Exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. To optimize the results from training, it is also important to take a holistic view of yourself. Your entire lifestyle affects the outcome.
For women, the menstrual cycle also influences training and is something we can use to optimize our training results.
We are all genetically different, which means we function differently and respond in various ways to different lifestyle forms. Nutrition is important for everyone, of course, but then you need to find what works for you. Also, be aware that this can change over time. Therefore, listen to your body's signals and keep a journal so you can find your personal, optimal diet and training method.
Macronutrients in training
Macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and they provide the body with energy.
Complete protein is important for building muscles and consists of amino acids, which are the building blocks your body needs. In a vegan diet, it becomes especially important to diversify protein sources to get all the vital amino acids. Kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, lentils, hemp, and peas are preferred.
However, soy and gluten are often more problematic protein sources. Soy negatively affects the thyroid and disrupts hormone balance. Legumes and nuts can also have negative effects for some due to antinutrients. Regardless, it is good to soak them to reduce the amount of antinutrients. Here you can read my post about soaking on morotsliv. And here about IFD, that is, anti-inflammatory diet.
It can therefore be challenging to get good protein quality while avoiding inflammation increase as a vegan from the antinutrients found in plant-based protein sources. It is easier for vegetarians who can eat eggs and dairy products, provided their body tolerates these.
Fats and carbohydrates also provide energy, and here too, genetically, what we thrive best on varies. Some do well with keto while others need more carbohydrates.
Caffeine can also enhance training results and endurance.
Micronutrients in training
When you train, you not only need to consume more energy from macronutrients (calories) but also good micronutrients. Several studies show that vitamin and mineral therapy has a performance-enhancing effect. (Wilhelmsson, P. 2007)
When you train hard and sweat more, the body excretes more of the important vitamins and minerals in sweat. And when you strain muscles and bones, protective antioxidants are also used up, so you need to replenish with new micronutrients.
Vitamin C reduces muscle soreness and improves muscle function and recovery during intense training, and vitamin E reduces muscle damage after training.
Magnesium reduces lactic acid formation during intense training and speeds up recovery. It also helps muscles relax and reduces muscle soreness. MSM, organic sulfur, is also important for cell structure and function and provides flexibility, tone, and strength to muscles.
Iron is abundant in green leafy vegetables and red meat, and its absorption is stimulated by vitamin C and inhibited by calcium. Iron is needed for functions and processes important in aerobic training, that is, endurance training. Iron deficiency is common especially among female athletes and endurance athletes. Therefore, in some cases, it may be good to take iron supplements, but always check with a nutrition therapist to ensure you really need the iron supplement first.
The more intense the training, the more zinc the body uses, and chromium optimizes blood sugar supply to muscle cells to build muscles faster through training while also stimulating fat burning.
Food before, during, and after training?
Muscle activity does stimulate growth, but the actual repair of damaged muscle fibers happens during the hours and days after your training, and that is when muscle mass increases.
That is why you must be extra mindful of nutrition and rest during that time. When the glycogen stored in the muscles is used up and muscle fibers are damaged, you want to quickly supply the materials needed for tissue repair and growth.
Before training
Do not eat a large meal less than 2 hours before a session. It takes a long time to break down all that food, which causes blood sugar to drop. Then you may feel tired and not be able to handle as high a load or pace.
Also, a large part of the body's blood gathers in the abdomen when digestion is active, and less blood is sent to the muscles with the necessary oxygen and nutrients to give them energy. Instead, eat the meal about 2 to 4 hours before the session.
Just before the session, you can have a smaller snack that is easy to digest and does not contain much fiber or fat. These slow stomach emptying and can prevent possible stomach discomfort during the session.
Choose foods with soluble fibers such as oats, vegetables, and psyllium husk. Or choose yogurt, smoothies, berries, fruit, oatmeal porridge, fat coffee with MCT that increases fat burning. The snack should give you easily accessible energy before training and minimize hunger during your workout.
Fluid intake is also important in connection with training. The more you sweat, the greater the fluid intake before and after, but perhaps especially after.
Research suggests that intake of EAA (essential amino acids) and BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) before, during, and after training stimulates muscle building in strength training.
During training
Usually, you do not need to consume anything during the workout. If you train at high intensity for longer than 60 minutes, it is sometimes recommended to drink sports drinks to perform better. However, it has been shown that rinsing the mouth with the drink can have the same effect as drinking it.
After training
The training session is a breakdown (catabolic) phase. If you want a good building (anabolic) effect afterward, the recovery meal is of utmost importance.
The recovery meal slows down muscle and immune system breakdown and also stores a larger amount of glycogen in the muscle.
The recovery meal determines how good results you get from training and should preferably be consumed within an hour after the session. Within 2 hours, you can then eat the next meal, which should be a well-composed meal and drink plenty of fluids.
Now you can advantageously eat protein and fast carbohydrates to spike insulin and get the nutrients into the muscle cells. If you like sweets, it is right after training that it is best to treat yourself to something tasty because these carbohydrates are fast-acting.
By drinking plenty, you get better protein metabolism and thus muscle building.
Take your supplements preferably with the recovery meal.
Rest and time for recovery are just as important as the training session itself.
Train according to the menstrual cycle
A man feels roughly the same every day. His cycle is 24 hours with testosterone peaking in the morning. A woman, on the other hand, has a cycle of about 28 days where physiological and hormonal changes occur depending on the menstrual cycle. This is actually something we can use to achieve better results.
During menstruation, the best training can vary from person to person. Some women find that intense training can relieve menstrual pain, but for others, gentler forms of exercise such as walking or yoga are better.
After menstruation, estrogen levels rise and reach peak levels just before ovulation. Now strength training gives the best muscle-building results.
After ovulation, progesterone rises in the body and starts fat burning in fat cells, making endurance training suitable.
The last week before menstruation, there is a higher risk of injury as both balance and coordination may be impaired. Then high-intensity training and interval training are excellent, such as swimming, running, and spinning.
Read more about training in harmony with the menstrual cycle.
Find what suits you
These are general tips, but since we are all unique, the most important thing is always to start from yourself! Your lifestyle, your genetics, and your body.
If you are unsure, you can advantageously contact a functional medicine therapist who can help you find what is optimal for you. Good luck!
