Women Do Better In a Fuelled State

Today I want to chat about pre and post-workout nutrition for women.

We can't talk about fuelling around workouts without talking alllll about carbs (and protein). You know them, you love them, you need them....but unfortunately they've been demonized for years. It reminds me of the 70's and 80's when the low-fat craze became the over arching ideology.

Of course the pendulum must swing, so here we are... not sure about fat, but definitely not sure about carbs either.

I'm here to set the record straight. Women do better, feel better, and perform better when they're in a fuelled state. You’re missing out on the benefits of exercise like building muscle and up regulating metabolism if you’re not properly fuelled.

If you’re afraid of carbs because…Instagram, TikTok, magazines, media, etc…I'm hoping this will help open your eyes to some of the negative impacts that cutting carbs and under fuelling has on women's bodies.

If you don't want to read the rest, at least read this: If you're under fuelled, you’re putting your body into a catabolic state that slows down your recovery, down regulates metabolism, and increases your fat storage because the body is afraid it is in a state of famine.

The super crucial reasons to EAT around your workouts:
Fuelling around your workout is important because it’s when your body is primed to absorb glucose and store glycogen and move amino acids into your muscles. This allows your body to adapt to the stresses from your workout.
Bodily processes sloooooow way down to adapt to the amount of energy that’s available. So, if you’re not eating enough and therefore not properly fueling around workouts, your body is going to adapt by down regulating metabolism and taking what it needs from your precious muscle tissue.
When your brain perceives that it’s not getting enough carbs (which is the primary fuel source for your brain)....things like: sex hormones, cortisol, appetite regulation, and thyroid hormones are negatively effected. You end up feeling hungrier, thinking about food more, and you might even notice that you're feeling sick and tired more often. This is because eating low carb paired with exercise lowers iron levels and immune function.

💪Pre-workout nutrition:

Are you working out in a fasted state?

Intermittent fasting elevates the stress hormone cortisol, which signals for the body to hold onto body fat and to turn down the resting metabolic rate, so think about it….exercise is a stress on the body, which is all fine and good because you need stress PAIRED with proper fuelling for adaptation to occur(muscle and strength gains)....BUT that stress paired with being in a fasted state (and maybe even paired with lack of calories) is putting your body into a sympathetic state = elevated cortisol levels.

With that said, let's have a little something before hitting the gym, ok? Ladies, we need protein before and after workouts. For Pre-workout, pair protein with some carbs and a bit of fat. Don't worry about fibre, you don't want your body working too hard to digest the food.

💪Post-workout nutrition:

Women, we have a shorter recovery window than men. 30-45 mins POST-workout is when our bodies are primed to absorb glucose and amino acids after a hard workout. Eat those carbs and protein.
PROTEIN is even more important for women than men. The sex hormone progesterone exacerbates muscle breakdown in women. It makes us more catabolic, especially during the luteal phase of our menstrual cycle. --I learned this neat little fact from Dr. Stacy Sims.
We need approx. 25-30 grams of protein paired with carbs. Please please please don't skip on the carbs.
Pairing PROTEIN + CARBS is important for reducing inflammation and boosting immunity.

The take away is that after a hard workout you’re not only primed to transport the carbs you eat straight into your muscle stores, but also to shuttle amino acids into your muscles, where they can repair the damage and build you back stronger.

x

Alicia🌷