How should people who EXERCISE EAT?

Food choices are important for people who exercise or play sports. All the calories needed can be provided by a balanced diet made up of healthy foods. By paying more attention to certain aspects of your diet, you can also improve the effectiveness of exercise and achieve better results.

Get your day off to a good start

A healthy breakfast is important at the start of a day when you exercise. The energy you take in becomes useful fuel during exercise. Skipping breakfast can make you feel weak and sluggish while exercising, which can reduce your performance. Some studies have shown that consuming energy before exercise improves performance.

What you eat is just as important as when you eat. You should not make do with light foods such as simit or poğaça for breakfast. These foods keep you full for only a very short time. Your breakfast should consist of foods rich in protein and fiber. For example, choose protein sources such as milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs alongside seasonal vegetables. You can add flavor to your breakfast with foods such as hazelnuts, almonds and peanut butter. These foods help you feel energetic for longer.

Choose the right carbohydrate sources

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. The foods you obtain them from are very important. Instead of processed foods or foods made with white sugar, healthy carbohydrate sources should be preferred. These sources include fruit, vegetables, legumes, fiber-rich and whole-grain foods, milk and yogurt. According to the American Dietary Guidelines, 45% to 60 of daily energy intake should come from carbohydrates. This recommendation is especially important for people who exercise.

Consume sources of protein

Protein is an important building block of the body. It is responsible for growth, development and repair. Proteins are also necessary for building and developing muscle mass. According to the American Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), healthy individuals need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram daily. This is the minimum (smallest) amount that should be consumed. People who exercise are advised to consume more protein.

Some dietary sources of protein are

• Fish
• Poultry such as turkey and chicken
• Red meats such as beef and lamb
• Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese
• Eggs
• Legumes such as beans and lentils 
• Nuts

The American Cancer Society (ACS) 2020 Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity recommends limiting red and processed meat consumption. A healthy diet should include more white meat and plant-based sources of protein.

Choose healthy sources of fat

Fats are one of the macronutrients that provide the body with energy. They contain more calories than carbohydrates and protein. They are used first during aerobic exercise. The body also stores excess calories that it takes in. Adequate stores of body fat provide energy for prolonged exercise.

Some healthy sources of fat are:

• Nuts
• Avocado 
• Olives
• Olive oil

Eat vegetables and fruit

As with all healthy diets, the diet of someone who exercises should include plenty of vegetables and fruit. The United States Department of Food and Agriculture (USDA) recommends filling half of your plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal. By choosing vegetables and fruit of different colors, you can obtain different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Should calories be restricted?

If you are following a weight-loss diet, you need to limit the calories you get from food.

However, restricting calories more than necessary can make you feel weak or unwell. According to the United States National Heart, Lung, and Blood Health Center, an average safe calorie range for most women who want to lose weight is 1200-1500. For men, this ranges from 1500-1800 calories. If you lead a very active life and do not want to lose weight, you may need more calories than these amounts.

Healthy snack suggestions for exercise

Banana and peanut butter

Bananas are a good source of potassium and magnesium. They become even tastier with peanut butter. This combines the sugar you need throughout exercise with protein.

Strawberries, grapes and oranges

These fruits contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and water. They are easy to digest and quickly become energy. You can enrich them with protein by adding yogurt.

Nuts

They are rich in protein and are a source of heart-protective healthy fats. Foods rich in fat take longer to digest. For this reason, they provide energy throughout exercise. For a tastier combination, you can eat them with dried or fresh fruit.

Conclusion & Summary

If you have decided to adopt an active lifestyle, you should get to know foods better. Explore which foods give you better energy and what their downsides are. Each person’s body may respond differently to food and exercise. Therefore, you can pay attention to how your diet makes you feel during exercise and how it affects your overall performance.

In general;

• Making breakfast a habit
• Choosing healthy carbohydrates, lean sources of protein and healthy fats
• Always including vegetables and fruit
• Choosing healthy snacks will be the right choice for people who exercise.