You probably eat the right stuff, but do you eat it at the right time? Did you know that timing is really important when it comes to fueling your workout? Always make sure that you eat enough because, when you are hungry, you gotta eat, and when you’re thirsty, it is too late, you are already deshydrated!

It is important to address a few things: BEFORE exercising:

For STRENGTH TRAINING, you must eat 1 hour prior to your training (which is not ‘the snack’ of the day – it is on top of ‘the snack’, something designed for your ‘pre-workout-snack’). A banana, avocado on crackers, salsa and rice crackers, shake, a small bowl of cereals (however snacks with a lot of fibers might sit too long in your stomach so go for the carbs or protein without too much fibers, etc.

For CARDIO, you want to eat 2 hours prior (same thing, on top of the snack you would eat). If you don’t have time to follow these timing and you get close to your workout and haven’t eaten yet, try a shake or smoothie which is better than solid food and won’t be sitting in your stomach too long while you workout.

AFTER your exercise, there are 2 windows of opportunity that you want to seize in order to ensure your next workout will be successful. You want to eat 2 things: Carbs and Proteins.

CARBS: You have a 30 minutes window to eat some carbs. Sometimes, you don’t even have time to get home and the window has closed. Your muscles are like sponges and the wholes of the sponges are wide open, waiting to be fed, right then. Once they close, it is too late, on your next workout, your muscles will feel like a dry sponge, have you ever tried to wipe a counter with a dry-hard-sponge? It feels pretty crappy right? So carry something with you: dates, fruit, or even juice, the fruit-to-go bars, etc. so that you eat carbs right after your workout.

PROTEIN: for the protein part, you have 2 hours after your workout to replenish your muscles, the amino acids in the proteins will help rebuild your muscles. So within the 2 hours period after your workout, make sure you eat some protein: hard boiled egg, nuts, quinoa, chicken (if it’s not 6am LOL), nut butter, etc.

WHILE you exercise: make sure you drink lots of water, or coconut water to make sure you get your electrolytes and minerals back. Specially during summer as we already sweat more than usual.

The main thing when you exercise is to PROVIDE food for the workout. Which is ON TOP of what you eat or drink normally just to have enough energy to go to work, make your organs function, etc. Hope this helps!