How to Eat Strategically to Maximize Your Training
When you are training, do you know how to truly maximize your workouts by timing the types of foods you eat?
Do you know what types of food you should be eating based off the intensity of your workouts?
Unless you’re a nutritionist, most of us are unsure how to eat strategically to maximize performance or have a general idea but are unaware how to time different types of foods to truly get the most out of your workouts. The key to understanding these concepts comes down to three things: heart rate zones, digestion timing, and energy metabolism.
Heart Rate Zones
Our bodies burn different types of energy (carbohydrates or fats) at different heart rate ranges. Carbohydrates are our main source of energy and produce 4 Calories per gram, and fats are our secondary source of energy and produce 9 Calories per gram. At a heart rate of less than 140 BPM, the main energy source burned is carbohydrates. This range is great for low-intensity, longer workouts and improves lung capacity and cardiovascular endurance. Between 140 and 155 BPM, the main energy source burned is fats. This range is great for weight loss and fat-burning and improves conditioning and muscular endurance. At greater than 155 BPM, the energy burned is both carbohydrates and fats. This range is great for short, high-intensity bursts but is not meant to be maintained.
Keep in mind that these are the energies MOST burned at each range. Energy systems don’t have on-off switches. They just turn on MORE during specific ranges. Based on what heart rate range you plan to be in during your workouts and the training goals you have, you can use this guide to strategically adjust your diet to maximize your workouts and more quickly achieve your goals. However, it is important to understand the timing of these energy systems as to be able to use the energy we receive from our food when it becomes available.
Digestion Timing & Energy Metabolism
Our bodies metabolize different types of food at different rates. Protein is digested or metabolized at 3 to 10 grams per hour depending on the type of protein, as leaner protein like chicken metabolizes into energy at a faster rate than fatty protein like beef. Carbohydrates are digested at different rates depending on the type of carbohydrate: simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates like fruits and sugar are metabolized immediately and provide full available energy in 15 minutes, but that energy must be used within 30 minutes or it will be stored. Complex carbohydrates like oats and whole wheat foods are metabolized slower and provide energy over a period of time starting at 15 minutes and provide full available energy at 3 to 6 hours depending on your metabolism intensity and if it was eaten with other foods. Finally, fats are metabolized immediately and provide a slow release of high-caloric energy from 15 minutes after eating and provide full available energy at 3 hours.
It is important to first consider the intensity of your workout and what energy is needed for it based on the predicted heart rate range. Then, based on the digestion times above, eat strategically at the proper time to provide energy when you begin and during your workout to maximize your training. A final note, it is wise to maintain a consistent stream of protein intake throughout the day but not in excess as, contrary to popular belief, research shows our bodies’ ability to synthesize protein into our muscles maxes out at 25 grams of protein and the rest sits in our digestive system, meaning the fastest we can digest 25 grams of protein is in 2 ½ hours. Be strategic about your food choices and time your meals to get the most out of your training.
If you have any questions on how to implement these concepts into your diet and training or would like help doing so, let me know and I’ll help you get started!
