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What Are Good Diets While Working Out?

Working out is a great way to take care of your body, but it is also necessary to support your body with adequate nutrition. For example, certain nutrients can help your body to produce energy and help your muscles and heart work properly. This will help you in your workout, as well as help your body to recover from a workout.

  1. Daily Nutrition

    • It is important to ensure that you are getting an adequate amount of calories, protein, and other nutrients in your diet when working out. The recommendations for this are available from the USDA, based on age, weight, height and activity level. Those who are working out for a lengthy amount of time, such as training for a marathon, are advised to eat 9-12 servings of carbohydrates, 3-4 servings of protein, 2-3 servings of dairy, and 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

    Post-Workout Nutrition

    • Research has proven that eating carbohydrates and protein after a workout will help speed up your body's recovery. These should be eaten within 30 minutes of finishing your workout. It is recommended to eat 0.3-0.6 grams of carbohydrates per pound of your body weight. For protein, this recommendation is 1 gram of protein for every 3-4 grams of carbohydrates.

    Time Your Meals

    • Some people eat one large meal per day. This is not healthy when working out. Instead, you should aim to eat more frequent, smaller meals. This will keep a constant supply of nutrients in your body. It is also recommended to avoid eating 3-4 hours before bedtime, as this food will get stored as fat. Also, remember that starting the day off with a healthy breakfast is very important.

    Get Micronutrients

    • Micro-nutrients are very important for your body, especially with an active lifestyle. These are important when working out because they can help your body both during the activity and with recovery. The USDA has reported that Americans do not get enough calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A,C, and E. It is important to eat a wide variety of foods so that your body gets all the nutrients necessary, as well as what is necessary to absorb each nutrient.

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