How Nutrition Influences Fitness & Recovery

An in-depth look at the key ways nutrition helps optimize fitness, recovery, & overall health

It’s no secret that the calories we consume fuel our bodies’ internal functions — digestion, nerve function, etc. — and daily activities…

But when it comes to physical fitness and recovery, good nutrition is like an investment in your body. 

An investment that can pay big dividends, like improved:

• Performance
• Energy levels
• Recovery
• Muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth)
• And much more

Keep reading as we explore how dialing in your nutrition — including food, electrolytes, and supplements — can help you in your athletic endeavors, whether casual or professional.

Diet

As you can imagine, an ultra-endurance runner’s dietary needs are much different than someone who plays tennis casually on the weekends.

Everyone’s definition of “good nutrition” is different, and various ways of eating can lead to positive results. 

That’s why, in this article, we’ll be shying away from promoting a specific diet. Instead, we’ll be exploring some strategies athletes use to optimize their performance and recovery.

So let’s dive in!

Pre-Exercise Carbohydrate Intake

Loading up on carbohydrates before exercise is a common strategy for many athletes — especially endurance competitors.

According to a 2015 study on nutrition and performance, carbohydrate intake hours before training has been shown to improve carbohydrate oxidation, time to exhaustion (for cyclists), and even exercise performance.

Some endurance athletes, including many cyclists, will start increasing their carbohydrate intake up to forty-eight hours before a race. Very fittingly, this strategy is called carb loading.

When an athlete carb loads, the goal is to maximize their muscle glycogen stores so they can maintain performance over long races and training sessions.

Research shows that carb loading can result in delayed onset of fatigue and noticeable improvements in performance (anywhere from 2-3%).

Intra-workout Carbohydrate Intake

Intra-workout refers to calories consumed during exercise.

If your workout sessions last an hour or more, you may benefit from an intra-workout snack (in liquid or solid form).

A 2014 study by the Journal of Sports Medicine found that ingesting a small amount of carbohydrates during an hour-long workout session can help with performance.

During lengthy endurance events — anywhere from two to three hours or more — the body uses up its glycogen stores, which can lead to low blood sugar. 

Intra-workout carbohydrate intake is the perfect antidote to this, allowing athletes to replenish their blood sugar and electrolytes to maintain “high levels of carbohydrate oxidation.”

So, next time you gear up for a long workout, try bringing a healthy energy bar, carbohydrate supplement, or another snack with you. You may find it helps enhance your performance!

Protein Intake

If you’re a resistance trainer, chances are you’ve heard of the “anabolic window.” 

It’s the idea that after a resistance workout, you have a short window of time — usually within a few hours — to consume a protein-rich meal, or all your hard work during that workout will go to waste.

But research doesn’t support this concept. The evidence points to the fact that as long as athletes maintain a positive protein balance throughout the day, their gains are safe and sound.
In fact, one study from the University of Connecticut Department of Kinesiology reported that consumption of protein both before and after exercise had a significant positive impact on muscle protein synthesis, which plays a massive role in muscle recovery and strength adaptations.

Supplements

Dietary supplements like protein, caffeine, and creatine are wildly popular in the fitness space, and for a good reason. 

There’s a strong (and growing) body of evidence to support their ability to improve athletic performance and — for protein supplements — recovery.

Caffeine acts as a stimulant in the body, and has been shown to improve speed, power, energy, and overall performance…

Creatine is well-known for its ability to enhance sports and resistance training performance, as it provides skeletal muscle with additional energy during exercise…

And thanks to its role in muscle growth, protein is famous for its performance and recovery-boosting power (in both resistance and endurance training).

If your exercise and nutrition are already dialed in, supplements are a great way to kick your physical fitness up a notch.

Add BEMER to Your Recovery Arsenal for Even Greater Results

BEMER therapy is your personal “wireless charger” for your muscles.

In just two eight-minute sessions a day, BEMER sends a low-intensity pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) into the body to safely stimulate healthy muscles. 

This signal temporarily increases local blood flow, resulting in better oxygen delivery and clearance of carbon dioxide within the muscle tissue. 

BEMER can also enhance:

Physical fitness

Performance and recovery

Strength and endurance

Energy and vitality

Resiliency

Well-being

Stress reduction

Rest and relaxation

And with BEMER’s range of products, you can recover at home or on the go — whenever works best for your schedule.

Ready to take your performance and recovery to the next level? Get in touch with a BEMER distributor to learn more.

*BEMER does not provide any medical advice or services. This device is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It should not be used for any purpose other than as described in the user manual. Please consult your own healthcare provider if you have any medical issues.

*Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, supplement or exercise program.

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