Getting through a full workout is tough when you haven鈥檛 properly fueled up. If you find that you鈥檙e regularly struggling with energy levels, it鈥檚 fair to wonder if you鈥檙e eating at the right frequency for your needs.
Some swear by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day, while others say it鈥檚 better to stick with three meals that are more substantial. Dietitians say there isn鈥檛 one hard and fast strategy that applies to everyone, but there are several factors to consider when choosing an eating plan for yourself. Here鈥檚 what nutrition experts have to say.
How, Exactly, Does Food Help Athletic Performance?
鈥淔ood plays a crucial role in athletic performance by providing the necessary energy, nutrients, and support for optimal bodily functions during training, competition, and recovery,鈥 says , a registered dietitian and certified sports specialist in dietetics at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
But specific elements in foods make a difference, Vavrek says. They鈥檙e called macronutrients, and they鈥檙e the nutrients your body needs in larger amounts to function properly.
For optimal performance, Stephani Johnson, nutrition researcher and adjunct professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University, says your body relies on three major macronutrients: carbs, fats, and proteins.
Is It Better to Eat Throughout the Day or to Have a Few Big Meals?
The resounding answer from dietitians? 鈥淚t depends.鈥 Still, many are partial to a particular eating strategy. 鈥淔rom an athletic standpoint, eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is generally better than consuming fewer large meals,鈥 Johnson says.
Vavrek agrees. 鈥淓ating throughout the day helps maintain energy levels, optimize muscle recovery, improve performance, prevent muscle breakdown, and support overall health,鈥 she says. The (ISSN) also supports the practice of 鈥渘utrient timing,鈥 which involves eating certain nutrients throughout the day to support exercise needs.
But , senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, argues that your diet depends on what you鈥檙e training for. If you favor workouts that require short bursts of energy, like sprinting, Hunnes considers fueling throughout the day to be 鈥渃ompletely unnecessary.鈥 But she concedes that people who focus on endurance sports may do better with eating throughout the day to keep energy levels up and replenish glycogen stores.
Some may even benefit from a mix of both strategies. 鈥淚 prefer a little bit of each: a few bigger meals, but having some snacks in between,鈥 says Olivia Morgan, a Mass General Brigham registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, adding that athletes shouldn鈥檛 have gaps of more than four to five hours between eating times. Longer than that, and you run the risk of the body breaking down muscle, which will work against your athletic goals.
How to Eat Throughout the Day for Improved Athletic Performance
Eating throughout the day doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean constantly snacking鈥攖here is strategy involved. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to focus on nutrient timing and a balanced intake of macronutrients,鈥 Vavrek says. She recommends aiming to eat every three to four hours to maintain energy levels, support muscle repair, and prevent long periods without nutrients.
Tailoring Your Daily Meals to Your Exercise Plans
Whether you鈥檙e eating smaller or larger meals, what you鈥檙e eating matters. 鈥淔or athletes, meals should have a balance of all macronutrients,” says Vavrek. She recommends that the macronutrient breakdown of each meal should look as follows: 45 to 65 percent carbs, 15 to 35 percent protein, and 20 to 35 percent fats.
For Aerobic Exercise
The type of exercise you do is relevant, too. For intense aerobic exercise, Johnson suggests having a small, easily digestible snack with carbs to fuel your body during exercise, like a banana, dried fruit, or yogurt (if you can tolerate dairy close to a workout).
For Workouts Less Than 60 Minutes
If you鈥檙e exercising for under an hour,聽 you should be fine just drinking water during your workout, says Johnson.
For Workouts That Exceed One Hour
If you鈥檙e doing higher-intensity workouts over 60 minutes, eating between 30 and 60 grams of carbohydrates an hour can help to keep your energy levels up. And for exercise longer than 90 minutes? Johnson recommends supplementing those carbs with electrolytes.
For After Your Workout
Post-workout, Johnson suggests a snack or meal that includes 鈥攍onger chains of sugar molecules that digest slowly to give drawn-out energy and prevent blood sugar spikes鈥攖o help replenish glycogen stores and protein to promote muscle recovery. An apple with nut butter or a slice of turkey on a whole wheat tortilla are ideal menu items.
For Strength Training Days
For strength training sessions, Johnson suggests having 15 to 25 grams of protein one to three hours before your workout to help prevent muscle breakdown and support recovery. After you’ve completed your workout, consume 20 to 40 grams of protein within half an hour to two hours to boost muscle building, improve recovery, and reduce soreness.
For Easy Workout and Active Recovery Days
But if your workouts are more laid-back, you don鈥檛 necessarily need to be all that strategic about your eating. 鈥淪omeone who is working out leisurely would not need to fuel throughout the day or necessarily change much about what they’re doing,鈥 says Hunnes.
If You Prefer Eating Big Meals During the Day, Do This
If you prefer to have larger meals or it鈥檚 all that your schedule allows for, Vavrek says there is still strategy involved. 鈥淭he goal is to consume the necessary macronutrients to fuel the body for training, support recovery, and optimize overall performance,鈥 she says. 鈥淭ry to avoid skipping meals and consume at least three meals a day to prevent going too long without eating.鈥 Vavrek adds that all meals should still be balanced and include all macronutrients and food groups.
Timing is also essential. 鈥淧re-workout meals should be consumed one to three hours before exercise,鈥 Vavrek says, noting that pre-exercise meals should lean heavily into carbohydrates. 鈥淎fter a workout, aim for a balanced meal within one to two hours.鈥
Pro tip: You can also pre-load your meals if you have a race or event coming up. 鈥淓ating a lot of carbs the night before鈥攈ealthy carbs such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables鈥攁nd then perhaps a smaller pre-race meal of faster-digesting carbs, a banana, and a small amount of peanut butter,鈥 can be helpful,鈥 Hunnes says.
Signs You鈥檙e Not Fueling Yourself Correctly
You can feel wiped out fast when you鈥檙e not fueling the right way. 鈥淲e call it 鈥榯he bonk,鈥欌 Morgan says. 鈥淵our body kind of runs out of that fuel, and you get feelings of weakness, like you can鈥檛 go on any further.鈥
Hunnes says that soreness that lasts longer than normal and feeling unable to keep up your normal activity levels for days in a row are also signs you鈥檙e not getting the proper nutrition.
Experiencing mental and physical fatigue here and there can be a challenging annoyance, but attempting to muscle through energy depletion can take a toll on your body. 鈥Chronic energy deficiency in athletes can lead to long-term health consequences such as low bone mineral density, nutrient deficiencies, and hormone dysfunction,鈥 Vavrek says.
The International Olympic Committee has several on proper fueling for athletes, each broken down by easy, moderate, and hard workout days to make the guidance even easier to follow. Morgan also suggests meeting with a sports dietitian if your budget and/or health insurance allow for it.
If the dietitian route isn鈥檛 an option, Morgan suggests taking a moment to think about when you鈥檙e hungry during the day and when you typically exercise. 鈥淎re you prioritizing fueling before your workouts?鈥 she asks. 鈥淎nd how frequently are you eating throughout the day?鈥
While it鈥檚 generally recommended that you eat smaller meals throughout the day for athletic performance, dietitians acknowledge that this approach isn鈥檛 for everyone.
As Morgan succinctly puts it: 鈥淓verybody is different.鈥
Want more of聽国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?聽.