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wellness ii: i: Is it better to eat before or after a workout? Itdepends on the type of exercise you're doing, and the intensity, says sports dietitian Aleksa Gagic from The Climbing Dietitian. For a gym workout, eating beforehand is not essential, he says, though having a snack (such as a piece of fruit or muesli bar) might ward off hunger pangs. Eating after a workout is recommended because it helps with muscle recovery and topping up stores of carbohydrates and electrolytes Think sushi, or perhaps a sandwich or wrap with protein, salad and avocado Basically, though, both are important. “Why not have something beforehand and then fuel yourself afterwards?” Aleksa suggests. Does carbohydrate loading work for endurance athletes? Planning to eat a big plate of pasta the night before a big event? Aleksa says it can help your performance because it tops up your glycogen a stored form of glucose) “Think of it like a spare tank of fuel that you may need, to reach certain levels of exercise,” he says. Carb loading is only suitable for endurance activities that last more than 90 minutes. Aleksa advises if you really want to perform at your best, you need to think about a nutrition plan earlier in your goal setting Salty foods make me bloated and affect my workout. True or false? For most people, having a salty snack pre-workout shouldn’t cause any huge dramas, Aleksa says. “Having a salty snack wouldn't cause bloating to the level that it would cause a performance reduction or affect your workout,” he notes If you regularly eat foods that are high in salt, your body may retain water, though the effects of salt or water retention varies from person to person. Should | wait half an hour after a meal before swimming? Former Commonwealth Games swimmer Jason Cram says during his career he always believed the “misconception” that he should wait half an hour after eating before getting in the pool. “The common belief has always been that swimming immediately after eating could lead to cramps, posing a risk to swimmers,” says Jason, who now runs swim coaching business Swimly. More wellness myths busted “The idea behind itis that digestion diverts blood flow to the stomach, potentially leading to reduced circulation to the muscles used in swimming, thereby causing cramps.” However, he says, this belief hasn’t been proven. He suggests listening to your own body, eating only a light meal before swimming, staying hydrated and warming up before any serious swim Eight pinsses of water a day — is this enough hydration when exercising? Bethanie Allanson, a sports dietitian with the Western Australian Institute of Sport, says this is “a really ambiguous number” — particularly when it comes to exercise. “Often, people of the same size, height and body surface area can have very different individual sweat rates,” she says. She adds that genetics and aperson’s activity and fitness levels are also factors. Bethanie says for most people, drinking when you're thirsty and taking small sips throughout the day should do the trick. But if you are very active or exercising in warm or humid environments, it can be a good idea to create a hydration plan. ORANGES AT HALF-TIME: GOOD OR BAD? Oranges area great half-time snack for kids, Bethanie says. Filled with vitamin C, they are hydrating and offer carbohydrates for energy, she notes. “Some people think lollies are a good alternative, but oranges are a much better option,” she says. Aleksa adds the half- time snack can help get youngsters into the habit of focusing on wholefoods when they think about fuelling themselves. “It gives abit of arrefreshing hit and it’s a good gateway to get them thinking about nutrition more proactively,” he says. Does veganism hinder my sporting performance? No, it doesn’t have to,” Bethanie says. “We have plenty of vegan athletes that compete at the elite level across. a variety of sports.” Some notable athletes who follow aplant-based diet, at least for most of the time, include Novak Djokovic, Serena and Venus Williams, and cricketer Adam Zampa. However, Bethanie says, such athletes need to have a very well- planned diet and watch their protein and iron intake. She recommends a variety of plant foods, including fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Should | avoid eating after 8pm to avoid weight gain? The science of chrononutrition — how nutrition relates to your body’s circadian rhythms — suggests there are metabolic advantages to giving late-night eating a miss, Bethanie says. But it can also depend on your individual circumstances and goals. For instance, if you’ve been training and need to kickstart your recovery, it may make sense to eat at this time. Once you've eaten dinner and your nutrient needs are covered, though, you might want to go easy on the mindless snacking THE HOUSE OF WELLNESS 31
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