Not awake enough before going to work, too exhausted at the end of the day, you find it very difficult to find a place for sport in your agenda.
For the more motivated, there is still time for the lunch break to get a sweat.
Only this niche is not trivial and requires some adjustments.
Should you eat, or in any case nibble, before the effort?
What to slip into his breakfast menu to keep up the effort?
Here's what you need to know before you get started.
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Take care of the contents of the breakfast
For the first meal of the day, the sports nutritionist dietitian Nicolas Aubineau (1) recommends favoring fatty and protein foods. Your choice: avocado, ham, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds. "They will allow you to have a real feeling of satiety and to better manage your hunger during the morning", he states. "The more this meal is rich in fiber and vegetable proteins, the better it will be for the body," confirms sports coach Lucile Woodward. You can mix unsweetened muesli with soy or almond milk, fruit and almonds, or a slice of artisanal wholemeal bread with butter and fresh fruit. " Above all, we avoid sugar: "Industrial fruit juice is very sweet and the pain au chocolat and orange juice combo ensures hypoglycemia and a feeling of hunger in the morning",adds the coach.
A high protein breakfast in 10 recipes
A high protein breakfast in 10 recipes
Hazelnut and raisin cake
The sportsman's cake: wholemeal flour, hazelnuts and raisins: you are ready for a good jog!
See the recipe.
Press service photo
Granola Crunch
Fill up on protein with oatmeal and enjoy the creaminess of yogurt at the same time.
See the recipe for granola crunch.
Photo DR
Muesli from the slopes
The classic high protein breakfast to bite into great athletes.
See the recipe.
Photo Beatriz da Costa
Chia and semolina porridge with citrus and ginger
The famous porridge recipe combined with the protein benefits of chia seeds and the freshness of citrus fruits spiced by a touch of ginger.
See the recipe.
Photo Yuki Sugiura
Almond cookie
A casserole egg
Fast breakfast smoothie
Green smoothie
Vegan yogurt and raspberry ice cream
Spring quinoa salad
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10 photos
Do not eat before
Even if you are hungry, it is best not to have lunch before your workout.
“When we eat, the blood flow is around the digestive system, while when we exercise, the irrigation is rather around the lungs, heart, brain and muscles, explains Lucile Woodward.
If you eat too close to your session, your digestion will hurt and you will be less efficient. ”
If breakfast is far from the break, you can nibble a snack an hour before the session to gain strength.
“Half a banana with a few nuts,” recommends Lucile Woodward.
We also make sure to drink enough in the two hours preceding the effort.
We are better hydrated with sugar or salt water colas aubineau, sports nutritionist dietitian
And to keep your strength during the effort, you can take a drink that will minimize hypoglycemia.
“I recommend drinking 500 ml of water per hour, with a touch of fleur de sel or honey.
We are better hydrated with sweet or salted water, ”notes Nicolas Aubineau.
It is also quite possible to exercise on an empty stomach, “but only for those who are used to it.
We do not start running overnight without having eaten anything since the day before, ”warns the sports coach.
On an empty stomach, you can easily do sessions ranging from 45 minutes to an hour.
Do your session outdoors
Ideally, Lucile Woodward recommends doing your jogging or muscle building session outdoors to benefit from natural light, which is less in winter.
It is during the lunch break that she is the best.
The practice will only have benefits for the rest of the day and especially for the quality of sleep.
To listen to: the editorial podcast
Treat after
Post-exercise is crucial, according to the two experts.
“It is important to eat within two hours of the session,” recalls Lucile Woodward.
The feeling of hunger will be great but no need to rush on the first food that comes to hand.
"To be more organized and for the sake of time, you can prepare a lunch box before leaving for your session", advises the coach.
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What to put in it?
"For the recovery phase, it is important to provide carbohydrates (sugars) and proteins to the body", synthesizes the sports dietitian.
At first, Nicolas Aubineau recommends taking a drink, which will be more quickly assimilated by the body.
"We can take a vegetable juice or animal milk to which we will add a sweet element such as honey for example," he says.
We eat in the two hours following the session Lucile Woodward, sports coach
To be gentle with your digestive system and its transit, the dietitian recommends waiting around twenty minutes, and opting for "a porridge or a
bowl cake
, or something semi-solid".
It is also important to recharge your batteries with minerals and vitamins, by favoring cooked or raw vegetables.
Those who want a more solid meal should think about having starchy foods on their plate that will bring sugar to the muscles (rice, pasta, potatoes, semolina, quinoa ...) and animal proteins (poultry, meat, fish , eggs ...) or vegetable (white beans, lentils, peas ...).
In addition to minerals and vitamins, vegetables will provide fiber.
(1) Nicolas Aubineau is in particular the author of
Immuno Boost - Pour une santé foolproof
, Éd.
Mango, 9.95 euros.
* Originally published in January 2021, this article has been updated.
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