To benefit from any workout plan to the fullest, it is imperative to have a suitable diet plan, complementing the workout sessions. In this blog, we’ll talk about the best diet for HIIT!
For High-Intensity Training aka “HIIT”, it is essential to have a diet that is rich in proteins and has sufficient carbs. This ensures that you have enough energy to exercise intermittently without giving in to fatigue. Along with that, an adequate amount of water is also essential for the success of a HIIT workout!
Pre-Workout Nutrition
HIIT workouts involve short yet extensive workout sessions, which is why it’s very important for the pre-workout diet to be high in energy. As the human body will work all day long and is busy in the processes of muscle building and repair.
- Pre-workout nutrition refers to the diet that you should take about 4 hours before the workout session.
- If it is planned strategically, it gives the body ample time and energy to recover and make new muscles.
- About 4 hours prior to your workout, it is important to take in sufficient amounts of carbohydrates and proteins.
- Carbs are the body’s major source of energy, and they give the body the ultimate fuel, which is needed to drive a workout.
- Proteins, on the other hand, are coupled with carbs for repair and muscle building.
Good Pre-Workout Snack & Meal Ideas
The carb intake should be moderate enough not to overload the body, but energize it enough for the workouts.
Some good pre-workout snack options include:
- Dried fruit (almonds or cashew nuts)
- Plain yogurt (preferably a blend of yogurt, fruits, and some veggies in the form of a smoothie)
- Protein powder and whole-wheat toast
- A banana and some strawberries or a smoothie
These meals are a great way to energize the body for the workout by giving it the extra energy It requires. Just an hour or so before the actual workout, the body is in need of a boost of energy which comes from carbohydrates. So the meal plan immediately before the workout needs to be rich in carbohydrates.
Some good pre-workout meal options include:
- A bowl of fruit
- A nut energy bar
- Peanut butter toast
Then just half an hour before the workout take a scoop of whey protein, which is important to reduce the recovery time for the body in case of muscle fatigue or any energy loss. Proteins are the muscle-building sources of the body, and when the body needs repair, they are at the front!
Post-Workout Nutrition
Likewise, after you’re done with such an intense workout, it’s important to make up for what the body’s lost.
- Firstly, the body has lost its glycogen reserve, which is the form in which glucose is stored in the body.
- Secondly, during the workout process, the muscles are also broken down.
The main nutrient required for their repair is protein. As such, the post-workout diet plan should have more proteins
Immediately after a HIIT workout session, It’s not possible to fix yourself a proper meal, so you can go for quick fixes that have a high protein content. Some options include:
- A protein shake
- A slice of white bread
- Soy milk, and two spoons of jelly
Some tips that should be considered:
- The proper meal after a HIIT workout should be rich in carbs and proteins since both are needed!
- Carbohydrates are needed for glucose, a part of which will be stored as glycogen in the liver again. On the other hand, proteins are needed for the repair of worn-out muscles.
- It has been seen through research that the best combination of proteins and carbs is in a 1:3 ratio.
- After you finish your session, make sure that you have a proper meal in the 2 hours following your workout session!
- The Amino acids present in your diet are the building blocks used to repair damaged muscle cells.
- Different cells in the body are involved in the process of using amino acids to make new muscle fibers or to damage the ones that have been severed during intense workouts.
- It’s also important to incorporate some healthy fats into your post-workout meal because fats aid in reducing inflammation that often occurs as a result of high-intensity workouts. Inflammation, if it prevails, can hinder the exercising process for many days. So it is essential to deal with it from day one!
- It’s very important to make up for the water loss during the workout session in the form of sweat because a hydrated body sees quicker results in terms of exercise!
Snacks for HIIT
Proteins present in milk products are quite beneficial for muscle health. So snacks for the HIIT diet plan could be:
- Scoops of whey or casein protein
- Rice with veggies and chicken
- Pasta and salad (Add meat sauce for taste)
- A cup of mixed green salad and salmon
- A cup of green beans and salmon
Let us know in the comments below if you take care of your nutrition plan along with doing the exercises, or if you just rely on the exercises? We want to know your experiences!