If maintaining a healthy weight and being healthy overall is your goal, exercise will help you attain that. And eating well will support the activity, says Kelly Anne Erdman, a consulting dietitian for the Canadian Sport Centre in Calgary.

“If you eat well, you are more inclined to be active, and if you are more active, you are inclined to eat well,” she says.

This article gives you advice on how to eat and drink to fuel an active lifestyle.

Eat Like an Athlete
What you choose to eat will help you get the most out of your workouts. Athletes are very careful about what they eat. If they don’t eat appropriate, nutritious foods, they notice a direct negative effect on their training in 24 to 28 hours.

First of all, Erdman says, you need to eat carbohydrates during the day. Whole-grain breads, pastas, cereal and rice give you energy. They make longer endurance activities possible.

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“It’s hard to be motivated and to exercise when you don’t have the energy for it,” she says. “People think low-carbohydrate diets are better for weight loss, but if you don’t eat carbs, you sabotage how much energy you have.”

We store carbohydrates in our bodies in a form called glycogen. It is what we need to help us go farther and feel stronger when exercising.

Also, eat a good breakfast to get you going in the morning. And try to eat more often than just once or twice a day. It’s better to eat smaller portions every three hours, says Erdman.

Eating some protein—especially after exercise—is also important. Natural sources such as meat, fish, poultry, tofu and dairy products help build and repair muscles.

What to Eat Before and After Exercise
What you eat before and after you exercise is crucial, says Joan Radford, a personal trainer and manager of the Employee and Recreation Centre at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton.

Foods high in carbohydrates are what you need before exercise. A small bowl of cereal, half a peanut butter sandwich on whole-grain bread or a bowl of pasta topped with cheese and tomato sauce are some examples. These meals should be small and consumed one to two hours before exercise, depending on the person. Doing so will allow proper digestion before exercise.

Not everyone can have high-fibre foods or dairy before exercise, so keep that in mind, says Radford. 

After exercise, eating is important too. Your body needs to recover from your workout. A balance of protein and carbohydrates is what you want to achieve. You can try the following:

• a fruit smoothie made with yogurt and fresh, frozen or canned fruit
• a large baked potato with salsa
• whole-grain toast topped with apple slices and peanut or almond butter

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“If you are not eating sufficiently after exercise, you won’t have the energy to exercise the next day,” says Erdman.

Both Erdman and Radford point out that what you eat before and after you exercise also has to be based on how much energy you are about to expend. In other words, don’t use exercise as a reason to eat too much or choose unhealthy foods.

“You need to base your meals on how much energy you are using,” says Erdman. “There is a huge variation among people and their workout programs in how many calories are being burned and how much recovery they need.”

Remember to Drink Water
Water is essential for normal body function. “You need to stay hydrated, so you can function at your optimum,” Joan Radford says. “If you are not well-hydrated, you are tired. It makes a huge difference.”

To prevent dehydration, people need to drink water not only throughout the day but also while exercising. It is something they often forget. Radford advises her clients to regularly sip water during their workouts and afterwards as well.

Radford also advises people to watch their intake of caffeine in beverages such as coffee, soft drinks, black tea and green tea. Caffeine can dehydrate you.

In 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine recommended that active people follow these guidelines:

At least four hours before exercise, slowly drink about 5 to 7 mL of water or other suitable fluids for every kilogram of body weight. In other words, a 140-lb (63.5 kg) individual should drink one to two cups of fluid.

If you produce no urine over the next two hours, or if it is dark and concentrated, drink another 3 to 5 mL of water or other fluids for every kilogram of body weight. Again, for a 140-lb individual, this is only another half to one cup of fluid.

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Eating like an athlete, eating properly before and after exercising, and staying well-hydrated will help you achieve your goals.

“People are very busy and have a lot to do,” says Radford. “But a person can make conscious choices about what they are eating and when. These choices will help them be active.”

Learn More
Sport Nutrition
The Coaching Association of Canada offers this sport-focused nutrition advice for recreational or competitive athletes and coaches.

Canada’s Food Guide
Canada’s Food Guide from Health Canada gives a good overview of how to eat healthy.

Nutrition Notes: Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes
This three-page PDF from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health provides handy advice on sport nutrition for young athletes.

Sports Nutrition Handbook
This package can help athletes, coaches and parents learn about nutrition for active people. Proper nutrition can help optimize performance, and everyone can play a part.