EATING the right type of energy giving foods and bodybuilding foods at the right time is essential before and after training because it ensures performance and recovery, a dietician says.
National Food and Nutrition Centre nutritionist Asaeli Naika said people needed to eat energy giving food, whole grain varieties and food with less fat and oil because these foods digest easily, settle comfortably and maintain a stable blood sugar.
He said people needed to eat a lot of energy giving food after an intensive workout because it prevented heavy or sore muscles, fatigue and injuries.
“Foods eaten before workouts help maintain your energy level for better performance during workouts or events and foods eaten after helps your body recover by stopping muscle breakdown and builds back the muscles that may have been damaged during a workout,” he said.
“Eating bodybuilding foods (protein) promotes muscle repair, growth and fixes damage caused by stress from exercise.”
Mr Naika stressed the importance of drinking water as the best hydration fluid for activities lasting less than one hour as loss of electrolytes (body salt) in sweat need to be replaced.
He encouraged young athletes to drink water during exercise and stay away from sports drinks as they are only essential for workouts lasting over an hour.
He added supplements are not advisable because they are more expensive and factories that make them are not regulated or monitored.
“A chicken sandwich has more essential amino acids at a much lower cost than an entire bottle of amino acid supplements,” he said.
“Supplements that claim to improve energy metabolism, body fat loss and muscle mass gain might have banned substances.”
