We know strength workouts are so important for menopausal women! We can build and maintain our muscle mass simply by adding strength training into our routine. We know increasing protein for those of us over 50 is equally as important for building muscle and maintaining or losing weight.
So let’s talk pre and post-workout nutrition . . . a simple and important component to the process of building muscle mass and weight loss.
There are a lot of myths out there on pre and post nutrition so let's get into the what, when and why of eating before and after you exercise.
Pre-workout nutrition:
Some people like to exercise on an empty stomach. I exercise first thing in the morning and as tough as it can be to eat something, I know I need something to fuel my workout especially if it's a strength or run day. Think of your pre-workout meal as more of a snack. Just something small to fuel you and guarantee you aren't hungry mid-workout.
There is plenty of research highlighting the benefit of pre-workout nutrition and the positive effects it can have on improving training performance. It makes sense. You wouldn’t drive a car across the country without enough gas in it, right?
When it comes to when and what to eat . . . you want to make sure you are eating an 1-2 hours before you exercise and combine protein and carbohydrates. My favorite go-to pre-workout snack is a 1/2 banana with peanut butter.
Some other pre-workout snack ideas:
a slice of whole grain toast with nut butter
greek yogurt with some fruit
1/2 a protein bar (my favorite brand is Aloha)
apple and cheese stick
hummus & veggies
crackers and sliced turkey
rice cake with cottage cheese
Post-workout nutrition:
This is an important one! Ideally, you want to refuel your body within 60 minutes after your workout and it too should include protein and carbohydrates. The simplest thing for me is a protein shake! It’s quick and easy and it guarantees I am getting all the right nutrients.
My favorite recipe is a scoop of vanilla protein powder, peanut butter, banana, almond milk, and ice.
A few other options post workout meals:
scrambled eggs with avocado and whole-grain toast
greek yogurt with fruit and granola
whole grain English muffin with nut butter, sliced banana, drizzled with honey
turkey sandwich on whole grain bread
avocado toast with hard-boiled egg
chicken & rice
Adding a pre-and post-workout meal can be a key factor in helping you reach your fitness goals especially if they are building and maintaining muscle mass, getting stronger, and/or weight loss.
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