Choosing the right food is essential for every stage of life, and there are also recommendations related to proper nutrition for exercise.
Selecting the correct food before exercise will result in the body having sufficient stored energy, making exercise more effective. The simple principle is to eat within 1 hour before exercising in moderate amounts, perhaps choosing a food that provides around 100 kilocalories as an example:
- Fresh fruit such as an orange or a banana
- Energy Bar about ½ -1 bar
- Bread such as 1 slice of white bread, a bread roll, or one muffin
- 1 pack of crackers, a small box of cereal, or ½ -1 bottle of an energy drink
You may also drink about 400-600 milliliters of water or a sports drink 2-3 hours before exercising to prepare your body. Make sure that the energy received during this time does not add up with the snacks to consume excessive energy.
During exercise, you should drink about 150-350 milliliters of water every 15-20 minutes, depending on the distance, weather conditions, and individual body conditions.
After exercising, most athletes find that consuming carbohydrates in simple forms, such as drinking a sports drink or eating fruit like bananas, oranges, or apples or a small energy bar, is more comfortable than choosing large meal menus, as appetite often decreases due to post-exercise fatigue.
Another important thing not to forget is the drink, which will help replace the sweat lost during exercise, with simple principles as follows:
- Frequently observe your own water needs, especially during hot weather or when the weather changes. Do not skip drinking water before, during, and after exercise, and do not use thirst as a sign of body water loss.
- Drink enough water during all intervals of exercise if divided into sessions (Intervals).
- Avoid drinking alcohol since alcohol causes the body to expel water, hindering the rehydration process. Drinks containing caffeine are also not a good choice as they similarly cause the body to lose water.
After finishing exercise, it is recommended to drink about 450-675 milliliters of water or even more, about 25-50% more than the body’s loss.
From the information above, it can be seen that choosing the right food for exercise is not difficult at all. So, let’s choose the right food and exercise regularly for our health.
Thananon Nimsena
Professional Dietitian
License No. Kor-Chor.1613
Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai
