There’s this debate that has been continuing for so long already. While it is already a proven fact that regular exercise can do wonders to achieve the goal of gaining a healthy and fit body, there is a debate when it comes to the combination of diet and exercise. While diet has its own benefits for our health by managing the amount of nutrients that we take in and focusing more on eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables while shying away from junk foods, eating before a workout session has received countless inquiries.
Some people would argue that you shouldn’t eat before a workout session because it defeats the purpose if you want to lose weight. Some people would also argue that eating before a workout session gives you a full feeling which may interfere with your exercise. There are a lot more arguments when it comes to this but the answer can be summarized in just a few words.
It depends.
While some people would argue that eating before exercise isn’t advisable, that’s not always the case. In fact, it is quite helpful to eat before exercise. However, eating too much right before going on your workout isn’t really helpful. Why should you eat before going on your workout? Here are just some reasons as to engage in the said routine.
Adequate Supply of Energy
When you work out, you lose a significant amount of nutrients a lot faster than usual through the use of your energy reserves in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Eating before exercise provides you with an adequate supply of nutrients and energy. If you don’t have an adequate supply of energy by the time you exercise, you’ll find yourself easily tiring out just after a few minutes within your exercise. This leads to the inefficiency of your workout and defeats the purpose of the exercise.
Prevent Dehydration
During exercise it’s a given that you start losing fluids through sweating. That is why keeping your body stocked up on fluids will allow you to prevent dehydration. But depending on the exercise that you’re doing, you may not eat before the workout but just drink fluids like water, juices or other liquids.
Keep yourself hydrated, especially if you’re doing your exercise session in a location that’s warm and humid. Dehydration can be very dangerous if left untreated and that is also why water helps a lot because it doesn’t only prevent dehydration but it also supplies oxygen.
Ensure Optimum Levels of Electrolytes
As we lose fluids during exercise, electrolytes are also lost. Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium are just some of the major electrolytes and play vital roles in the functioning of our body. During exercise, we lose electrolytes through sweat, insensible loss through exhalation and being used as fuel for the different organs to function. These electrolytes are needed in some processes of the body.
For example, potassium is being used by the muscles to function properly and that includes the heart muscles. Losing too much potassium can lead to weakness and fatigue and severe loss can lead to life-threatening consequences like hypokalemia, an abnormal heart rate and rhythm as well as weak contractility of the heart.
Prevent Episodes of Hypoglycemia
Oxygen and glucose are the fuel substances that are being used by the bran. During exercise, we lose oxygen at a regulated capacity as well as glucose. However, when glucose or sugar levels in our blood reach a low point, we experience a phenomenon called hypoglycemia. Characterized by cool, clammy skin, tremors and general weakness, this can be a life-threatening condition as the brain needs glucose to survive.