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Having nutritious pre-workout snacks and post-workout protein-rich snacks help stimulate hypertrophy and improve muscle fiber repair, accelerating their development. This strategy should be used mainly by those who want to gain weight and increase the amount of muscle mass.
On the other hand, those who want to lose weight can also use this same strategy, but consuming a smaller amount of food to control calorie intake.
Pre-Workout Snacks
In pre-workout, the ideal is to have a meal richer in carbohydrates and with a little protein or good fats, which will help maintain energy throughout the physical activity.
1. Yogurt with fruit and oatmeal
The yogurt mix with 1 fruit and 1 or 2 tablespoons of oatmeal provides a good amount of carbohydrate and protein to maintain energy before training. Natural yogurt, for example, has 7 g of protein in each unit, the same amount found in 1 egg.
For those who want to lose weight, the best choice is to take only natural yogurt or mix it with fruit or oatmeal, without putting everything together in the same meal.
2. Cocoa milk and toast
Cocoa milk and wholemeal toast is a great pre-workout snack, as it provides protein from milk and carbohydrates from bread, which will supply your muscles with energy throughout your workout. In addition, cocoa is rich in antioxidants that will help with muscle recovery and prevent severe pain from appearing, even after a heavy workout.
To lose weight, cocoa milk is enough to give energy and face the training. Another good option is to eat wholemeal toast with ricotta.
3. Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie
Taking a banana, milk and peanut butter smoothie is yet another pre-workout option that provides plenty of energy. Peanut butter is rich in protein, good fats and B vitamins, which will increase energy production during physical activity. To get even more calories, you can add oatmeal in the vitamin.
For weight loss, the best option is to make the vitamin with just milk and fruit, as this reduces calories while still maintaining a good amount of energy for training. See the benefits of peanut butter and how to use it.
Post-Workout Snacks
Post-workout, a greater amount of protein, antioxidants and general calories is needed to promote a quick recovery of muscle mass and stimulate hypertrophy.
1. Sandwich with tuna pate
Tuna pâté should be made by mixing tuna with cottage cheese or natural yogurt, which can be seasoned with a pinch of s alt, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. Tuna is rich in protein and omega-3 fat, which has anti-inflammatory action and helps reduce muscle pain.
You should preferably use wholemeal bread, and you can also accompany this meal with a glass of unsweetened natural fruit juice. To lose weight, the sandwich is also a good option, but you should avoid drinking the juice.
2. Lunch or Dinner
Lunch or dinner are great post-workout meals because they are complete and high in protein. By adding rice and beans, for example, in addition to having carbohydrates, this combination also brings amino acids and proteins that will recover muscle mass.
Also, in these meals it is customary to put good amounts of meat, chicken or fish, which are foods rich in protein. To complete, you should add vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil over the salad, which will bring good fat and antioxidants.
Those who want to lose weight can use only salad and meat as a meal, for example, or a vegetable soup with chicken or make zucchini noodles. See 4 substitutes for rice and noodles.
3. Protein omelet
Making an omelet is also a great choice for post-workout, as it is quick, full of protein and satiating. A good way is to use 2 eggs for the dough, which can contain 1 or 2 tablespoons of oatmeal to give more energy, and fill it with shredded chicken, ground beef or grated cheese plus vegetables, for example. To accompany, you can have coffee with milk or a glass of natural fruit juice, without sweetening.
To lose weight, a vegetable or cheese omelet is an excellent choice, accompanied by black coffee or unsweetened tea.
