Nutrition Tips for Better Performance

If you are into high intensity training like crossfit or strength training. I am sure you have experienced feeling too full or sick even in a few session or maybe you have experienced looking forward to your gym session and rocked up to a early morning class, or an afternoon class and just feeling absolutely flat. With no energy to give, unable to lift weights that felt easy last week or run at a pace that you usually can do without issues.

Although I would need to ask you a few questions regarding your recovery times and overall training volume. If you are training the same amount as usual, and have slept OKAY past few nights - odds are you maybe just showed up for this session UNDER FUELED and that with some nutrition hacks you can get your performance back on track.

Here is How Nutrition Timings Affect Your Performance

You have probably heard people say timing is everything. The same is true for nutrition & athletic performance. It’s not just about the nutrients you choose to consume throughout the day, but about when you consume them as well, and let me share with you the reason why.

Tough training like CrossFit or other high intensity workouts we demand almost full effort of the the muscles & the cardiovascular system. Making it necessary for the body to be properly prepared, ready to adapt to the challenge. We also need to make sure that our stomachs are relatively empty when we workout, due to the demands - so that our body doesn’t try to empty its content out for us.

Studies have shown the nutritional intake (alongside sleep and hydration) is one of the biggest factors in determining the preparedness of the body and the time in which you take them is just as important. 

It’s important to practice through trial and error what the best nutrition strategy is for you. Here are the a few tips on how you can tweak your PRE -DURING & POST nutrition and what you can consume during the different periods of your workout to get the best out of it.

Pre-WOD Nutrition 

Pre-WOD, your focus should be on effective hydration and carbohydrate maximization. It’d be best to consume at least 50 grams of carbohydrates 20-90 min before your WOD to help you power through your conditioning, strength and Olympic lifts.

This is also the best time to use a pre-workout supplement like caffeine, but remember that caffeine has a long breakdown time, and should be consumed carefully within 8 hours of your bedtime.

Its important to make sure to drink the right amount of water to stay hydrated throughout the workout.

If there is more than 4 hours since last you ate a solid meal (like early in the morning or late afternoon) there can be some benefits to including 15-20 grams of protein in your pre-wod nutrition this can help maintain your muscle amino-acid levels during your WOD, but remember that protein slows down the digestion so give yourself at least 60 min before your high intensity workout if you consume protein.

During WOD Nutrition

During your WOD, especially if it’s for a longer time, making sure you stay hydrated and consuming fast-acting/high-glycemic carbohydrates is a must to enhance your performance.

You can estimate how much water you need to take during your training by checking your weight right before and after your training.

1 pound of weight loss is the equivalent of about ½ liter of water. You can read more about hydration tips, does and don´ts HERE

Post-WOD Nutrition

Exercises, especially the high intensity ones, affect the body by increasing the muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown.

So, for your post-WOD nutrition, it’s best to consume high-quality protein – at least ¼ gram of protein and ½ gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight as soon as you finish your WOD as a post workout shake or snack.

Then, follow it up with a normal meal including protein, fat, vegetables and carbohydrate meal after 2-3 hours.

Nutrition Day & Night 

Now, for your daily & nocturnal nutrition, carbohydrates and protein should be properly portioned throughout the day and protein should be consumed closer to bedtime to condition the body during the 8+ hours without food intake.

CrossFitters and those who go through a more strenuous & frequent training daily should consume at the least 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. It really varies on how much you train, too.

Nevertheless, the best nutrition timings for an optimized CrossFit performance is easier than it seems when you become a little more aware & a little more prepared. You can assess your success by keeping everything written in a journal.

Conclusion

Take an inventory of your current practice, are you feeling drained and tired during your sessions - too full? Is there room for improvement in your PRE - DURING or POST workout nutrition?

Pick one area that you would like to improve, and decide on a 5 min action that you can make to improve it just slightly. This could be to pack a snack to eat on the way from work to the gym. Taking a protein shake with you to drink after workouts or remembering your water bottle for your string of meetings before your midweek class.

It’s often the smallest changes that make the biggest impact if done consistently.

Furthermore, if you would need professional guidance, I’ll be more than happy to assist as a coach who have been experienced in this field.

Cheers,

Coach Eik