(National Nutrition Week is observed in India from September 1-7 to increase awareness generation on the importance of nutrition for health which has an impact on development, productivity and economic growth of the country. FIT is republishing this story from its archives.)
Fats or Carbs? The key to a great body is not only following an excruciating workout regime, but knowing what to eat both before and after you sweat it out.
Most people make the mistake of associating fats and carbs with weight gain. Well, there is the catch. In the language of diet and nutrition, fats and carbs are not so bad.
You should go ahead and include these fats and carbs in your pre-workout snacks.
Too caught up to read? Listen to the story:
How do these carbs and fat work? We give you four reasons to include them in your diet.
Fuels Your Energy
Including fats in your pre-workout snack repletes your stomach and helps you get the best out of your workout. Fats ensure you get enough energy and there are lesser chances of you blanking out during your strenuous workout session.
If you include fat in your pre-workout diet, the glycogen breakdown enzymes are lessened and the fat breakdown enzymes are increased, and as a result, your body burns more fat during exercise.
Improves Your Endurance Level
If your workouts mostly need higher endurance level, you need a high fat diet.
Fat works as a primary source of increasing endurance levels that helps athletes.
The same goes with carbs as well. So, if you are planning for strength and endurance training, carbs and fats can be your fuel for the drill.
Helps Build More Muscles
A healthy diet should be a mix of carbs and healthy fats. Good carbohydrates and fats promote lean muscle, weight loss and improve stamina and cardiovascular health.
Though athletes are advised to follow a high fat diet, for a regular person, not more than up to 30 percent of fat and up to 45-50 percent of carbs should be included in your diet.
Promotes Muscle Recovery
Fats and carbs, if taken moderately, or as suggested by your nutritionist, helps improve essential body functions post workout. A pre-workout meal with fats and carbs provides ample supply of the vital nutrients, and help your muscles recover faster.
Since fat is calorie dense, adding them in your pre-workout meal can be a good option as it decelerates digestion and hence, slows down the absorption of the fat from your post-workout meal.
Carbs, on the other hand, if taken moderately, can help provide the energy you require to perform better workout and keep the blood sugar level balanced.
(The author is a nutritionist with Gympik, an online fitness discovery platform. She focuses on making healthier diet an easier choice.)
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