Working out can provide countless health benefits. When regular exercise is already part of your daily routine, you’ll often feel happy as exercise can improve your mood and keep stress at bay.
Workouts can also influence the success of your weight loss journey. Working out regularly, and gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts, can help you lose weight faster.
Aside from incorporating workouts into your lifestyle, it’s important to pay attention to the nutrients your body needs when working out. Consuming foods that contain specific nutrients can boost the effects of your workouts, helping you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals faster.
To improve the efficacy of your workouts, add the following nutrients to your diet:
1. Protein
Protein bars and shakes are becoming popular among bodybuilders and athletes today. In fact, you’ll often see individuals who are preparing protein shakes or munching on protein bars whenever you’re at the gym.
Take hints on what the pros are doing and add protein-rich foods to your diet. If you’re looking for vitamins you can drink before exercising, look for products that contain protein.
Protein is one of the most crucial nutrients required by the body whenever working out as it provides these benefits:
- Muscle recovery: Whenever you work out, microscopic strands in your muscles are damaged and shed. This is the reason why your body feels sore after working out.
Your body can naturally repair damaged muscles, but this process can take time. If your muscles require time to recover fully, you’ll have to miss days from working out in order to rest. This can delay any progress in your workouts and can even demotivate you to continue working out.
By increasing your protein intake, you can expedite your body’s ability to repair damaged muscles and gain muscular strength faster. This works because protein is a great source of amino acids, which are essential in rebuilding and repairing damaged muscles.
- Muscle growth: Your muscle mass is one of the building blocks to your fitness. You can burn more fat if your body has more muscles. An increase in muscle mass translates to an increase in your basal metabolic rate.
For you to successfully gain muscles, your protein consumption should be greater than the amount of protein naturally broken down by the body. By adding more food and supplement that contains protein, gaining muscles can become an easier task.
2. B-Vitamins
B-vitamins are composed of eight complex vitamins. B-vitamins work by blocking germs and bacteria that carry illnesses and diseases, keeping your body healthy and strong. On the other side of the coin, deficiency of B-vitamins can lead to pale skin, weakness, and shortness of breath.
When it comes to working out, B-vitamins play a significant role because of these reasons:
- Energy production: B-vitamins are important for energy metabolism. B-vitamins are an essential ingredient for your body to effectively break down food and turn them into fuel.
Having insufficient intake of B-vitamins can make you feel sluggish as the energy production in your body is impaired or slowed down.
- Better workout performance: Regardless if you want to gain muscles or lose weight, you should always perform at your best when working out. Unable to maintain proper form or being sloppy with your routines can lead to injuries.
If you want to increase your ability to workout, consume more food that contains B-vitamins. This nutrient can boost the production of new cells in your body to replenish and replace damaged cells. Since B-vitamins can influence your red blood cell production, this nutrient can also strengthen your flexibility, endurance, and muscle functions.
3. Carbohydrates
Working out will feel like a daunting and stressful task over time. More often than not, your motivation to sweat will gradually decrease as time passes. Your energy levels, when you’re still a new gym member, will be different when you’re already in your third month at the gym.
If you’re looking for a great source of energy to help you work out long-term, fill your body with healthy carbs before hitting the gym. Healthy carbs are carbohydrates from vegetables, whole fruits, nuts, and seeds. These foods are natural and packed with fiber, making them healthier and better sources of carbs.
Good carbs work as fuel to your workouts because it energizes your muscle contractions. Once consumed, these healthy carbs will be broken down into sugars and used for energy. Some of the sugars produced will be stored in your muscles and liver, and will be used later.
If your workout routines involve weightlifting or sprinting, consuming foods that produce healthy carbs should be on top of your to-do list. The longer your workouts are, the more carbohydrates your body should have.
Consult A Medical Professional
Sticking to a well-balanced diet is essential to living a healthy life. However, since different people have different nutritional requirements, it’s best if you consult with your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.
Talk to your doctor to avoid guessing what nutrients your body lacks. They can provide professional advice to ensure that your body doesn’t suffer from any nutritional deficiency.
