Got a request from a fellow athlete this week, so I decided to work on it for her! This post focuses on the people who strive for more energy but don't want the extra poundage associated with more food.
Think timing. When you eat your food is extremely important when looking for boosts of energy. Eating 30 min to one hour before energy is needed is ideal. This is perfect timing because of the time it takes for the food to be digested into usable energy. A trick I've told my teammates is to eat during activity as well. Make this food high in simple carbohydrates (raisins, gummy bears, orange slices, etc.) and you will see a similar increase in energy. This is one thing Gatorade does for us with its sugar content. If energy is a thing of need after activity, those of you who have jobs or studying, then make sure to eat 30 min to one hour after practice as well. This will help your body recover along with giving the body great fuel for the rest of your day.
The number one item to eat for your energy boost is fruit. Just think any fruit. Your favorite will work fine. If not, try any of the other. The thing about fruit is:
- High sugar content for fast acting energy
- Natural food made to be digested easily by the body
- Fiber in skins will help keep calories down while increasing "fullness"
- Easily portable (most fruits) and can be eaten at anytime
- Amazing micro-nutrient profiles mean higher focus, higher energy, and higher immunity
Convinced? Instead of going out to try out a new snack to boost your energy, just go buy a sack of oranges or apples or bananas or grapes or strawberries or...you get the idea? Fruit is so great in that it literally needs almost no preparation and no storage needs. Throw it in your bag and go. This is something I've been working on recently and my energy level is much higher in the morning after eating one banana or one orange. My hunger level during and after the workout tells me I'm not eating too much either.
So if fruit is not your thing or you just can't do it, try different methods. Here in Italy we drink cafe (espresso) when tired. It's nice because it is small and quick and provides a nice energy boost. Caffeine is good for this in small doses (like espresso). The problems come around from having large volumes of coffee or caffeine and adding a ton of additives to the drink. Try it sometime. One espresso shot with no sugar or milk. This has no calories and provides a ton of energy. Yeah its a bit bitter, but it gets the job done without any chemical-bomb drinks involved. Stay away from energy drinks. Those lead to crashing and are sometimes illegal to use according to USADA.
A final thing to try for getting your energy without the calorie boost is staying hydrated. Simply by being hydrated you can avoid headaches and injuries which can give the feeling of fatigue and sleepiness. Always keep a drink at hand, especially when your day has some heavy activity in the future.
I hope this helps! This request was awesome to get! I love hearing from my viewers if it's a request or just some positive words! I love my fanbase! You keep reading, I keep writing :) Ciao amici!
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