Something to eat at gym?

[breethe000]

Hey all, just wondering if anyone has any good ideas for a snack or a drink or something to have at the gym. i find after running then lifting im a little too drained to continue my workout after 90 mins... is there anything you take or eat to keep you goin? i really only want to stay another 30 mins but my body is just like... go home.

[VitoVino]

Easy to pack carbs, which will supply quick energy and are readily absorbed, along with helping to replace some potassium, are the same ones I take while on extended bike rides. So my suggestions are raisins/dried apricots.

If you tend to get hungry, a small amount of peanuts/almonds would be a good choice.

For liquid, just bring purified/bottled water (not artificially sweetened).

[handcycle2005]

Unlike Vito, I don't tolerate solid foods on long workouts so I always used sport drinks (Gatorade, Powerade) or UltraFuel For really long rides(3+hours).

You can also use energy gels or my favorite are SportBeans.

That long a workout, you need fluids, electrolytes and some carbs.

Experiment, everyone is different as to what works.

[01gt4.6]

Originally Posted by breethe000

Hey all, just wondering if anyone has any good ideas for a snack or a drink or something to have at the gym. i find after running then lifting im a little too drained to continue my workout after 90 mins... is there anything you take or eat to keep you goin? i really only want to stay another 30 mins but my body is just like... go home.

So you are working out for 90 minutes and wanting to stay another 30?
I may be the odd may out here but you're probably over doing it, that's why your body isn't wanting to go on longer. Why not split it up over more days are decrease the amount of time? Sometimes less is more. When I hit the gym, I'm usually out in 45 minutes. I rarely feel like I'm not getting enough in.

[VitoVino]

I agree with you about the sports drinks HC, only their biggest problem, as I'm sure you're aware, is the electrolyte balance is off. They're way heavy on the sodium and practically nil on the potassium. Considering that Americans typically average double the RDA of sodium per day (which is over 3K mg.) folks should at least be aware of the great amounts of sodium they're taking in when consuming these drinks.

Recently I performed an extensive search on the internet for a sports drink with adequate amounts of potassium. I found none.

[breethe000]

id love to go more days for shorter. however i live far from work and gym. but gym is right next to work.... so the result is i go work out on the days i work so that i save gas/mileage on the car. so ya, just trying to maximize my time there really. thanks for the tips, i get plenty of water in while im there and some almonds on my ride home was just thinking maybe there was something others do to keep the energy up.

[handcycle2005]

Originally Posted by VitoVino

I agree with you about the sports drinks HC, only their biggest problem, as I'm sure you're aware, is the electrolyte balance is off. They're way heavy on the sodium and practically nil on the potassium. Considering that Americans typically average double the RDA of sodium per day (which is over 3K mg.) folks should at least be aware of the great amounts of sodium they're taking in when consuming these drinks.

Recently I performed an extensive search on the internet for a sports drink with adequate amounts of potassium. I found none.

Potassium loss through sweat is a fraction of the sodium loss.

From this page.

Electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, in a drink will reduce urine output, enable the fluid to empty quickly from the stomach, promote absorption from the intestine and encourage fluid retention.

[almeeker]

For electrolytes and carbs you might look into Pedialite. I know it sounds strange, but my cousin who runs marathons has his family members wait at certain spots on the course to hand him a bottle of it as he passes by. He also uses sports goo, but I couldn't say which brand. The one food that always tastes really good to me after/during a workout is oranges. I peal them or slice them into quarters and throw them in the Chum Bag (cooler/lunch bag) for swim meets and ski club marathons. Tangerines are good too. We also pack almonds, fun size dark chocolate bars and peanut butter roll ups. The PB roll up is a family invention, it's a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and dried fruit (usually cranberries or raisins), all rolled up. You can take it in a zipper bag in the pocket of your ski jacket and it doesn't get crushed or ooze jelly like a regular PBJ.

You might also plan a higher calorie day before you go to the gym, just to give yourself a little extra steam.