports drink. At the finish line, there is usually water and a sports drink and then you head home.

Little do many know that having food containing carbohydrates and maybe protein 45 minutes to an hour before an event helps to prepare you for the event ends, you need to have a recovery drink or meal containing protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes of crossing the finish line.

This ensures that you don’t “crash” once you get home but more importantly it ensures that your muscles recover from the exercise.

There are plenty of supplements on the market that contain protein and carbohydrates. From energy bars to energy gels and liquid sports drinks as well. You don’t have to use sports supplements, real food is also good for you.

For example, a peanut butter and jam sandwich on white bread or boiled eggs with toast are good and give you the energy to start. Once the event begins, every 45 minutes to an hour you need to top up the fuel with more carbohydrates to keep up the energy, until you finish.

If you have ever done a sporting event lasting more than an hour and your energy drops, the reason for that is that you are not topping up your energy reserves with more fuel. Have you ever completed a sporting event, driven home and passed out on the couch the rest of the afternoon?

Carbohydrates

Well, that’s usually due to the fact that you didn’t maintain a fuelling strategy during the event and after you crossed the finish line. Once your sporting event ends, you need to have a recovery drink or meal containing protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes of crossing the finish line.

This ensures that you don’t “crash” once you get home but more importantly it ensures that your muscles recover from the exercise. There are plenty of supplements on the market that contains protein and carbohydrates.

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From energy bars to energy gels and liquid sports drinks as well. You don’t have to use sports supplements, real food is also good for you. For example, a peanut butter and jam sandwich on white bread or boiled eggs with toast are good breakfast options to kickstart you before a sporting event longer than an hour.

A beef burger and chips can be enjoyed at the end of a race because the patty is protein and the roll and chips are carbohydrates. A protein shake also works well. Of course, these examples are good for you if your intensity is hard, so I’m not advocating for a burger and chips after a 5km walk or jog.

So in essence, with regards to fuelling for activities longer than one hour, I would suggest a pre-activity meal, something during a workout and a recovery meal post-activity.

There are also many supplement products on the market and I have had my fair share of trying many of them. It boils down to personal preferences, so go out there and try out various options.

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