A healthy lifestyle and healthy food habits act as an elixir for CrossFitters when done correctly. Having a healthy lifestyle and being consistent with it is a problem for individuals of the 21st century, and being healthy takes a lot of effort from individual life, so it should be fun and engaging. Here comes the concept of CrossFit, CrossFit is a lifestyle characterized by safe, effective exercise and sound nutrition. CrossFit can be used to accomplish any goal, from improved health to weight loss to better performance, it combines the multidiscipline of fitness and makes an individual overall strong and functional.
CrossFit represents a community of people making their move towards a healthier you, individuals encourage and motivate each other in every class as they work toward their goals, and as we talk about goals, one can not accomplish it without the proper nutrition.
Proper Nutrition helps an individual recover faster, perform better and move faster and in CrossFit one will need those to achieve their desired results and to change their physical and mental structure. The CrossFit dietary prescription mainly focuses on the macronutrients ratio of foods following the zone diet (e.g. 40:30:30 ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).
CrossFitters swear by the paleo diet, which includes the consumption of modern foods that mimic the food groups that our pre-agricultural, hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed.
The paleo diet for a CrossFitter consists of foods like:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Lean meats, especially of grass-fed animals or wild game
- Fish, as those are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, and albacore tuna
- Oils from fruits and nuts, such as olive oil or walnut oil
The paleo diet has been found to increase physiologic functions and metabolic rate, which is very much useful for people indulged in high-intensity training.
The paleo diet has proven itself to increase brain awareness, alertness, decrease lethargy which when added with proper training and supplementation further enhances the overall work capacity of the CrossFitter.
Now, after talking about paleo( the diet part), let’s get into the supplements culture which can further help a CrossFitter enhance his/her performance.
Performance enhancers
Crossfitter’s training is performance-based and optimizing it to the fullest is necessary, which is why a performance enhancer is important.
As a CrossFitter one always try to find ways to take their performance to the next level, one can get the required energy from the food but the thing which they lack is the ability to create awareness and concentration due to this sole reason many athletes add supplements to their training.
The supplements used for better performance include BCAA, Creatine, Beta-Alanine, Glutamine, Whey Protein, and Fish-oil, but these supplements are there just to supplement your diet and not replace it. In case, of more curiosity about supplements referhttps://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/
These were just some supplements that may help an individual grow, but there is more to muscle building than just supplements. Sleep, pre-workout meals, post-workout meals remain non-negotiable.
Fuel for pre-workout
Nothing can replace a complex carb meal as a fuel for the workout, a good pre-workout i.e.Eating the right foods at the right time can help you have a much better chance of taking it to the next level and setting some PRs, but many substances can help a CrossFitter perform better and more efficiently.
Recent studies have shown that athletes who ate before participating in a high-intensity workout were able to last longer and perform better than those who trained on an empty stomach. The thing to keep in mind is that the less time you allow before a workout, the smaller your pre-workout meal or snack should be, a general rule of thumb is to have the pre-workout consisting of carbs and protein, the carbs will provide you the energy and protein will help in protein synthesis.
The food recommended as a pre-workout is:
. Oats
. banana
. Bread with peanut butter
. Brown Rice
For the extra burst of energy, Try adding caffeine to your diet to improve overall concentration and alertness.
Caffeine has been shown to stimulate the central nervous system to reduce fatigue and drowsiness. It may also benefit exercise performance; research has shown that it can improve endurance and increase muscular strength.
Fuel for post-workout
Properly replenishing yourself after the hard intensity workout is crucial for proper recovery of the body. As CrossFitters train they create trauma to the muscle fibers that is referred to as muscle injury or damage
which requires protein for its repair. Repair happens when the rate of muscle protein synthesis is greater than the rate of muscle protein breakdown, and for that proper diet consisting of protein, carbohydrates and fats are necessary. A post-workout meal is there to replenish the glycogen store of the body.
A general rule of thumb while having your post-workout meal rich in high-quality protein and to have carbs with moderate to low glycemic index. Studies done on post-workout have shown that the rebuilding of your muscle’s glycogen stores is 2-3 times faster immediately after exercise when compared with few hours later
The sample of foods to eat after a workout:
- fish or chicken, quinoa, avocado, dark leafy greens, and protein shakes or chocolate milk should be your first choice as they are high in protein which reduces the risk of muscle breakdown.
- Leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and arugula are a great source of both calcium and iron, which can help with metabolism and bone strength.
- Oats for the complex carbs.
Better sleep for Better recovery
Exercising is all fun and joyable, until your sleep pattern messes. Sleeping a sound sleep restores the body’s energy supplies that have been depleted throughout the day’s activities, and as a CrossFitter one spend a lot of time doing activities, and from time to time it has been shown that Insufficient rest greatly reduces your recovery capacity, and thus your capacity to do physical work.
Athletes undergoing an intense training should sleep at least 9-10 hours/night and adding a short nap right after training is advised. A good REM sleep increases the androgen and HgH levels in the body which is what Cross-fitters strive for. The sleep is the pathway to be a better you, both physically and mentally.
As CrossFit and sports athletes are performance based, check out my tips and tricks for better athletic performancehttps://beeskitchen.in/nutrition-tips-for-athletes/
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