Crossfit athletes often push themselves as hard as possible during training, but many of them don’t have enough knowledge about nutrition pre and post-workout. But nutrition and hydration are very important for athletes to have optimal performance.
Breakfast
A lot of athletes skip breakfast because they think that it’s too early to eat. And it is the issue, as your body starts the day in a fasting state after sleeping and your glycogen reserves are low in the morning. If you work out on an empty stomach, then your body breaks down muscle mass before fat, so intense exercise without breakfast will not help you burn fat.
Post-workout
You might be surprised to find that out but protein is actually not the most important macronutrient for consuming right after a workout. Replacing your depleted carbohydrates reserves is the most important thing that you should do directly after working out. You will have a 30-minute window of time to eat some carbohydrates after the workout to ensure the proper replacement of your glycogen. This is essential as it will help you to recover faster and improve your performance significantly the next time you work out. Protein is important too, of course, but you have around an hour to eat protein food after a workout. You can bring a banana with you after the workout so you could eat on the way home. If you won’t be able to eat within one hour, a supplement shake can be an option as well, if it contains carbohydrates and protein in equal measure.
Don’t eat too much meat
Most people who work out think that eating more protein is better. If you are trying to build muscle mass, your protein requirements will be higher than usual but there is no need to take it to the extreme. The main problem with excessive protein consumption is that you are putting some serious stress on your kidneys, and that can cause damage over time. The average human can only digest about 30 grams of protein at a time, and there is no point in having more in one sitting. Protein consumption should be based on your weight and your health goals.
Take fewer supplements
You don’t really need to be taking too many supplements, and whole food is the best. Most supplements are really hard to digest because they usually contain a lot of binders and fillers. If you are trying to follow a balanced diet and eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, you will be receiving all the vitamins and minerals you need. There are very few supplements that could be recommended, and OMEGA 3 is one of them. It has an abundance of health benefits such as improvement of your heart health, a decrease of inflammation, faster recovery time, and improved reaction to stress during workouts.
It is better to choose a pure omega-3 supplement and not a fish oil blend.