Nutrition & Recovery
I don’t mean to play the devil, but I’m afraid I have to break it to you. Spending two hours at the gym is no excuse for binging on a pack of cookies for dinner. “But it’s okay to eat junk if you do an hour of cardio, right?” No! Whoever said that? Let me get this straight. Training does have its place, but without the right nutrition and rest, you are not getting anywhere. Now, I am not telling you to eat like a patient for the rest of your life.
If our body were a car, good nutrition would be the equivalent high octane fuel and a good night’s rest would be that of a pit stop. I’m sure all you car fanatics could relate to that. Take away good fuel and you end up with a fuc*d up engine in a few years. Take away pit stops and you’re eventually going to see smoke rising out of your car bonnet. The bottom line is, it’s essential.
1.1: So, how exactly does eating right help us make better gains?
We have to first understand what happens to our bodies when we lift. Here’s a brief explanation. When performing any type of physically taxing exercise, your muscle fibers undergo micro-tears due to the load applied on them. The moment you’re done with your workout and walk out of the gym, your body begins to recover- muscle protein synthesis increases, depleted muscle glycogen is replenished, hormones such as testosterone and GH are secreted to aid the recovery and building process. This is where nutrition and rest comes in.
The amino acids from the protein you eat help repair and grow muscle tissue. The glucose from the carbs you eat helps replenish lost muscle glycogen. Other nutrients such as fats, vitamins, minerals play a crucial part in regulating hormone levels and carrying out other necessary processes in the body. This is in fact just a small part of what nutrients do in your body.
1.2: Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs:
Does the source matter? This is a topic that often causes a lot of confusion. I thought it would only be beneficial to you if I let you know. So, the question often arises that if sugar and wholegrain oats are both sources of carbs, isn’t it okay to get in your daily carbohydrate intake from sugars alone?
So, before I give you the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, I’d like you to think a bit deeper. Although sugar and oats are both primary sources of carbs there is one nutrient however, that is found in significant amounts in one and barely detectable in the other. This ingredient which causes all the difference is ‘fiber’. Oatmeal contains significantly more fiber than sugar, which means that it releases glucose into the bloodstream much more slowly than sugar. Sugar is just plain glucose molecules.
The moment our body starts to digest it, our insulin and blood sugar levels spike, a reaction completely different from the slow digestion of oats. This continuous insulin spike is what results in diseases like diabetes down the road. The answer to this rather stupid question is no, you cannot get in all your carbs from sugary sources. As a conclusion, it can be said that the source of your nutrients does matter!
1.3: How many calories do you need?
If you’re looking for a more or less exact and accurate answer (though I doubt there’s one, due to the vast majority of factors that one has to consider to come to a conclusion), I’d highly recommend you to get an appointment with a sports nutritionist, dietician or maybe just have a word with your trainer and set up a good diet plan. If you’re looking for a rough estimate, however, there are tons of online calculators that will help you out.
Your daily caloric requirement depends on a number of factors; some of which are: - Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): It is the amount of energy your body would burn at rest, in a normal environment, without any significant internal process (such as digestion) taking place. People with a higher metabolism tend to burn more calories, even at rest, and thus require a higher intake to sustain their bodies. People with a lower metabolism, however, burn lesser calories at rest than their energy-burning counterparts. - Your Age: your body changes with age and you’re not always going to be like the frolicking boy you were at six, being able to eat candies and ice creams and still feel active all day long. - Your Activity Level: A physical laborer will obviously burn more calories than say a 9-5 office worker. As a rule of thumb, for a healthy active male, try keeping your macronutrient ratio as follows. I don’t too much experience engaging or working with female athletes, so I would prefer not to accidentally give out wrong advice.
Protein : Carbs : Fats :: 25 : 30 : 45
1.5: How Much Sleep?
Even the most qualified doctors might not be able to give you a ‘to the point’ answer to this. And to be honest, I don’t think there is one. However, as a rule of thumb, I’d recommend anywhere between 6- 8 hours of undisturbed sleep
1.6: Here’s why it’s important:
Let’s just put it this way: less sleep = less human. No, literally! Late nights, Netflix and chill sure may be a good idea to spend your weekend alone, but staying awake in front of the screen till 3 AM every day will do more harm than good in the long run. Lack of sleep affects everything from proper homeostasis functioning to the release of neurotransmitters, amongst many other issues. In simple words, it’s bad for you.
1.7: Tips for a good night’s sleep:
Avoid too much screen time before bed. Staying in the presence of bright light before bed affects melatonin production, a hormone essential for a good night’s rest. Put away your phone and dim the room light well before bedtime. - Go to bed feeling clean. Back from that late evening workout and straight in bed? Eeew no! Who likes to sleep amidst a stinky sweaty mess? Take a warm shower and put on clean clothes before bed. - Keep your bedroom cool. I don’t know if science explains this, but there seems to be some relation between a cool air-conditioned room, a cozy blanket, and good sleep. - Avoid taking coffee, pre-workouts, caffeine pills, or any other stimulant even a few hours before bed. Keep those for morning workouts and afternoon meetings- that’s where they belong. The last thing you would want is trying to get to sleep with two scoops of N.O. Xplode in you. - Get sh*t done during the day. You can’t get to sleep thinking about all the work you didn’t do today. Accomplish your tasks for the day and go to bed feeling great. - Try and refrain from resorting to pornography, anti-depressants, sleeping pills, recreational drugs, etc. to make you feel relaxed before bed. Over time, your body will just want more and more of it until you just cannot get enough.
1.8: Hormone Secretion While Sleeping:
Talking specifically about muscle growth, a study showed that Growth Hormone Secretion peaked during the deepest part of your night’s sleep and continued to stay elevated throughout the time you were at rest. Growth Hormone is the major hormone responsible for cellular reproduction and cell
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