Everyone knows that guys who lift a lot of weights are always talking about protein. It helps build muscle and quickens recovery time, so there actually is a reason these guys make protein sound as essential as water to their everyday lifestyle. But not everyone is throwing around serious weights every day, and not everyone wants to get huge muscles. There are plenty of different workout routines out there, and as you might have already guessed, they all require a modified diet to be effective. Check out some of the more popular workout regimens and their respective diets.
Endurance Sports
Training for endurance events like a marathon, ironman, or a long bicycle race means you are going to need a lot of energy. As with any diet, you should be getting your calories from a mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, but you'll be focusing more on carbohydrates. That's because carbs are the perfect fuel for endurance trainers. They're easily digestible and your body can use them quickly, staving off early fatigue and providing energy. Make sure that you get your carbs from healthy sources like whole wheat bread, legumes, nuts, or vegetables, and avoid white bread, sugary cereals, cakes, or refined potato products. And keep in mind that you'll still need a healthy amount of fat and protein in your diet.
Weightlifting
As we mentioned before, protein is king if you're looking to pack on muscle. That means you're going to want to up your intake of lean protein, while still avoiding bad carbs and sugary snacks or drinks. That means lean beef, skinless chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, and yes, your whey protein supplement. But there's no need to go overboard, because while protein is extremely important for muscle growth, your body can only utilize so much of it for protein synthesis. So a protein supplement after your workout is great, but there's no need to be adding that 40-50g protein shake to a diet that's already full of protein.
Sprinters
Sprinters have to walk a fine line, keeping their bodies in peak physical shape without adding on the muscle mass that weightlifters are looking for. Still, they do need to prioritize protein in their diet. That's because unlike long distance runners, sprinters don't need large quantities of carbohydrates in their diet. It's also recommended that you get these carbs from clean sources like vegetables, sweet potatoes, or whole grain bread and oatmeal. And remember that the carbs will give you an energy boost, so look to time the majority of your carb intake around training or events.
Remember that no matter what you're training for, a healthy diet will always have some balance to it. Your body needs calories from a variety of different sources, and you won't see the results you want if you're cutting carbs or fat out of your diet altogether. That being said, the best way to help your body recover after a tough day of training is with a supplement like our protein bars. They've got all the protein and nutrition your body is looking for!