For peak performance, a dialed in nutrition plan is vital!
How does poor nutrition impact your training?
1) Decrease the effectiveness of your physical training.
2) Leave you beat down, broken, and depleted between training sessions.
3) Impair muscle growth and fat loss.
4) Slow your recovery between training sessions.
5) Decrease your energy during your training sessions.
6) Decrease your focus during training sessions.
You don't want any of those things to happen!
Here are 3 ways to maximize your nutrition for peak performance!
1) Get the food you need.
You need energy to perform. Focus on high quality foods eaten in the right quantities. You want sustainably sourced meats and vegetables. Limit your refined carbohydrates and processed food intake. Yes, you will need carbs to fuel your training. But you shouldn't be fueling yourself with fruit loops and skittles! Ensure that you are getting enough total calories, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. For the high performing athlete, counting calories and macro nutrients is a great strategy to ensure that you are getting the energy you need. Through detailed journaling you are able to monitor closely how certain foods make you feel, optimize your nutrition around your training sessions, and maximize your performance in the gym.
2) Nutrition timing matters....well sort of.
Current research suggest that as long as you get adequate carbs and protein within 1-2 hours of your workout (before or after) you will recover sufficiently. Carbohydrates and protein around your training session have been shown to increase protein synthesis and increase glycogen replenishment. Your body utilizes carbohydrates best around exercise so eat the majority of your carbohydrates around your training session (Before, During, and After.) This will provide you with enough energy before you train to fuel your workout, keep you energized during the workout, and help you maximize your training after the workout. Real life practical suggestion. Eat a meal high in easily digestible proteins and carbohydrates 1-2 hours before your workout. During your workout drink or eat easily digestible carbs and proteins (blended protein shake, baby food, coconut water...etc); 30-45g carbs + 15g protein for every hour of training. After your workout consume another easily digestible source of 30-45g carbs + 15g protein. 3) Give yourself an energy boost!
Sometimes you just need a little extra energy when you start your training session! Try supplementing with caffeine. Within 60 minutes of your training session ingest 250-500mg of caffeine. This will help you improve your central nervous system output prior to training. This strategy should be used only when needed. If you are chronically tired and drained; I suggest examining your recovery habits, sleep habits, total life stress management, and training volume.
The #1, absolutely most important thing that affects sustainable high performance is nutrition. You need to optimize your nutrition to compliment and fuel your daily training! High performance starts in the kitchen. There are a lot of myths floating out there on the internet. No carbs, high carbs, no fat, high fat, high protein, intermittent fasting, keto, paleo....Which one is the best? And most importantly, which one is the best for you? Many individuals "spin their wheels", fall victim to Fad diets, and make little real progress towards their goals. They may lose a little weight but they feel drained, depleted, and hungry. They miss their favorite foods and they hate their new restricted diet! They decide to cheat with their favorite snack...next thing they know, they've fallen off the wagon and reversed any progress they previously made. Does this sound familiar?
What's the solution to this problem? Easy, hire a coach!
Whats are the PRO's in hiring a nutrition coach?
1) You are able to weed through all the myths on the internet. This means no more confusion and no more guessing!
2) Develop an effective, sustainable plan thats 100% tailored to your goals and your life. Your schedule, your training, your likes and dislikes, your job, and your stress levels all factor in to developing the best nutrition plan for you.
3) Accountability. Your coach holds you accountable to the goals you have set for yourself!
4) Support! Your coach is able to help you overcome the challenges you experience along the way. Keeping you on track even when times get tough. 5) Results! Plain and simple. A nutrition coach will be the catalyst helping you achieve results you want. 6) Working with a coach for 6-months can absolutely change your life. You learn all the skills you need, you develop a sustainable nutrition program that works, and you create a complete lifestyle change which enables you to continually see results.
Interested in learning more about how a nutrition coach could help you?
Send me an email by clicking here to learn more!
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