Food is Fuel: Maximizing Your Performance with Nutrition

You may have heard it before, the key to a healthy lifestyle is “diet and exercise, diet and exercise…”. These two concepts are not separate – but instead work in collaboration with one another. Exercise impacts how much energy the body requires and which nutrients would most benefit for individual function, while diet can largely affect exercise performance based on the types of food eaten, the timing of nutrients entering the body, and the amount of food consumed. Think of your body as you would a car. Your car needs the right gas to run efficiently and will need a refill the longer you drive – our bodies work very similarly! 

Nutrition and Exercise Tips for Maximizing Your Performance

Understanding Macronutrients

There are three nutrients found in food that the body primarily uses, called ‘macronutrients’ because they are those that the body needs in the largest quantities. These macronutrients are carbohydrates, lipids (fats), and protein. Here’s what to know about each nutrient:

Carbohydrates: Your body’s primary energy source. Examples include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. 

Fats: Long-lasting energy for your body. Examples include avocados, olive oils, nuts, and seeds. 

Protein: Chains of amino acids that build muscle and help repair tissue. Examples include meats, eggs, beans, and lentils. 

All three of these nutrients are needed by the body when exercising, but the timing of the body receiving each nutrient can largely impact exercise performance. 

Timing of Nutrition in Workouts

Pre-Workout: Having a pre-workout snack will give the body quick access to energy during exercise, especially when eaten 30-90 minutes prior to exercise. A mixture of carbohydrates and proteins before exercise will provide energy and muscle support to help you through your workout. 

Some pre-workout snacks include: 

• Bananas or toast with peanut butter 
• Greek yogurt with fruit
• Cheese and dried fruits

During workouts that last 60 minutes or longer: When exercising for longer periods of time, a quick snack will help to maintain energy levels and endurance. 

Snacks to eat during a workout that are easy to digest include: 

• Simple carbohydrates
• Fruits
• Energy bars
• Electrolyte drinks

Post-Workout Recovery: Within 30 to 60 after exercise, high-protein snacks or meals, along with healthy fats, will help to repair muscles, while carbohydrates will restore glycogen stores. Post-workout meals may be higher in calories since the exercise is complete and there is a less likely chance for digestive symptoms when at rest. 

Snacks or meals to encourage recovery include:

• Proteins such as chicken, fish, and cottage cheese along with… 
• Complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, sweet potatoes, or whole grains and…
• A healthy fat such as avocado or nut butters

Goal-Based Meal Planning

For different athletic performance goals, there will be different nutrient needs that will most align to help meet these goals. Nutrition is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. For example, one person trying to lose weight may focus on high protein meals with portion control, whereas someone looking to gain muscle mass may focus on eating more as well as increasing protein consumption. On the other hand, an athlete who will be looking at long endurance events or sports games may need larger amounts of carbohydrates the day before an event to increase the amount of glucose available to use as energy in the bloodstream. When using nutrition as a tool to help exercise performance, it is important to consider what each exercise requires of the body, and which nutrient distribution will best help to meet that goal. Meeting with a dietitian may be the most effective way to develop a meal plan with individual performance in mind. 

General Tips for Maximizing Your Performance

1. Remember to eat carbohydrates. Our bodies run off of carbohydrates, which are needed for sustained energy. As protein increases, carbohydrates should still be a large amount of daily caloric intake. 
2. Drink enough water! A good goal is to drink  ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water per day, with a minimum goal of 64 ounces. 
3. For best performance, your body needs fuel! Don’t skip meals before exercise (or really at all!) 
4. Rely on whole-foods over supplements. Supplements are just what their name suggests – a supplement to an already healthy diet. Relying on whole-foods for the majority of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients will provide the most balanced nutrition. 

Using food as fuel is essential for maximizing your performance, optimizing your workouts, and achieving your fitness goals. By balancing macronutrients, eating at the right times, and staying hydrated, you can enhance performance, speed up recovery, and maintain overall health.