If your goal is to be at your fittest, you need to gain an excellent understanding of the relationship between eating and exercise. These two are the primary building blocks of optimum health, and therefore, should complement each other for you to get the best results.

In this article, we will give you pointers that will help you understand the impact of good nutrition on your workout performance and vice versa.

Which is more important – exercise or healthy eating?

Diet plays a vital role in keeping the body in top shape. Consuming nutritious food in recommended quantities is not only important for weight loss but is also crucial for building muscle, increasing strength and improving other aspects of health and fitness.

For instance, good nutrition contributes up to 80% of your weight loss success. This means that only 20% of what you see in the mirror comes from exercising. Weight loss brings about numerous short-term and long-term benefits. By following good nutrition practices and complementing it with an effective workout plan, you can shed all the unwanted pounds and achieve great health, too!

With this in mind, both eating and exercise are important, but one should be more mindful of what he eats, as foods impact one’s performance during workouts. The food that we eat acts as fuel for the bodily processes to operate smoothly. It also gives us the energy we need to execute workouts that further shape and strengthen the body.

Here are eating and exercise tips that you should follow if you want to achieve the best results from your fitness routine.

• Eat carbohydrate-rich items if you plan on working out an hour after breakfast. Eat light or consume an energising drink of you do not have time to prepare meals. A cup of coffee is also an excellent breakfast item as it wakes up your senses.

• If you are planning on a large meal for breakfast, eat three hours before working out. Eating light may not be enough to supply you with enough energy once you start working out. Eating a large breakfast will not only feel heavy, but it will leave you sluggish, which in turn can impact your intensity and performance when exercising.

• For fast healing and recovery of muscles, you need to eat food items rich in protein and carbohydrates to adequately replenish glycogen stores. The best post-workout items are smoothies, whole grain sandwiches with meat and fresh vegetables, peanut butter sandwiches, fruits, yogurt, and a protein shake.

• Do not forget to drink enough fluids before, during and after workouts. To stay hydrated during your workout session, here are guidelines to follow:

– Drink between 500 ml and 670 ml of water two to three hours before exercise
– Drink between 120 ml and 250 ml of water every 20 minutes during workouts.
– After exercising, you need to drink between 500 ml and 700 ml of water for every pound you lose during a workout.

The intensity and duration of your chosen workout will dictate the type of food and the amount of water to consume. Make sure to listen to your body of what it needs so you can adjust your eating habits so you can improve your performance steadily over time.