3 Nutrition Mistakes To Avoid When Exercising

Here are three common mistakes that both beginner and experienced athletes make. Try to avoid them:

1. Buying sports nutrition products. If your exercise routine is less than 60-90 minutes, you DON’T need Gatorade, gels, powders or any other elixir. Yes, the commercials and ads for these products are enticing, and make you think your body really needs whatever complex sugars and electrolytes these products supply. But the truth is that water and a banana are cheaper, just as good for you, and cost much less.

2. Overcompensating for burned calories. Many people work out because they want to lose weight. Calories in, Calories out. The problem is that after a workout, we feel that we’ve earned the right to eat more. In many cases, people will consume not just more calories than actually burned, but also lower quality calories. “Hey I deserve it, I just worked up a sweat”. Don’t be that person.

3. Under-hydrating. And by hydrating, we mean water. It’s very hard for people to gauge how much water their body needs just by serving their thirst. Even experienced runners fail to replenish their water loss by up to 70%! So drink more water than you think you should! This is true before, during, and after exercising. 20 Minutes prior to your workout, make sure you have at least 1-2 cups of water (8-16 fluid ounces). During longer exercises, find the time to drink again. Your heart is a pump, and it will have an easier time when the body is at optimal hydration levels. A good rule of thumb is a cup of water every 15 minutes. If you can’t drink while exercising, you’ll need to replenish a cup for every 15 minutes. After exercise, keep drinking at regular intervals for at least a few hours until you need to run to the restroom every 30 minutes. Pro tip: weigh yourself before and after exercise; the water loss due to sweat can be dramatic. Each pound is equivalent to 2 cups of water.

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