The first misunderstanding about eating before and after muscle-building training: "Exercise on an empty stomach, without eating"
Strength training requires energy, and sugar mainly provides energy. If you perform strength training on an empty stomach, there will be insufficient sugar reserves in the muscles. On the one hand, there will be insufficient strength during training and the training intensity will decrease. On the other hand, due to insufficient energy supply, the muscles will accelerate their decomposition and conversion into energy. In this way, the muscles will decrease and the circumference will decrease. This It is very detrimental to muscle gain.
In addition, for bodybuilders who want to get in shape, many people believe that aerobic training on an empty stomach can increase fat burning and achieve better fat loss results. Little do they know that this is very harmful to the heart. Because aerobic training on an empty stomach requires the main energy source to rely on the proliferation of fat. At this time, the free fatty acids in the blood will increase significantly, and the fatty acids become the energy source for myocardial and other activities. When the amount is excessive, they can become poisons for the myocardium, which can Causes various cardiac arrhythmias and even sudden death.
The second Myth about eating before and after muscle-building training: “Eat a lot of protein before training”
Many bodybuilding enthusiasts believe that muscle growth requires a large amount of protein, so before strength training, eat a large amount of protein food, such as 10 to 15 egg whites or 200 grams of chicken breast. In fact, sugar is the main source of energy for strength training. If there is insufficient sugar intake before exercise, it will force the body to mobilize more protein as fuel. Part of the protein comes from food, while most comes from muscle, which will inevitably lead to the breakdown of muscle protein and a decrease in muscle circumference.
Therefore, we recommend that the snack before strength training (note that it is not necessary if you are losing weight) should be mainly carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, oatmeal, bananas, raisins, sports drinks, etc. Remember, this is " Save protein and effectively prevent muscle breakdown” dietary tips.
The third Myth about eating before and after muscle-building training: “Drink plain water or mineral water during training”
Many bodybuilders usually only drink boiled water or mineral water during exercise. As a result, they feel thirstier as they drink more. This is caused by supplementing a large amount of white water. Because the content of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium in white water is very small, it cannot replenish the salt lost through heavy sweating during exercise. Supplementing a large amount of white water will dilute the salt in the blood, causing increased urination and perspiration, which will not only cause more water loss, but also accelerate the occurrence of fatigue.
The fourth myth about eating before and after muscle-building training: "You have a bad appetite after training and don't eat for 1 to 2 hours after exercise"
After training, especially high-intensity strength training, the blood involved in digestion flows to the muscles and bones, which will reduce the digestion and absorption capacity of the body's gastrointestinal tract by about 50%. Therefore, many bodybuilders do not eat within 1 to 2 hours after exercise.
In fact, 1 to 2 hours after exercise training is the golden time for muscles to absorb sugar and protein. Timely and reasonable arrangement of snacks will quickly promote fatigue recovery and promote muscle synthesis. It is recommended to choose food that is digested and absorbed quickly, does not increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, and is easy to carry and supplement it immediately after exercise training.