Sports nutrition

Because you really get the most out of your workout with the right fuel. Sports nutrition and beverages let you prepare your body for exercise, optimise the session itself, and speed up your recovery afterwards!

Bars, gels, drinks, powders… There are so many types of sports nutrition, but which do you actually use and at what time?

• Sports bars (solid): bars are ideal for filling your fuel tank both before and during intense or long exercise sessions. They boost your stamina with a mix of carbohydrates and vitamins. 
• Gels (semiliquid): gels have a high energy value and, above all, are absorbed very quickly by your body. They contain a lot of fast sugars, so you feel the effect faster than with ‘regular’ food. Did you forget to eat before a long trip? Gels to the rescue!
• Sports drinks and powders (liquid): drinks provide quick, good hydration during or after exercise. They rehydrate your body and contain lots of minerals, vitamins, and proteins. 

Important! Supplements should never be an excuse to neglect your daily diet. A balanced diet remains the best basis for good sports performance.

First things first: as long as you are not an elite athlete, the timing of your meal before your session is not that important. Of course, it will affect your performance, but what you eat is even more important. If you play sports recreationally, or are quite fanatical, you can stick to this:

• 2-3 hours before exercising: eat a healthy, complete meal with sufficient protein and whole-grain carbohydrates for sustained energy. Make sure you drink enough water (at least 500 ml).
• 1-2 hours before exercise: eat something easily digestible like a banana, a small bowl of oatmeal, or a whole-wheat sandwich with hummus. At this point, your body doesn’t have enough time to process large meals with lots of fats, fibre, or proteins. No one wants gastrointestinal cramps while exercising or in the middle of a competition.

Your body needs the right foods to function properly no matter what. So if you’re planning on doing something extra strenuous, your nutrition is extra important. What you eat before, during, and after your workout will help you perform and recover to the best of your ability, but also simply to stay healthy.

More to the point: if you don’t eat correctly or properly, part of all your training will be in vain because you are exhausting your body more than you’re making it stronger!