Downing's Summer of Sport: Lucy Ford
Our Summer of Sport campaign has hopefully highlighted and reinforced the positive benefits that exercise and sport can bring.
As all our past and future Olympians will tell you, food and nutrition play a really important part in not only their preparation but for anyone who exercises at any level.
With this in mind, Lucy Ford (ANutr) our College Nutritionist* prepared some interesting and useful advice on eating well for exercise.
Eating Well for Exercise
Eating a varied and well-balanced diet is vital for everyone, regardless of how active they are. Why is food especially important in exercise?
- Fuels your workout to help you perform well
- Aids recovery
- Lowers risk of injury and illness
What to eat pre-workout
- Include complex carbs as part of a balanced meal roughly 2-3 hours before exercise and then 30-60 minutes before have a small snack such as a piece of fruit.
- There’s a lot of talk about fasted workouts – this comes down to personal preference. A banana or slice of toast with jam provides a speedy source of energy, but if you prefer to exercise fasted have a balanced meal the night before.
What to eat post-workout: Remember the 3 R’s
Rehydrate
- Dehydration negatively affects both physical and mental performance, as well as recovery.
- Generally, the more you sweat the more you need to drink.
- Stick to water for workouts under an hour. For longer, more intense exercise there may be some benefit in sports drinks, containing carbohydrates and electrolytes. Make your own isotonic sports drinks to save money: 200ml full-sugar squash, 800ml water and a pinch of salt.
Replenish
- People often overlook carbohydrates, but it’s the main source of fuel for your brain and muscles.
- If you are active within recommended guidelines (150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of high intensity a week) follow healthy eating advice around basing meals on starchy carbs. If you are training more than this, additional carbs may improve performance.
- If you enjoy them choose wholegrain varieties for extra fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Repair
- Protein helps reduce muscle soreness and promotes muscle repair.
- In the UK, most people eat ample protein already. However, timing is important; include protein at each meal and snack time and aim to eat some protein within 2 hours of exercising.
- Don’t forget about plant-based proteins; they are cheaper, higher in fibre and a portion of beans or pulses count as 1 of your 5 a day e.g. three heaped tablespoons of baked beans!
- It’s a myth that eating lots of protein automatically builds muscle, you need enough energy, carbs and protein alongside resistance training. Too much focus on protein and a lack of carbs, means this protein will be used for energy rather than building biceps!
Top Tips
- Plan ahead, you’ll be less likely to rely on expensive protein shakes and bars – a food first approach provides additional nutrients and saves money.
- Unless you are a professional athlete, supplements are usually an unnecessary addition to a balanced and varied diet. If you are considering supplementation, speak to a qualified sports nutritionist or dietitian.
- Drink water throughout the day as well as before, during and after exercise!
- Remember food is more than just fuel and you should always be enjoying your food whilst it is helping you achieve your goals!
* Lucy is a Registered Associate Nutritionist, with a BSc (Hons) in Nutrition.
In her role at Downing, she advises Catering on creating the best nutritious food options for the College. Lucy also helps ensure that the allergen and nutrition information on our menus is as accurate as possible, enabling people to make informed choices about the food they eat.