Importance of Nutrition in Reaching Your Fitness Goals

You may be hitting the gym and doing cardio every day, but are you reaching your fitness goals?

Free weights with appropriate rest days between sessions, interspersed with running on the treadmill will certainly get you to at least 30% of your intended fitness goals. But what about the other 70%? Nutrition, appropriate meal-planning and timely eating makes up the remainder of your workout efforts.

1. The Three Main Nutrients

A healthy outside starts from the inside, so paying attention to your nutrition is just as important as spending time in the gym. You need to sufficiently and adequately feed your body with the appropriate nutrients to achieve your goals. You need nutrients for muscle growth, metabolism, and other bodily functions. The nutrients that we ingest provide the energy the body needs to complete all these functions.

The three main nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, and fat, play a significant roll.

1.1 Protein

This essential nutrient is needed for just about every function in the body. When eaten, proteins are broken down into the bloodstream and are converted to amino acids. They are necessary for growth because they live in every cell of the body. Amino acids are responsible for the functioning of your immune system, tissue repair, the production of hormones, and many other processes.

When we think of protein in the fitness arena, we think of gaining lean muscle mass. So, if one of your fitness goals is to gain more muscle in your body, you need to make sure to add dietary proteins in your diet to meet that goal.

1.2 Carbohydrates

This is the main fuel for the brain and body. When these healthy sugars are ingested, they convert to glycogen in the bloodstream. Glycogen can then be used as an instant energy source. A good analogy for this is the act of putting gas into a car. The gasoline is the main source of fuel for the vehicle. When the gas tank is empty, the car will not run. That is quite similar to the human machine; when you are low on fuel, the brain and body do not function as well.

A characteristic of glycogen is that when you are not in need of instant energy it can be stored in different parts of the body: liver, muscles, and other bodily cells. These areas of the body can then convert the glycogen back into glucose to use as fuel for proper functioning. Glycogen can also convert to fat (fatty acids) when it is not needed for immediate use.

1.3 Fat

This nutrient is also a form of fuel, but it is reserved for future expenditure. As noted above, when glucose is not needed for energy immediately, it will get stored away for later use. Fat is also essential in protecting our internal organs and they help to produce certain hormones in the body.

2. The Right Food at the Right Time

With this knowledge about the three major nutrients, it's important to look at when to properly add them to your diet especially when you're working toward a particular fitness goal. Let's say you're trying to lose a few pounds and gain some more muscle. Here's how you may construct a nutritionally sound diet. 

One of the main things about eating in a healthy way, is not only eating the correct nutrients, but also eating at the right time. For example, if you're planning on having a busy day that starts with a hearty workout, then a full day of running errands, going to meetings, and attending a night school class, you're going to need a lot of energy. As mentioned a good energy source is carbohydrates. You will want to incorporate healthy carbs throughout the first portion of the day, particularly in the morning, so you have enough fuel in the tank.

If you're planning to have a relaxing day binge-watching a streamed television show, then you're not really in need of a lot of energy. Therefore, a significantly reduced amount of ingested carbs on a day like this is recommended. Going back to your fitness goal, if you are starting your day with some cardio and weight lifting, your morning meal may consist of healthy dietary carbs and proteins for sufficient fuel. The protein will be needed because if you're breaking down muscle tissue while lifting weights, you'll need the necessary amino acids as a building block to rebuild the damaged tissue so they can function better and harder the next time. That's how one builds bigger muscles over time. 

If your workout routine is in the afternoon or in the evening after work, the same philosophy about meals applies here. When you plan to be active, then you need fuel for energy. If you are at rest, then you will need less carbs and fat in your meals. Keep your protein pretty consistent throughout the day. It can be in small doses. Proteins, as you may recall, are important for just about every function in the body when it comes to building and repair. A lack of this nutrient can deter the growth and rejuvenation of cells, organs, muscles, and other bodily functions.

Healthy food & Regular workout

If there is one combination guaranteed to give you a lifestyle change, its nutritious food with regular yoga, meditation & physical workout. When you can carefully construct a nutrition plan based on proper high quality nutrient foods, integrated with good timing to efficiently fuel your workouts, then you are on your way to meeting your fitness goals. For power yoga accessories and fitness accessories to make those sweaty hours manageable and effective, go through the below link and find Maji Sports yoga, fitness & rehabilitation products at the best prices available.

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