April 13, 2021
Are you drinking enough water?
Are you getting enough water in each day? Aim for at least 64 ounces of water per day. This is the bare minimum for athletes. If you sweat a lot, you'll need more to prevent and/or replace sweat losses. If you live in a hot and humid climate, you'll need more to place losses. If you are a salty sweater you need to account for sodium losses as well and consider adding electrolytes to your fluids and/or incorporating salty snacks into your pre-workout fuel. A good guideline to consider following is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. For example: If you are 160 pounds, drink at least 80 ounces of water plus more to replace losses through sweat. Quick tip: weigh yourself before and after exercise (wearing minimal or no clothing). See how much weight you have lost post workout. Aim for a loss of less than 2% of your body weight from fluid loss during your workouts. Dehydration has profound negative effects on performance.
April 12, 2021
Pre-workout nutrition - is it really necessary?
Do you skip eating before your workout because you workout early in the morning? Or because you've experienced GI issues? Or because you want to "earn" your calories? The truth is the eating pre-workout is critical to preparing your body to get the most out of each workout. Pre-workout fuel should be focused on carbohydrates and the closer you are to your workout, the more simple the carbohydrate should be. If you are eating 90 minutes pre-workout, you can afford a bit more complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal or whole grain bread with peanut butter and banana, but the closer you are to your workout the more you want that energy available so sticking to simple carbs like fruits juices and low fiber foods. I have found sweetened applesauce and graham crackers to be good options to help boost that glucose circulating in your blood and enable you to perform well during your workouts.
April 11, 2021

Do you like bananas?

Keep it simple. Grab a banana for some pre-workout fuel. Conveniently packed in its own little wrapper and typically easy for athletes to digest pre workout. Great source of carbohydrates to fuel your workout as well as potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C as well as fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Grab a banana and hit the road!
Looking for quick nutrition tips to help with athletic performance and overall wellness? You're in the right place. I'll be posting quick sports and wellness nutrition tips here as well as simple and nutritious recipes.
Blueberry Banana Spinach Smoothie 1/2 frozen banana 3/4 c frozen blueberries large handful spinach 1/4-1/2 c orange juice 1/2 c 2% plain Greek Yogurt add water to reach desired consistency Performance benefits: Great post-workout recovery drink or filling mid-afternoon snack containing 45 grams carbohydrates and 15 grams protein (250 calories)