Importance of diet and nutrition in a person's fitness program Eating a healthy and balanced diet along with regular exercise is neces...
Importance of diet and nutrition in a person's fitness program
Eating a healthy and balanced diet along with regular exercise is necessary for maintaining physical and mental health.These are not only effective for weight management but also help to maintain a healthy lifestyle associated with improved sleep and mood.Physical activities particularly help to improve brain-related functions and outcomes.Diet and exercise have big impacts on overall health and can be the main factors in preventing disease and other complications later in life.
Benefits related to a good diet and proper exercise
Exercise
Generally,you should aim for at least two-and-a-half hours of medium-intensity exercise per week or a slightly lower amount of high-intensity exercise.
Diet
Dietary needs vary from person to person but generally, the foods that you should eat regularly are
Fruits and vegetables
Proteins
Whole grains
Nuts and legumes
Try to maintain a balance between foods like dairy and oils, along with meats and poultry. Don’t take sweets, salty foods, trans-fat-heavy foods, and Fizzy drink in excess amount. Consider calorie count your calorie requirements will vary according to your size, age, and gender.
Disease Prevention
A healthy diet and regular exercise help you to prevent diseases by boosting your body’s immune system.Choosing unhealthy foods can put you at a higher risk of getting diseases but the right foods along with appropriate exercise can boost your body’s ability to fight against diseases.A healthy diet and regular exercise can prevent you from diseases like:
Heart disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Stroke
Depression
Several types of cancer
Arthritis
Mood and Energy
Both diet and exercise have major impacts on your mood. Chemicals in the brain called “endorphins” help you to feel happy and positive. These chemicals are stimulated by most forms of exercise. Proper diet and exercise also help to improve your mental health by reducing stress and increasing your brain activity. Endorphin stimulation can also help you to prevent depression and raise your self-esteem.
Weight
Obesity is one of the major factors to increase the risks of several diseases such as heart disease, high cholesterol or blood pressure, and several other conditions.Proper diet along with regular exercise can help to maintain an ideal weight.
Sleep
Sleep issues are the most common and faced by millions of people around the globe. Diet and exercise can improve your sleeping habits.Especially exercise can directly impact your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. It is recommended that do not exercise heavily and eat heavily before bedtime as it affects the quality of your sleep but proper exercise and eating habits can turn restless nights into comfortable ones.
Pre-workout Nutrition
Athletes and fitness enthusiasts are always looking for techniques to improve their performance and gain their fitness goals.Good nutrition can help you to perform better and recover faster after each workout. Proper nutrient intake before exercise will not only help you to increase your performance but also lowers muscle damage.
Each macronutrient plays a significant role before a workout. However, the ratio in which you need to consume them varies by person to person and type of exercise.
Here is a brief explanation of the role of each macronutrient.
Carbs
Your muscles consume the glucose from carbs for fuel. Your body stores glucose in the liver and muscles which is the main source of energy. For longer exercises, use of carbs depends on several factors such as the intensity, type of training, and your overall diet.
Studies indicate that carbs can increase glycogen stores and utilization by promoting carb oxidation during exercise.
Protein
Many studies show that consumption of pre-workout protein can help to improve athletic performance. Consuming protein along with carbs before exercise can help to improve muscle synthesis.Eating protein before exercise can also improve muscle recovery, increase strength and muscle performance.
Fat
Fat acts as fuel for longer and moderate-to-low-intensity exercises.However, some studies indicated that fats can help you to fuel your body for a longer time. One study suggested that a diet consisting of about 40% fat increases endurance running times in healthy, trained runners.
The Timing of Your Pre-Workout Meal
The timing of your meal also has a major impact on pre-exercise nutrition. To get the desired results from your training, try to eat a complete meal containing carbs, protein, and fat 2–3 hours before starting your workout.However, in some cases, if you are not able to take a meal 2-3 hours before the workout then try to eat in less quantity before a workout.If you eat 45–60 minutes before your workout then choose foods that are simple to digest and contain mainly carbs and some protein.It will prevent you from any stomach discomfort during exercise.
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