Nutrition Strategies to Improve Energy All Day Long

If you find yourself frequently tired, even after a good night of sleep then there could be a hole in your nutrition plan. We find that many adults eat in a way that causes energy crashes, poor focus, and inconsistent performance inside and outside the gym. There is good news. You don’t need a special diet or a ton of caffeine or special supplements. Some simple tweaks to how and when you eat can stabilize blood sugar, improve recovery, and help maintain energy all day long. With better sustained energy, you’ll notice a dramatic improvement in your training and will have the physical and mental energy to eat healthy meals as the day goes on instead of opting for fast food or nearest convenient option. This is a positive snowball effect when used correctly. 

Start your Day with Protein, Carbs, and Fat

Fasting has become a popular way for people to control their caloric intake. For many, they find the simplest way to restrict calories is to simply not eat in a period of time. There is benefit to this, but for some people this can lead to them wanting to eat more calories later in the day and also add in snacks to make up for calories missed in the first part of the day. This can lead some people to over consumption. Another popular trend is to start the day with a coffee beverage (coffee with syrup, whip cream, and many other treats), and a carbohydrate focused item like a bagel, donut, croissant etc. Think about most of the items you see available at gas stations or coffee shops in the morning. These tend to be high carbohydrates and low to non existent protein. This can cause blood sugar spikes leading to a mid morning crash. If you begin the day with protein and complex carbs you can set your day up for steady energy and better focus. The protein focused breakfast help to improve satiety, reduce cravings, and stabilize blood glucose levels when compared to the carbohydrate focused meal. Here are two examples breakfast options to give you 25-40 grams of protein and 25-40 grams of carbohydrates to start the day.

Option 1

3 eggs scrambled with Avocado 

1 Serving Oatmeal mixed with Greek Yogurt and Berries

Option 2

Egg Sandwich on Whole Grain Bagel

2 eggs scrambled with breakfast meat and green vegetables

Time your Fuel around your Activity

Many adults under eat during the day and then over eat at night leading to fatigue, poor performance, and poor sleep. Many people also forget to properly fuel before and after their training sessions. By focusing on nutrition in the beginning of the day and around our training sessions, we can get a better result from our training and decrease our chances of mindless eating at night. Think of this as a way to fast track your results. Pre and post exercise support energy production, muscle glycogen replenishment, and recovery. Before training something easier on the stomach like a banana and light protein source is ideal for the quick energy from the banana and the ability to recover from activity from the protein source. Post training, we have always found that people do well having a protein shake and fruit on their drive home from the gym followed by a balanced meal after a shower. This helps to jump start the recovery process which is where our real progress comes from. 

Pre Workout Meal : 1-3 Hours prior. Quick carbohydrates, light protein source, healthy fat. 

Post Workout Meal : 1 Hour post training. Balanced meal with protein focus.

Hydrate Consistently, Not Just When You’re Thirsty

Dehydration is one of the most overlooked causes of low energy, brain fog, and decreased strength performance. Mild dehydration can impair cognitive function and exercise output. Studies have shown that dehydration reduces alertness, mood, and endurance performance. Hydration also helps with nutrient transport, joint health, and recovery all of which are critical in optimal performance. Most adults need 80-100oz of water each day, more if active and sweating heavily. To help with this be sure that fruits are a part of your diet and also consider electrolyte packets. 

Hydration Schedule

Upon Waking- 12-20oz of water

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - 12-20 oz of water each meal

Each hour of activity - 12-20 oz of water

As you can see, there is no need for a complete diet overhaul to boost your energy, just smarter habits. By beginning your day with protein and complex carbohydrates, and hydration we can help dictate most of our energy for that day. By making slightly better nutrition choices around our training times we can amplify our results of all other efforts. Hydration is the piece that can tie everything together. These small and consistent tweaks to your nutrition habits can drastically improve your mood, energy, performance, and strength without tracking macros or calories. At Showtime Strength & Performance, we help adults simplify their nutrition so they can perform better in the gym and their life. Eat smarter, move stronger, and keep your energy higher.

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