BIG Nutrition: Pre-WOD Preparation and Post-WOD Repletion

In the nutrition challenge, meal and snack timing around WODs is important to optimize energy and muscle repair and building.

What is the goal?

Eating/drinking within 1 hour of waking
Pre-WOD something (meal 2-3 hours before or snack ½ -1 hour before)
Post-WOD something (meal or snack no more than 1-2 hours after)

What is a snack?

Weight loss or small person? <150 calories is a snack.
Larger person, gaining weight or building muscle? 150-275 calories is a snack.

Pre-WOD

More than 3 hours since a meal, a pre-WOD snack, ½-1 hour before is recommended energy to get the most out of the WOD.

Apple, banana or other fruit	Baked sweet potato chips
Greek yogurt and ½ fruit serving	¼ cup dried fruit
Vegetable sushi (brown rice of course)	Cucumbers and 2 Tbsp. bean dip
½ cup oatmeal	Garbanzo beans and peas
Whole grain crackers or pita and 2 Tbsp. hummus

Post-WOD

One to two hours post-WOD is the time when muscles are primed to store glycogen. An ideal snack has a carbohydrate protein ratio 4:1. Why protein and carbs, wouldn’t just carbohydrates work? Yes, it works, but you actually get more stored glycogen when the snack or meal contains carbohydrates and protein. If focused on muscle gain, choose a snack that is closer to the ratio of 2:1 carbs:protein.

Nut butter sandwich	Bean and vegetable salad
Edamame and red peppers	Chunk light tuna and cucumbers
Carrots, crackers, and hummus	½ grapefruit and nuts
Whole grain crackers and bean dip	Meat or bean quesadilla
Milk or Greek yogurt	Apple and 1-2 Tbsp. nut butter
Hard-boiled egg, 1 cup grape tomatoes	Jerky and green beans
Cottage cheese and pea pods	Salsa with beans and whole grain crackers

In case you missed it…..

Last week’s blog was about using measuring cups to portion your food. My suggestion is to measure portions for a few weeks and place them on your plates and in your bowls so that you see what real portions look like. This is good preparation for eating out.

Nutrition challenge questions?

I will be at BIG to answer questions after the following WODs or classes: