Berlin - Always allow about three or four hours to pass between your last big meal and a workout. Jogging on a full stomach risks damaging your digestion, warns Torsten Albers of the German Institute for Prevention and Health Management. Nausea and diarrhoea are risks, he says.
Better to have a small snack before a workout, like a little bread with some spreadable cheese. A banana that's not too ripe is even better, as it keeps the blood sugar levels from jumping too quickly and its starches and glucose are easy to digest.
"Additionally, it doesn't contain any fructose or lactose, which can sometimes lead to stomach problems," says Albers, a nutritionist. And bloating isn't much of a risk, since there isn't much fibre in a banana.
If you like to eat after a workout, it's best to do so within the first hour or two after exercise. That's when nutrients are processed best, says Albers. If you want to bulk up, then it's best to have a gram of carbohydrates and a half gramme of protein for every kilogramme of body weight. "The fat content should be small."
That means an athlete weighing 75 kilograms should eat 100 grams of noodles with some tomato sauce or a piece of whole grain bread with a piece of fruit and some yoghurt.
On the other hand, if the point of the exercise is to lose weight and not bulk up, then only consume half as many carbohydrates. "A protein drink, like the kinds sold in fitness studios, mixed into a half litre of milk, is enough," says Albers.
