How to Enhance Movement Through Nutrition

Movement is a celebration of what your body can do - not a punishment for eating! Nutrition can fuel your workouts, help you perform better and achieve your goals quicker. So in light of Move More Month, let’s chat nutrition and movement! 

Did you know exercise boosts your body’s metabolism? This means your energy and nutrient requirements are also boosted. So, to reap the benefits of exercise and be able to keep going, you will need to put more in. 

What happens if you don’t fuel your body correctly?

Not fuelling your workouts right can be counterproductive to your health and fitness goals. Consequences of inadequate nutrition when it comes to exercise can include poor recovery between sessions, muscle soreness, muscle cramping, diminished performance, depletion of important vitamins and minerals, reduced immune function, poor sleep, inflammation, and fatigue.

Energy 

The main source of energy for your workout is carbohydrates (glucose/glycogen), and fatigue begins when these become depleted. Before your workout, it is important to fuel correctly. Even if your goal is weight loss, if you’re running on empty, you will get less out of your workouts, and be more likely to become tired and fatigued, which leads to less incidental activity throughout the day.  After your workout it is a good idea to replenish your depleted glycogen stores with a carbohydrate based snack (and protein of course). 

It’s best to have your pre-workout snack at least 60 minutes before your workout, however if you’re an early morning trainer, still get something in prior - my go to is a boiled egg. 

Some of my favourite pre or post workout snack ideas for quick energy include: peanut butter on a banana, honey or nut butter on rice cakes, crackers and cheese/dip, greek yoghurt and no added sugar granola, or a protein shake with a piece of fruit on the side. 

Hydration 

To feel your best, hydration is extremely important. However when it comes to exercise, it becomes even more important, as exercise increases heat in the body and causes water loss. Dehydration leads to muscle cramping, dizziness, nausea, constipation and fatigue. 

So, make sure you’re including enough water both before, during and after your exercise. For extra cellular hydration, consider supplementing with electrolytes (minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium). These minerals are all depleted during exercise, and are generally lower in our everyday diet due to soil depletion. 

Our Naked Harvest BCAAs contain coconut water which is naturally high in electrolytes, as well as sodium chloride. The perfect drink to sip on during your workout.

Protein 

Protein requirements increase with exercise, and if you don’t get enough protein through your diet, the body recycles its own protein, which equals poor muscle protein synthesis = less gains and poorer recovery. For tips on how to get enough protein in throughout the day, read here. 

If you’re a plant based eater, it is likely that you are not getting enough protein, so our plant protein, BCAA’s or vegan collagen is perfect for you to up your protein intake. Of course these are also suitable if you include meat in your diet, however our pure collagen will be your best friend to up your recovery game for our non-plant based gang! 

We create natural supplements that are multifunctional, good for you & don't sacrifice on flavour or fun! All of our products are vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, Australian made & have added benefits. Explore the Naked Harvest range now.