VEGETARIAN
BODYBUILDING
BEST VEGAN BODYBUILDING
PRE- AND POST- WORKOUT
SNACKS
A
s a vegan bodybuilder (or athlete), now is the time to adjust
your perspective on snacks, which have gotten a bad
reputation for having a low nutritional value and doing little
more than satisfying food cravings.
But if you’re putting in serious hours at the gym, snacking takes
on a whole new meaning, as pre-workout snacks fuel your body
while post-workout snacks aid recovery.
Unlike meals, your workout snacks should be quick, easy, and
portable so you can consume them at the optimal times to get the
most out of your workouts.
Snacks are the most immediate sources of fuel
and recovery for your workouts, so what you
choose and when you eat them makes a big
difference.
And if you’ve committed to a vegan diet, the snacks you choose
can make a huge impact on how you perform at the gym … and
how you feel the day after lifting. Here are some guidelines and
tips for snacking before and after your workouts.
10
Natural Muscle Magazine
CHRIS WILLITTS
VegetarianBodybuilding.com
PRE-WORKOUT SNACKING GUIDELINES
The key to pre-workout snacks is complex carbohydrates, which
provide the energy to run that extra mile or lift one more set.
But since carbs can be heavy, stick to light ones that don’t
cause stomach cramps or make you feel sluggish. Some good
examples of light carbs are bananas, dates, and apples.
It’s also important to think about the amount of time between
your snack and your workout. If you’re having a snack immediately
before you hit the gym, stick to fruits.
But if you have more than an hour before your workout, you can
choose heavier snacks like oats and nuts which deliver a long-lasting source of energy to your hard-working body.
Many types of plant-based sources of protein are easier to digest than animal sources, which gives vegans
an advantage when it comes to pre-workout snacking.
Leafy green vegetables, like spinach and romaine
lettuce, are easily digestible and fuel your body with
clean energy. To avoid feeling weighed down, avoid
high fat foods before your workout.
Holiday 2016
Another great pre-workout snack is dried tart cherries because
they’re a good source of carbs for energy and antioxidants to
vegan yogurt with berries are a great source of protein and antioxidants. If you have two or more hours before your workout, oats
To drink before your workout, grab a bottle of coconut
water because it hydrates with electrolytes and fights
fatigue. Maybe throw in a splash of iced coffee for
good measure!
You really only have a window of one-two hours on each end
of your workout to do this, so prep snacks in advance and simply
take them with you. This window of time supports energy balance,
insulin regulation, and carbohydrate use in the body.
Research suggests well-timed nutrients during proper ratios
can help rebuild damaged muscle and restore energy reserves to
enhance performance and body composition.