Key Nutrients to consider when starting your new exercise regime.
Exercise is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, benefiting both physical and mental well-being. However, starting a new exercise routine can impact joints, especially if not approached cautiously. It’s important to incorporate low-impact activities like swimming or cycling initially, gradually increasing intensity to prevent strain. Stretching and warm-up exercises are essential to prepare muscles and joints for movement. Additionally, listening to your body and seeking guidance from a fitness professional can help tailor an exercise plan suited to individual needs, ensuring a safe and effective fitness journey towards improved health and vitality.
The following article will discuss how you can take steps toward supporting your exercise regime by following certain nutritional tips and recommendations.
Key Nutrients to Include Before and After Workouts
When beginning an exercise regime, research your best meal, snack, or shake before working out. You need to keep in mind that while exercising you are working your muscles intensely and they may break down proteins or stores of carbohydrates or fats. It is therefore important that you eat foods, which will provide proteins and carbohydrates to replenish your body’s stores so you can continue exercising.
While working out, you need to ensure that you have an adequate supply of calories and protein to fuel your body. It is therefore important that you eat a good meal before and after your workout. The following are some of the foods, which you can consider eating before and after working out;
1. Protein
Protein is the most important nutrient for maintaining muscle mass. However, it can be difficult to get enough protein from food on normal days. To avoid this problem, you can boost your protein intake by taking protein shakes or nutritional supplements a few hours before your workout. Even after the exercise session, you should consume high-protein meals such as eggs, meat, and fish to support muscle growth.
2. Micronutrients
The best way to ensure that you get the required vitamins and minerals is through food. However, if you do not get enough nutrients from food alone, vitamins are a great way to supplement your diet.
Vitamin C
This vitamin is an important nutrient for athletic performance because it helps you create new tissues and slows down tissue damage by free radicals. Some of the sources of vitamin C include kiwis, red bell peppers, potatoes, limes, broccoli, and oranges.
Omega-3 Fats
These nutritional fats are important because they help to improve your blood circulation and reduce inflammation in the body. Some of the good sources of omega-3 include nuts, soybeans, and fish.
After your workout, you can take a protein shake to boost muscle growth. In addition to this, you should consume foods that contain carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, or even fruits.
N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC)
This is an antioxidant that can protect your body from free radicals by neutralizing them. It can also help to increase the rate of muscle repair, which provides you with the motivation to put in more effort during training.
L-Carnitine
It is a substance that is used by your body to convert food into energy. It is also used to reduce fatigue and support blood circulation. The best sources include red meat, poultry, fish, kidneys, and poultry. Consider taking it in the days before and after your workout sessions.
Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Glucosamine can be found in the small joints, cartilage, and tendons and plays a vital role in supporting these structures. It also helps to promote joint health. In addition to this, glucosamine contains chondroitin sulfate, which plays a role in calcium absorption and metabolism and helps to strengthen bones. To get glucosamine, you can simply eat a lot of seafood or foods containing chondroitin sulfate.
Chondroitin is another substance, which you can get from your diet. The main sources include cartilage, tendons, and bone marrow. They play a crucial role in the health of the joints by providing support to the small cartilage disks between the bones in your body.
When looking for chondroitin, you can get it from foods that contain glucosamine such as seafood and whole grains.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral, which is essential for blood sugar levels and energy production. It is also a vital component of all proteins in the body. These include the enzymes in the body which help convert food into energy.
You can find this mineral mainly in greens, grains, nuts, and seeds such as sesame seeds, leafy greens, and other whole grains.
MSM
MSM stands for methylsulfonylmethane and is an important nutrient that supports collagen formation and the healthy metabolism of fats. It also plays a role in the maintenance of healthy skin and connective tissues. You can find MSM in several foods such as black pepper, onions, apples, and yeast.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that supports a healthy immune system and protects the skin from oxidative stress and damage. It plays a vital role in the function of enzymes, which enable your body to turn food into energy. Grass-fed meats, seafood, pumpkin seeds, eggs, and other grains are good sources of zinc. However, you should avoid taking zinc supplements in high doses because they can have adverse effects on your health.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several vitamins and nutrients that you can consider in your diet if you are starting a fitness regime. In addition to this, ensure that you are consuming enough calories to meet the demands of your body because this is what your body needs to perform well during exercise.
Exercise is a vital source for maintaining a healthy life. However, it is not always easy to maintain and there are many times when one may be struggling with injuries and discomfort. In these cases, it is important to consult with a doctor before beginning an exercise program.
Written by Alice Daisy for Naturobotanica