Do this for maximum performance
Physical fitness and exercise is an exemplary lifestyle that currently fits in the daily routine of you and me, who knows its benefit. Apart from having your weight on the check, the exercise improves your blood flow, relieves stress, and gives the enthusiastic energy to achieve your daily goals.
Knowing the benefits alone is not enough motivation to continue with the exercise. Moreover, many people give up along the way due to pain from the previous day’s training, fatigue, and running short of breath during workouts and training or performance.
What causes pain?
During exercise, the body burns energy stores; carbohydrates, proteins, and fat depending on the extent and the duration of the exercise. For instance, lifting weights, sprints among others, are intense and done over a short duration of time. Therefore utilizes Carbohydrates and glycogen stores in the body for energy supply. Doing these exercises for a long time depletes these energy stores. Depletion of carbohydrates stores strains the muscles and cramps/pains set in.
High-intensity exercise cannot use energy from fat, hence resolving to break down stored proteins in the muscle to provide glucose to support the prolonged exercise. In the long run, we break down muscles instead of building them up. In the worst scenario, there is sagging skin with subcutaneous fat in the abdomen, skin, and under-arm. This is because the process supports muscle breakdown and spare fat, hence the high-intensity exercise is not effective in weight loss targeting fat loss.
Managing muscle pain and fatigue
For effective performance, there is an appropriate power balance between water intake and glucose levels. Energy and water have a lot to do in sustaining exercise, either for weight loss or just keeping fit. Adequate hydration eliminates dehydration which also contributes to optimum performance and endurance. Additionally, adequate energy supply in the muscles with electrolytes replenishes energy used and electrolytes lost in sweat.
How much water do you need during exercise?
It is healthy to take plain water as a daily routine, whether in the gym or during rest days. On rest days without exercise, divide your weight by 30 to get the volume in liters. For instance, if you weigh 60kgs, the standard volume is 2L. If you take juicy fruits, soups, broth, and juices, you can take 1000ml or 1500mls, depending on the amount of fluids in the diet. Contrary to the standard recommendation of 2litres of plain water per day, hydration is currently individualized based on age, weight, health status, and activity levels (WHO, 2004).
During exercise, take additional 200mls of water every 30minutes of the exercise to replace the lost fluids.
Add some energy source during exercise
When we sweat, we lose more than water; body salts are lost altogether. In addition, as we do fitness, we burn glucose and glycogen in the muscles depleting the sources. In high-intensity exercises such as sprints, lifting weight, and building muscles, sharp pains, and fatigue are experienced when glucose and glycogen stores are no more. Therefore it’s not advisable to take plain water in between exercises especially in muscle building and general fitness.
Therefore, take sports energy drinks that contain easily soluble forms of glucose with added electrolytes 100mls every 30mins of the physical exercise. also, top with 100mls water for adequate hydration. This eliminates fatigue and muscle pains in endurance exercises as there is a continuous supply of energy in the muscles throughout the exercise
Things to look out for in the sport drinks
The forms of carbohydrates need to be easily soluble and absorbed. The powder is taken with water or dissolved in water before drinking. Ensure the recommended quantity (as above)is consumed in the recommended intervals to avoid cramps, nausea, and indigestion that is accompanied by physical activity.
The caffeine content in energy drinks needs to be checked to control the fizziness that is not normally tolerated during exercise. 50–100mg is tolerable according to FDA guidelines, to allow room for the remaining 300mg supplied with other drinks and beverages in the diet, for a total of 400mg per day.
Having adequate protein and carbohydrate load before performance is beneficial for adequate energy to supply cells during exercise. Physical activity should be a lifestyle and appropriate nutrition help to achieve your gym goals.
