How Does Good Nutrition Relate To Exercise

Exercise Daily – Daily exercise or engaging in other physical activities has tremendous benefits for your health. It can assist you in keeping or attaining a healthy body weight, protects you from severe illnesses like a heart attack or cancer, reduces the risk of bone fracture, etc., Studies suggest that good nutrition plays a vital role in helping us maintain our fitness more than the exercise. Then, how does good nutrition relate to exercise? 

When you exercise daily to get more fit, active, or lose some weight, you need to consume enough food to provide your body with good nutrition and energy. According to a study, your body is prone to get tired earlier if it does not get enough amount of: 

• Protein
• Carbohydrates 
• Fat
• Water 
• Calories 
• Iron, vitamins, and other minerals. 

Importance Of Good Nutrition Before Exercise: 

Harvard Health Letter published an article where it explained the importance of the first meal. A number of amazing benefits of eating a healthy breakfast are highlighted in this article. According to the article, starting your day off with a good meal lowers the risk of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. 

It is particularly essential to eat a balanced breakfast if you exercise daily.  You may feel lightheaded or lethargic when you skip breakfast before exercise. For this very reason, good nutrition relate to exercise

It is important to eat breakfast that delivers your body with enough nutrients . However, too many people have made a trend to start their day with simple carbohydrates. You would not feel energetic or active for a long time with a simple white bagel or doughnut.

Fiber and protein-rich breakfast, in contrast, will prevent hunger sufferings for longer and provide the strength you need to continue your exercise.

Here are a few healthy breakfast ideas that you can try: 

• If you eat slices of whole-grain bread in the morning, combine it with smashed avocado and eggs and you will have a healthy dose of protein to start your day off. Besides, you can use peanut butter as well if you don’t like avocado
• You can try making delicious smoothies for yourself with bananas and peanut butter. 
• Mushrooms are another great source of nutrients. You can use a mushroom hash with poached eggs in your breakfast 

Quercetin Foods Can Provide the Necessary Nutrition: 

Quercetin is a naturally occurring powerful antioxidant that is found in a number of plant foods.  Above all,  research has shown that it is one of the most potent and health-effective antioxidants.

To reduce muscle inflammation due to intense workouts, athletes prefer quercetin. 

According to the article published in The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), quercetin foods help in improving athletic performance, increase metabolic rate, and lean body pass significantly. 

Here are the foods that are a rich source of quercetin and you can include them in your diet. 

• Berries
• Grapes
• Apple
• Broccoli
• Onions 
• Citrus fruits
• Coffee 

Good Nutrition and Their Relation To Exercise:

• Protein: 

Protein is one of the most important nutrients to consume when you Exercise Daily. It offers tons of benefits to your body which include; reducing muscle soreness, boosting glycogen storage, promoting muscle repair, etc. For those of you, who engage in physical activities regularly, it is crucial to consume portions of protein at each mealtime. 

According to Harvard Health Blog, every adult person should consume 0.8g of protein/day for every kilogram of their total body weight. For athletes exercising to increase their strength and endurance, the recommended amount of protein intake is 1.2-2g for every kilogram of their total body weight.

According to a study, most Americans consume twice the amount of protein needed for muscle development. This is not a good sign as consuming too much protein can lead to 

• Increase body fat
• Loss of calcium
• Risk of dehydration

Below we have made a table with some common protein foods and their content 

• Carbohydrates: 

Ideally, carbohydrates bridge the energy requirement of your body. For all athletes, their diet must include enough carbohydrates. Lack of carbohydrates in the diet will result in poor performance and recovery will be impaired. 

Around 45 to 65 percent of your calories requirement should be fulfilled  through carbohydrates (this is suggested by Mayo Clinic). However, you should not just aim to intake whatever carbohydrates available because not all of them are good for your health. Hence, eating the right kind of carbohydrates is necessary. 

Starch foods like potatoes, bread rice, etc are the ideal source of carbohydrates. Moreover, wholegrain is also a great source of fiber, a range of minerals such as iron, folate, B Vitamins, and calcium. Besides, you should prefer whole grains over refined grains because they are digested slowly and have more staying power.

The kind of carbohydrates you should avoid or at least eat in a limited amount is “free sugar”. They are added to your drinks, sweets, and money other edible items are like honey, juices, etc. 

Below we have made a table with some common carbohydrate foods and their content:

• Fats: 

Small amount of fat is important for a healthy body. In fact, unsaturated fats offer calories and help in reducing inflammation. Also, be mindful of the fact that when you consume too much fat, you also consume excessive calories. This is not good as it can result in weight gain over time. Therefore, make sure to maintain a balance in your diet. 

Here are a few fat food that are healthy and nutritious: 

• Avocados 
• Fatty fish 
• Nuts
• Whole eggs
•  Olive Oil 
• Dark Chocolate

• Water and Other Fluids: 

Water is vital to life, and hydration is crucial for health, especially for sportsmen and women who are physically active and have probably more physical needs. To maximize exercise efficiency and ensure optimal recovery, drinking enough fluid is necessary. Exercise increases the body’s temperature, such that the body begins to sweat. This causes the skin to lose water and salts.

Dehydration can lead to fatigue and bad performance by lowering aerobic strength and capability. It is, therefore, necessary to keep yourself hydrated before, during, and after exercise. This will help you in preventing dehydration, particularly when exercising at higher levels or in hotter temperatures. In most circumstances, water is the best solution to stay hydrated without consuming extra calories, sugars, or acids that will weaken teeth.

How can you know if you are fully hydrated? Well, the most prominent sign is clear urine. 

How To Stay Well Hydrated: 

There are many ways that you can use to keep your body hydrated. Below, we have mentioned 6 tips that you can use to stay well hydrated: 

• When the weather is hot, try to drink water and more fluids than usual throughout the day, particularly when you are engaged in some physical activity. 
• You can use fresh fruits to add some flavor to your water if ordinary water does compliment your taste. Besides, you can even take sport drinks, ice pops, etc. However, keep caffeine and alcohol consumption limited. 
• Try to stay inside as much as possible when it’s too hot outside. Keep yourself in an air-conditioned environment. Avoid going out in the sun, especially between 11 am and 3 pm. 
• Eat water-rich fruits and vegetables frequently. Water-rich fruits include watermelon, pineapples, oranges, coconuts, strawberries, etc. While, water-rich vegetables are cucumber, broccoli, tomatoes, radishes, spinach, etc. 
• Lastly, you need to be aware of the sign of dehydration and try to drink water before you see the signs. 

Signs of Dehydration:

• Dry Lips 
• Darker Urine
• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Bad breath 
• Fast heartbeat
  

Bottom Line: Good Nutrition Relate To Exercise 

Now as you know how good nutrition relates to exercise, the most important thing is to maintain the balance between all. If you are just entering into an active lifestyle, you might get overwhelmed, however, with time you will discover which food suits your body the best. 

On the other hand, if you are already living a healthy and active lifestyle, then all you need to do is integrate a balanced diet into your routine. Stay within your limitations and listen to your body and consume what you think gives you the most energy. In conclusion, balance is the key and consume the right kind of nutrition. 

Here are a few tips that will give you an idea how you can include nutrition into your diet: 

• Try to include a healthy breakfast part of your routine
• Stock your fridge with healthy snacks that help bridge the nutritional needs of your body during a workout. 
• Try new methods to integrate these nutrients into your diet, so that you don’t get bored. 

Here you can watch a video to know more about the how good nutrition relate to exercise and health.