Nutrition during training. What and how often to eat under heavy loads?

About the right approach to nutrition during intensive training - Championship expert, wellness coach Andrey Semeshov

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I noticed that as soon as a person turns to fitness, he immediately begins to be interested in how to competently and correctly build a diet. God forbid, the muscles will be overtaken by catabolism, and forty-five minutes of torment in the gym will be in vain.

Eat every three hours. Don't eat after six. Immediately after training (right in the locker room!) you need a protein shake with a banana. Or not with a banana, but only with chocolate, because “fast carbohydrates”? There are a lot of clear recommendations on what to do with food before, during and after training. The only pity is that they often completely contradict each other. So what should we do? Who should you listen to in the end? I propose to approach the issue from the standpoint of common sense and a little physiology.

When to eat to grow muscles?

Panic fear of catabolism haunts all beginners who set their sights on bulky muscles. I had a chance to watch how guys (girls were not seen doing this) brought containers of rice directly to the gym to load up on carbohydrates between sets. And almost every third person has “business lunches” in the locker room.

But let's remember that the process of digesting food and assimilating the fastest carbohydrates is not so rapid. Even liquid food will take half an hour to pass through the stomach, and solid food will take six hours or longer. But digestion, during which we absorb all the nutrients, also continues in the intestines. That is, even if you start snacking immediately after finishing your workout, you will not be able to immediately reverse the catabolic processes.

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There is another disadvantage to trying to eat immediately after exercise. When lifting weights, our body goes into a state of stress. And the reaction to stress from a physiological point of view is always the same (only the strength of the response differs). Among other things, blood flow is redistributed from the digestive organs in favor of the muscles. This is how our body prepares us to overcome danger—the “fight or flight” defense response. And it takes a certain period of time to reconfigure to a peaceful regime. Pushing food into yourself early is not the smartest idea. Of course, no one will tell you exactly up to the minute how long it is better to wait. But in practice, taking a shower and walking/driving to your home or restaurant is an excellent tactic.

Fully or partially limited products

The training diet is designed to solve two main problems:

• gaining muscle mass;
• elimination of fat deposits.

That is why the amount of lipids in dishes should be as minimal as possible. If there are a lot of lipids in the diet, then not only metabolism , but also the process of assimilation of useful microelements and vitamins .

Protein dishes should contain a minimum amount of fat, so chicken legs and pork are completely excluded. They should be replaced by veal and poultry breast. Restrictions are also imposed on dairy products. Yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese, kefir and milk should be low-fat. Only fish can be fatty - this is a pleasant exception to all the rules.

Table of prohibited products

What and how often do you eat between workouts?

Equally important is the regularity of meals. I've heard stories of people setting alarms at regular intervals even at night to drink a protein shake. However, there is such a fact: a person can live for about two months without food at all, only on water. And he won't die. Will seven or even nine hours of sleep really ruin all your efforts in the gym? Moreover, some types of food, especially fats, can be absorbed by the body throughout the day. That is, it is quite enough to have a normal dinner and fearlessly fall asleep - the muscles will continue to recover during sleep even without additional snacks in a semi-conscious state.

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Many people are afraid of carbohydrates in the evening. And in vain. The common belief that pasta will go to muscles in the morning and straight to fat in the evening does not correspond to the truth. What matters is the total daily calorie content and the intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. If you eat less than you spend, you will lose weight. Eating in excess means the body will begin to build new muscle fibers (and at the same time fat cells. We will definitely talk about how to minimize this process in the following materials).

Again, listen to yourself. If you feel uncomfortable falling asleep with a full stomach, limit yourself to a light protein dinner with vegetables in the evening. If you have no problems falling asleep, then you can eat whatever your heart desires. At least croissants with condensed milk.

And remember that proper rest is no less, and perhaps even more important, in building muscles than a well-designed diet.

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Recipes

Omelette with shrimp

A nutritious breakfast that guarantees a long-term absence of hunger. The benefits of the dish are colossal, but the set of products is minimal. If you don’t have shrimp on hand, you can easily replace them with any other seafood.

Ingredients:

• 6 boiled shrimp;
• 2 eggs;
• pepper;
• milk 100 ml.

Recipe

Beat eggs and milk, adding pepper. Pour the resulting mass into a special mold for the microwave or conventional oven, add pre-boiled shrimp. Bake until done for 10 minutes.

Protein pancakes

The recipe will be useful to everyone who is working on building muscle mass, because... Protein pancakes are an ideal source of protein with minimal carbohydrate content.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs;
• cereals;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• baking powder and vanilla.

Recipe

Mix the ingredients: 4 egg whites, half a glass of cottage cheese, half a glass of oatmeal, half a teaspoon of vanilla, and a pinch of baking powder. Cook over medium heat in a preheated frying pan. Pancakes need to be fried on both sides; When ready, garnish with banana slices or fresh berries.

Beef with pumpkin

Creatine is a source of energy, the low fat content and the pumpkin itself will help you get rid of hunger for a long time.

Ingredients:

• beef 200 g;
• pumpkin;
• pepper.

Recipe

Boil the beef, adding pepper to taste. Boil the pumpkin for 30-45 minutes. Mix the meat with the pumpkin and simmer in a saucepan until cooked. Add your favorite sauce.

If your goal is to lose weight

Have you heard the saying that you should never eat before or after a workout? “In the first case, it is necessary for the body to burn fat during exercise. In the second, again, so that recovery takes place due to fats.”

I also really like the recommendation, on pain of terminal obesity, not to eat in the evening, in especially hardcore versions - after 18:00. I remember the joke: “You can’t eat after six!” Girl, how old are you? - Seven... - That's it, don't eat!

In fact, nature arranged us very wisely. And with the expectation that food will always be irregular (today a mammoth was killed, tomorrow not). The body is excellent at both storing energy for future use and expending it when necessary.

Therefore, if you are faced with the task of getting rid of some part of the fat layer, there is no need to adhere to any clear timing. Your global goal is to ensure that you are in a caloric deficit every day. There have been many studies comparing various dietary approaches, for example, low-carb diets with low-fat diets, fractionated meals with the now popular intermittent fasting. The verdict of science is that only a general caloric deficit is decisive for weight loss. Other factors, from the point of view of weight loss, are so insignificant that they can be neglected.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Then why are different protocols invented? Firstly, we love to play different games, that’s how we are designed. And we can perceive following some sophisticated strict diet as an adventure, a challenge. An element of gamification can help overcome the not-so-pleasant feeling of mild malnutrition. Secondly, each of us is individual. Some people cannot live without breakfast, lunch and dinner, or even better with a couple of snacks in between. And even if the portions are small (calories are limited), it’s easier for them. For others, including myself, it is not a problem to skip both breakfast and lunch, but in the late afternoon, especially before bed, it is simply necessary to eat a hearty meal for psychological comfort. Accordingly, it would be wise for the first to choose a scheme with fractional meals, the second - with intermittent fasting, when all meals are compressed in time into a period of several hours.

If you follow a negative calorie intake, both will lose weight with equal success. Just like they will gain weight. After all, no diet is an indulgence “eat as much as you like and lose weight.” You can successfully store kilograms on keto, and even on the strictest “no-carbohydrate” diet.

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Carbohydrates

Due to the increased popularity of low-carb diets, the reputation of carbohydrates has gotten worse. But we should not forget that they act as the main source of energy for humans. Carbohydrates should account for 45-65% of the total calories per day. This indicator is most important for those who train.

An important point is the choice of the type of carbohydrates. The source of energy for training is not sweets and fast food products. Such options are always available, but are not suitable for training. Preference should be given to complex carbohydrates, which are found in abundance in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Whole grains take a long time to digest, give a long-lasting feeling of fullness and provide the body with the necessary energy. They are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Squirrels

We need proteins to support recovery and growth processes. Protein is simply necessary for the restoration of muscle fibers after training and for building muscle mass. If there are not enough carbohydrates, then proteins become the source of energy, but the body has to expend a very large amount of energy to digest and assimilate protein foods, which additionally loads the digestive system. The required amount of protein is found in the following foods:

• fish (salmon, tuna);
• poultry meat (turkey, chicken);
• dairy products (yogurt, kefir, milk);
• red meat (beef, lamb);
• lentils and beans;
• chicken, quail eggs.

It is better to give preference to lean protein sources that contain virtually no trans fats. Try to limit your consumption of processed foods and red meat.

Fruits and vegetables

Try to keep your diet rich in fruits and vegetables, because they are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins with a minimum content of fat and calories. Half of the plate during each meal should be occupied by fruits and vegetables. They should be of different colors for maximum taste enjoyment. Try to ensure that every trip to the store ends with the purchase of a new fruit or vegetable. For snacks, use dried fruits and always take them with you, and keep frozen or fresh vegetables in the refrigerator.

Healthy fats

Fats must be the “right” ones if you are serious about building the figure of your dreams. Thanks to unsaturated fats, the activity of inflammatory processes in the body is suppressed. Whatever the exercise (aerobic/strength training), the main source of “fuel” for its implementation is fat, the reserves of which can be enough for even the longest workouts. Where are healthy fats found:

• avocado;
• seeds;
• nuts;
• olives;
• oils

Table of permitted products

In this case, who should you listen to?

The answer is banal - yourself, your body. You make a conscious decision to lose weight. You understand that sometimes it will be uncomfortable and you will have to limit yourself. But it is in your power to choose a diet or, if you like, a diet so that this inconvenience can be tolerated as easily as possible.

Is your goal to build muscle? The hike doesn't change. Determine your daily caloric intake and distribute it throughout the day so that it does not greatly disrupt your usual routine. Agree, if you have an office job with many meetings, then taking snack breaks at a strictly defined time is not the most convenient option. Well, no problem. Make yourself a complete breakfast, lunch and dinner. The lack of snacks and afternoon snacks will not hinder muscle growth.

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