what you need for workout nutrition depends primarily on two factors:
1. the type of training you're doing
2. the intensity of the training you're doing.
i think that unfortunately a lot of people get sucked into marketing hype that they need workout drink X or supplement Y in order to get the most from their workouts. this may be true for some, but i find those people to be the exception. most rec athletes will benefit more from putting their time and energy into establishing a whole foods based diet.
but, for those of you that might require the extra focus on nutrition due to the demands of your training and your focus/desire to reach a specific training goal, workout nutrition will have a huge impact on getting the most results from your hard work.
the first question to ask yourself is what type of training am i doing? this will either be training that has a high muscular demand or training that has a high aerobic demand. if you fall into the latter group you will have an easier time planning your workout nutrition as less of it takes place around your training sessions.
keys for endurance athletes?
the number one thing for endurance athletes is managing energy stores.
1. good base nutrition program of whole foods and little to no processed foods, esp grains and sugars
2. proper hydration - never feeling thirsty but not peeing all the time, light yellow pee
3. pre-workout nutrition - 1-3 hours before training, 3 or more for a race
4. intra workout - you cant keep up with your energy expenditures, so don't overfeed while training/racing as this will negatively effect you. this is more a key for ultra-endurance athletes (past the two hour window) where body fat will help make up some of the difference. some protein is also necessary here too.
5. post workout - replenish with easily digestible protein and complex carbs. this will help you to maximize glycogen stores - aka carbo loading - for the big race.
keys for strength athletes?
the number on thing for strength athletes is being anabolic and not being catabolic.
1. good base nutrition program of whole foods and little to no processed foods, esp grains and sugars
2. proper hydration - never feeling thirsty but not peeing all the time, light yellow pee
3…. come back tomorrow for the rest.
We don't know what our limits are, so to start something with the idea of being limited actually ends up limiting us.
Ellen Langer