Smart Snacking

Written By: Heather Gerrish, MS, RDN

Fuel. How can we maximize our fueling practice while overcoming that “afternoon slump” or prep/recover from a tough workout? Smart snacking and finding a balance between energy, recovery and fueling your workouts is a great second step in honing in your nutrition practice!

Examples of a small pre-workout snack could include a small piece of fruit or ½ cup serving of applesauce, a piece of toast or a half granola bar (think simple!). Carbohydrates are the easiest and most readily available source of energy the body can access at any given time, and by providing a small dose of carbohydrates before a workout, your body has even quicker access to the fuel it needs in the form of circulating blood glucose. Your blood glucose is a measure of the broken down carbohydrates you consume and increases and decreases when you eat. Your liver also plays an important role in releasing glycogen (a storage form of glucose) when your blood glucose is running low and you are far from having a snack or meal. All of these components help to maintain the most readily available source of energy your body uses to function (carbohydrates!! aka - glucose).

This is why having a small snack before a workout can be a game-changer in performance, but it is important to note that this snack is rather small - roughly 10-15 grams of carbohydrates. This ensures that the body is able to break down this source of energy quickly and efficiently and not make you feel overly full - which could negatively impact how you feel and your workout performance.

Re-fueling

A vital component to training and eating like a gymnast is also re-fueling like a gymnast! Although refueling can take a little extra planning, this practice is vital in getting the best out of all that hard work!

Refueling allows the body to repair and restore the energy it needed to perform and complete training or activity. Both protein and carbohydrates are important factors in creating a refueling practice. Carbohydrates are important to include with a refueling routine to replenish glycogen stores while protein is essential for repairing and building lean tissue.

The window of opportunity for a post-exercise snack is within 30 minutes (ideally) but, if this is not possible - better late than never!

Here are some examples of easy to grab pre and post-workout snacks or combos to try during an energy low:

PRE:

Carbohydrate Source  - Simple, Easy to Digest!

  • Apple sauce (½ cup) Or ½ medium apple

  • ½ medium banana

  • Whole-grain crackers (serving size relative to nutrient information)

POST:

Carbohydrate Source + Protein

*dependent on macro needs, adjust serving sizes accordingly

  • Banana + PB

  • Yogurt + berries

  • Whole grain toast + PB

  • Fruit + Protein/PB smoothie

The important message to grasp from this blog is that having fuel to perform your workout and to replenish the energy used is vital for performance and recovery. Even if you have time for only a banana after a workout, that still provides your body with something to break down and start the repair and recovery process. Ideally, the window of opportunity is within 30 minutes of a workout and for a pre-workout snack having this 30 minutes - 1 hour beforehand is best. If you eat too close to a workout this can lead to intestinal distress - leaving you feeling rather uncomfortable as your body attempts to digest your food instead of pump blood to your working muscles.

The next time you are planning out your week and know you have some tough workouts ahead, try this breakdown and compare how your body feels during and after your workout. It might just make the difference you need to get to that next level in your training! Also, knowing that each individual is very different and will require different needs - modifying this plan accordingly is essential and trying out different combinations and timing practices is best to determine what fits your needs and routine!


References:

  • Sports Nutrition Fact Sheets.” CPSDA | SportsRd.org | Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association, www.sportsrd.org/?page_id=1747.

Heather GerrishEat Like a Gymnast