Eating a well-balanced diet affects your exercise recovery and gains significantly. The effect of nutrition on the body in combination with exercise is well documented, and it is widely accepted that good nutrition is required to recover satisfactorily after exercise. Therefore, it is important to keep an eye on your diet when exercising, and ensuring you are getting enough proper nutrition to fuel your body.
First off, eating a healthy and nutritional breakfast is important. Eating breakfast regularly has been linked to a lowered risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. A healthy breakfast replenishes the nutrition your body needs after sleeping and can get you going from the start of the day.
Secondly, ensure you are fuelling your body’s energy with carbohydrates. These are the essential ingredient in creating energy, and when exercising it is important to keep your carb intake high enough to keep you going, or you may end up becoming lethargic and tired after your workout. Furthermore, the right carbs should be consumed. Sweet foods contain simple carbs that process quickly and won’t get you feeling full. Complex carbs found in fruits, beans, vegetables, and whole grains are what’s required to keep you feeling full and fuel your body all day, as they break down slower.
Thirdly, in order for your body to grow, recover and become stronger after exercise, protein is required. Protein is the essential building block for building and repairing muscles, and as a result, your meals should be packed with it. Protein can come from red meat such as beef or lamb, poultry such as chicken or turkey, fish such as tuna and salmon, beans and lentils, eggs, and dairy.
Fourth, eat healthy fats. Unsaturated fats can help provide calories and reduce inflammation. They also provide essential fatty acids and calories to fuel your body. These healthy unsaturated fats can be found in avocados, nuts, olives, seeds, and certain oils e.g. olive oil.
Healthy eating definitely affects physical exercise recovery and gains and is more important than just exercising. Well, balanced nutrition is essential to recovering and building a strong and healthy body.
