Most people are energised by their exercise regime, are they not? You see these fit people who go to the gym every other day, showing off their glowing, taut skin, as they zip around, full of beans. And you can see in their bright, alert eyes, that they are energised; ready for anything life throws at them.
So why does my exercise regime leave me aching all over and feeling like I can’t move for three days? You can see in my tired, barely open eyes that I can’t cope with anything life throws at me and I just want to go to bed.
What am I doing wrong?
I have been spending some time investigating this recently, as it is something I would really like to get to the bottom of, and all the evidence points to nutrition. That weak, weariness I get following exercise is probably because I am not paying enough attention to what my body needs to support the physical burst of activity. I had tried various protein shakes, but there is more to it than that. It’s always more complicated than that though, isn’t it? It’s all about timing and about getting the right balance of essential nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and amino acids.
A Healthy Start
I usually start the day with a bowl of porridge and two pints of freshly made smoothie. The porridge is a good cholesterol regulator, a decent source of iron, and a reasonable source of carbohydrate, plus with the milk, gives me a little calcium to start the day.
My smoothie contents vary, but I like to get frozen fruit/veg mixes and will often add a carrot, banana and maybe a little fresh spinach. This gives me a morning vitamin and fibre boost, setting me up for the day.
I tend to like to exercise late morning, just before lunch. And herein lies the problem. I was assuming that this breakfast was sufficient to bolster me through my exercise, but I was not paying attention to my carbohydrate and protein needs.
Carbohydrate and Protein
Although I was getting some carbs from my porridge and smoothie mix, this was probably not sufficient for the amount of energy I required. Carbohydrates store energy in the muscles in the form of glycogen, and once these stores are used up, the body starts to look to its protein and amino acid reserves. The muscles need your amino acids to form proteins and protein to regenerate muscles that are used during exercise, so with insufficient stores of any of these nutrients in the chain, it is going to lead to a feeling of fatigue and exhaustion, and can even lead to muscle damage, which can impair your ability to store glycogen from carbohydrates – causing a vicious cycle.
When loading up on carbohydrates prior to a workout, it is a good idea to mix different types of carbohydrates in order to get as much benefit as possible. Complex carbohydrates are the most important as they provide a slow release of energy, and include starchy vegetables such as potatoes, wholegrain rice and bread, pulses such as peas and beans, and leafy green vegetables. They also tend to be rich in fibre and other nutrients, as an added bonus. Simple carbs include things like sugar, honey and maple syrup. As they are rapidly ingested, you can get the energy from these straight away, but it will burn away more quickly too, so will not provide you the endurance power that you need for longer workouts. Overdoing it on the simple carbs can give you a spike in energy, which will be followed by a dip, during which you will lack energy and feel tired, which is why complex carbs are so important.
The B vitamins also help assist the process of converting carbohydrate into energy, and are therefore a consideration. Decent sources include beans, seeds, tuna, salmon and dark, leafy greens.
Good protein sources include meat, fish, beans, nuts and seafood. It is better to go for lean meat that is low in saturated fat, as this is better for your cholesterol levels.
A Helping Hand
Wait a minute though, I do actually work on a morning. I don’t have time to cook myself a massive meal, that incorporates the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, fibre and everything else I need, and take the time to eat it a few hours before I exercise.
This is why I was delighted to discover Gold Standard Nutrition as part of my ongoing investigation into fitness nutrition. Their Pot O Gold range was ideal. All I needed to do was bang it in the microwave at around 10/11am, and then I would be ready to exercise few hours after. There are 7 different varieties to choose from, including chicken satay (my favourite), Thai green curry, chilli black bean, barbecue, sweet chilli and tikka. They are all high in protein, balanced with carbohydrate from the rice, and fibre and vitamins from the vegetables included in the pot. They are low in fat, and many varieties are free from saturated fat altogether, giving you a healthy, and convenient nutritional base for your training needs.
I also decided to try the steamed chicken. I must admit, the thought of a bag of chicken was quite off putting to begin with, but they are moist and tender, not dry and chewy, like some pre-cooked chicken can be. Moreover, they are incredibly convenient. Just heat up and pour over some of the healthy sauces on offer. I have only tried the green chilli and coriander so far, but was very impressed how it instantly made a meal out of my chicken. I served it with a jacket potato, which again is minimal effort, and a handful of spinach.
Pre-cooked, mashed vegetables are also a handy addition to the range, but I draw the line at beef jerky.
It turns out my cat also likes the chicken, so everyone’s a winner.
Post Workout Nutrition
Of course, the nutritional demands of exercise do not stop there. In the 15 to 20 minutes after a workout, there is a window that offers you the perfect opportunity to replenish your levels of glycogen in the muscles and prevent the muscles from trying to use up your protein stores as energy; so you can rebuild and repair your muscle structures from your protein supplies instead.
There have definitely been some improvements since I started stocking up on carbohydrates and protein before and after my exercise sessions. I feel less weary and have stopped aching as much. Whether I can continue the discipline of this routine remains to be seen, but I am hopefully another step closer to a healthier me.
Sources
Carbohydrate Nutrition and Fatigue – February 1992 – David L. Costill Mark Hargreaves – https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-199213020-00003
IÑIGO SAN MILLÁN, PHD – January 2013
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/the-importance-of-carbohydrates-and-glycogen-for-athletes/
