Food for power exercise

Your goal for exercise should guide you on what foods to eat and when to eat them. You should know whether you want to gain or loose weight through exercise.

Experts discourage exercising right after having a meal. They encourage the consumption of healthy foods and to take some time off to allow the body to digest the food before exercising.

“Wait at least an hour before exercising after a meal, to give the body time to digest the food. Rushing to exercise immediately after a meal can induce vomiting and stomach pain, especially in cases where one proceeds to do stomach exercises or runs on the treadmill,” says Collins Mpango, a health fitness instructor at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.

“If you are intending to exercise, eat light foods regardless of the period of time you plan to spend exercising. During the workout, eat light foods such as fruits, bananas, take luke warm water and fresh juice. After the workout, one can enjoy a meal containing carbohydrates and protein,” he advises.

Although exercise heightens ones’ appetite, if you are watching your weight refrain from eating fatty foods and red meat lest you risk having a body with more ‘fats than muscle’. Healthy food options include skinned chicken, carbohydrates, and fibers and boiled foods.

Wait three to four hours
Patrick Lihanga, a gym instructor and a coach for the Ugandan national boxing team says: “Whether you eat a large or small meal, wait at least three to four hours before exercising. After the workout, you can eat immediately or wait depending on how you feel.”

Ronald Kateregga, a nutritionist at Action Against Hunger, says: “What to eat and when is highly dependent on the goal the person exercising intends to achieve, either to lose or gain weight. People working out to accumulate muscle can take a body-building drink 15 to 30 minutes before a workout in order to increase their energy levels while those intending to lose can just take one or two glasses of luke warm water or fresh juice.”

“People who want to build muscle need to eat meals enriched with proteins. They should consume foods containing 1.2 to 2.2 grammes per kilogramme body weight. The proteins can be distributed throughout the day. They should also include carbohydrates, at least 0.7 to 1.2 grammes per kilogramme body weight in their meals after or before exercise. Vitamins and mineral-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits are also very essential as a source of energy, ”he recommends

Avoid carbohydrates
He adds that people who exercise are able to reduce the excessive carbohydrates in their body thus lose weight. Contrary to what many Ugandans believe, fatty foods are not the only foods that lead to weight gain, but excessive carbohydrates. When they are taken into the body and left unutilised, they lead to weight gain.

Drink plenty of water
Nathan Kimbowa, a businessman, says he eats foods low in fat and fiber, containing moderate carbs and proteins, and he also drinks plenty of water to help replace fluids lost while exercising. This helps him to maintain a healthy and good looking body.

The duration and intensity of one’s activity dictates how often they eat and what they should eat and drink. For example, you will need more energy from food to burn calories than to accumulate them.

Advice
“One should wait an hour or more before exercising after they have had a meal. Exercising immediately after a meal can induce vomiting and stomach pain especially in cases where one proceeds to do stomach exercises or runs on the treadmill.” COLLINS MPANGO, A HEALTH FITNESS INSTRUCTOR