The Right Nutritional Timing Leads to the Rightway to Train

The food you eat has a direct impact on how you feel, your level of energy, how well you train, think and sleep. Proper nutrition has a direct effect on y0ur athletic performance and lifestyle. I came across a good link, from the NCAA http://www.drugfreesport.com/choices/nutrition/health.html, that applies to the quantity and timing of pre, during and post exercise consumption of carbs/protein. Also, I'll give you a link to Brown University on the same subject
http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/nutrition/sportsnut.htm

Here is a brief overview of the proper intake of these nutrients:

Carbs
Pre exercise: A pre-exercise/competition meal should be consumed at least 2-3 hours before the session to allow adequate time for complete gastric emptying and minimize gastrointestinal discomfort (Wilkinson and Liebman, 1997). According to the NCAA, pre-exercise supplementation should contain 1-5 g CHO/kg body weight. Liquid carbohydrate intakes at the lower end of this range are better tolerated than solid meals and higher intakes when consumed close to competition.

During: Carb intake during exercise, according to Coggan et. al., (1991) CHO intake during exercise should be sufficient to provide a minimum of 45-60 g of total CHO to sustain high performance energy levels. Blood glucose concentrations are maintained during moderate / intense exercise by supplying glucose at a rate of 45g/hour (Coggan et. al., 1987: Murray et. al., 1989). CHO supplementation during prolonged endurance exercise or at least 30 minutes before the onset of fatigue are effective in delaying fatigue (Coyle, 1992).
This is consuming a gel pack once per hour or an energy drink such as accelerade once per hour.

Post: High carb foods and beverages such as fruits or beverages or commercially available CHO drinks with a high GI are good choices for promoting post-exercise glycogen re-synthesis (Wilkinson and Liebman, 1997).
According to the Brown University website(http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/nutrition/resources.htm ), You should try to eat or drink about 0.5 g carbohydrate/pound body weight after exercise or competition, and again within 2 hours.

Protein
Research in the late 1990s has shown that some protein, in addition to the recommended carbohydrate intake after exercise, can also contribute to your body's increasing its stores of glycogen for future workout needs. Sports nutritionists recommend that active people eat about 250-300 calories (with a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein like Endurox) with 90 minutes after exercising. THis breaks down to about 50-60 grams of carbs and 12-15 grams of protein.


I hope this answers the questions on nutrition timing. I believe that nutrition goes hand in hand with training. Like a formula one race car, without proper fuel the engine won't respond.

Train and perform the RIGHTWAY!