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What Do You Suggest To Take Before Workout For Energy And The Building Of Muscles?
Patricia DeKeyzer has a question for us: What do you suggest to take before workout for energy and the building of muscles? I have been extremely tired lately and it's affecting my workout. I am getting enough sleep.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for your question. If you are getting enough sleep, then it's most probably your diet that needs to be improved.
Protein is primarily good for building lean muscle mass. So as long as you are working out and stimulating muscle growth, you should feed your muscles with high quality protein. Protein sources can come from whey protein shakes or from lean meat, eggs or soy.
But note that protein is not the body's preferred energy source. The body will use glycogen, which is stored in your muscles for energy when you are working out. When that is finished, it will draw on your fat reserves for more energy. So ask yourself, these question as the answers will give you more clues on why you are feeling tired.
1) Have you been on a low caloric intake lately? 2) Are your fat reserves running low? 3) How long do you exercise each time, and how intensely?
To build up your energy reserves quickly, the best foods to eat are simple carbs such as noodles, white rice or bread. They digest very quickly and gets stored as energy. For this reason, those looking to lose weight should do the opposite - avoid simple carbs and eat more complex carbs.
You see, keeping fit is never about having a fixed formula. For example, following a low calorie diet and thinking that it's good for health can be dangerous to health. It is more a matter of knowing what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. To know this, one has to take into account the energy expenditure - lifestyle, exercise habits, etc. Doesn't sound easy does it? Well, everything has to start somewhere and if you have been reading up, working out and trying out diets, you will get a much better feel of what you should be eating, how much to eat, how long to exercise, etc. This takes time and your experience will become more and more valuable.
From my personal experience, if you really want to boost energy levels before a workout, try an energy drink or consume liquid based foods that are high in carbohydrates (e.g. porridge). Give yourself at least 2 hours for the good to digest.
This is, however, not my recommended approach. If you are feeling tired, it's a sign that the energy level is low in your body. My suggestion is to take a couple of days off but don't back down on your diet. Continue to eat well to replenish the lost energy. Focus on eating more carbohydrates. Do not engage in high intensity exercises during these two days. Low intensity exercises like leisure walking is okay. The objective is to let your body recharge properly.
Remember, fitness is not about being in peak performance all the time. It's about keeping in balance. That means you should workout sometimes, and rest at other times. This will help maintain a healthy balance. Athletes who only know how to workout and don't rest properly tend to injure themselves or run into other health problems.
Hope that helps.
