FAVORITE PRE- AND POST- WORKOUT FOODS


and their muscles in need of recovery. How they choose to fuel their workouts — before, during and after — can make or break this challenging season. Hot weather, heavy training, limited


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time and fatigue may decrease an athlete’s appetite. Your athlete may have been fine during base training, but now their nutrition is no longer supporting their energy needs. Coaches start hearing complaints of weakness, headaches, dizziness and even nausea at this time of year. Ask your athletes to journal a typical full


day of eating and hydration along with meal timing and energy levels. You may find that your athletes are significantly under eating or overeating in certain nutrients or calories. After you’ve reviewed a typical day’s eating, you are ready to talk specifics about the meals and snacks that support each training session. Pre-workout meals should be easy to


digest and should deliver the nutrients and fluids that an athlete needs to be ready for a workout. Post-workout meals need to replace what the athlete has lost in fluids, sodium and carbohydrates and provide some protein for muscle repair. For easier and shorter workouts, an athlete may be able to perform well without any extra pre- or post-workout snack. Whether your athlete is vegetarian,


vegan, Paleo, gluten-free or has food intolerances, nutrition experts are starting to recommend that athletes balance these formerly carbohydrate-focused snacks with a serving of protein and healthy fats. While carbohydrates are still best for energy needs and glycogen replacement, the protein and fats help to maintain a stable level of blood sugar resulting in longer lasting energy. Personally, both my pre- and post-


workout snacks often consist of plain Greek yogurt, fruit, walnuts and a glass of water (I have no trouble digesting dairy). For me, this balance of fat, protein, carbohydrates and fluids works for about two hours of aerobic training or up to 90 minutes of more intense training. If it is mealtime before or after a training session, I skip the snack. Every athlete has individual needs and preferences. So, I asked some of my favorite


experts for their typical pre-workout and post-workout foods. Joe Friel usually rides about an hour


after breakfast. So his pre-workout meals are whatever he had at that meal — most commonly foods like grilled turkey, omelets, leftovers, fruits, vegetables and a cup of coffee or two. Within 30 minutes of finishing a high TSS (long and intense) ride, he has fruit juice, a banana or other fruit, and some form of grains (crackers, bread, cereal, rice) or potato product. He eats until satisfied. If it was an easy ride, he just has fruit juice immediately after the ride. He will then have a meal in the next hour or so, and at that time he will also include a starchy food along with protein and vegetables. While he rides, he drinks only water during rides of less than 150 TSS. But for very high TSS rides and races, he drinks a cola along with water. Bob Seebohar says, “It depends on the


type of workout, the goal of the workout and the time of day. Before a quality session, I have a chocolate Generation UCAN with cinnamon. For most other workouts, I have a smoothie with fruits, veggies, protein and Chia. Afterwards, if I am hungry, usually some trail mix, a hard-boiled egg, some cheese or another smoothie.” Amy Kubal, R.D. also has some Paleo-


friendly recommendations. “For a pre- workout meal, I like some protein (eggs, salmon, chicken, etc.), some starchy vegetable-based carbohydrates for energy — sweet potatoes are my favorite, and some additional non-starchy vegetables like spinach or broccoli. One of my favorite


morning pre-workout breakfasts is a salmon, spinach and mushroom omelet with avocado and some sweet potato hash browns.” In a pinch, she says to try ½-1 scoop of 100 percent egg white protein stirred into a sweet potato, unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana.” For post workout snacks, Amy prefers


real food, saying, “There is so much more nutritional value in the stuff you can chew! Sweet potatoes, banana, plantains, butternut squash and pumpkin are all great.” Add some protein — she recommends pre- cooked frozen shrimp (just run them under cold water to thaw) and they’re ready to eat. The bottom line is that nutrition must


support training. Both coach and athlete must spend some time planning out effective fueling. There are many different ways to put together an effective pre/post workout meal or snack. The most important message is that coaches and athletes must take the time to plan and implement their training nutrition strategy.


Christine Palmquist is a USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach, USAC Level II Certified Coach and a TrainingBible Elite Coach. In addition to coaching adults, she is head coach of the MMTT Youth Development Team in Geneva, Ill. Chris has been a competitive endurance athlete for almost 30 years in triathlon, cycling, cross country skiing, canoe/kayak and rowing. She is the proud mom of two young endurance athletes. You can contact her at cspalmquist@gmail.com or 630-779- 0836.


PERFORMANCECOACHING | page 3


ummer is the competitive season. Training sessions are intense and long. Your athletes will be fatigued,


By Christine Palmquist, USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach


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