In all-star cheerleading, all we had to do was learn a few 8 counts of a dance, show how great our toe-touch was, and ran a few passes of tumbling. But college cheer was much different.
It was an all day event, and little did I know that at the END of tryouts, after we were good and EXHAUSTED from stunting and tumbling all day, we had to run a timed mile.
So...a mile. No big deal. I've ran a few miles before... I can do this. So, right before we were about to hit the pavement I ran to my bag, grabbed my lunchbox full of fruit and downed a few handfuls. I was getting hungry so I thought, fruit will be perfect for my little run across campus.
The mile went great. Felt good to have one of the fastest times among the girls and I felt like I ended tryouts with a bang.
About 30 minutes later my stomach started KILLING me. And not just oh, I need to go to the bathroom real quick, but the worst cramping I had ever had in my life. One that I thought, I wonder if someone realizes I've been in the bathroom for over 30 minutes. It just wouldn't stop.
Well, fast forward a few years, I kept getting stomach cramps after I would do a lot of intense workouts. I kept trying to figure out what was causing it because sometimes I never got them and then sometimes I did. It was the craziest thing!!
So then I was determined to figure out WHAT in the world was causing them. I started changing up what I was eating before and after workouts... and IMMEDIATELY it changed things for me.
Before an intense workout, I would eat a TON of fruit. I thought, fruit is healthy and great for you! It shouldn't be a problem! But then I started researching what you should and shouldn't eat before and after workouts and it totally made sense to me.
I was eating the wrong thing before I worked out. dun dun dun
Timing is Everything.
If you eat a large meal before you workout, most likely, you can feel very sluggish or have cramping. That is true. Your body CAN digest food while it is being active----> but not AS well. The blood in your body now has 2 jobs to do. Both jobs will get done, but you will probably have side effects from it.
On the other hand, if you don't eat before a workout, most likely you will feel lightheaded and dizzy because of low blood sugar!
So what do you do? And what was wrong with me?
You have to find balance, but here are some tips that have worked for me. (FINALLY)
1. The RIGHT Carbs are NEEDED before a workout. This is what happened to me... I grabbed a carb HIGH in fiber and therefore caused me MAJOR cramping and a long time in the bathroom. (TMI, I know.) SKIP bran cereals, beans, lintels, and fruit BEFORE a workout. You might have an episode like I did which is SO not cool when you are hitting the gym with friends.
2. Eat a full breakfast. This is only if you will be working out 3-4 hours later. If you will be working out right away, eat something smaller and give yourself some time before you jump in. If you don't like eating before a workout, drink your carbs with gatorade or fruit juice just so you keep your electrolytes balanced and keep your energy up.
3. Don't skip meals. It will almost guarantee yourself that your workout will end with you feeling like your gonna pass out. If you feel that way- you need QUICK sugar in your body. Grab fruit, some juice, or a gatorade to get sugar in your system quick.
4. Drink a ton of water. I keep a gallon jug with me almost all the time. If I haven't drank it all by the end of the day, I definitely didn't drink enough.
5. Don't grab a candy bar for a fast treat. Try and keep something like this on hand all the time...
low fat or fat free yogurt
low fat granola bars
fruit or gatorade
low fat cereal
bagels, rice cakes, graham crackers
fig bars, vanilla wafers, animal crackers
6. Listen to your body and learn from experience. Ive been doing this for a long time, and with trial and error I've learned a few things. But everyone has their own story. Figure out what yours is and continue to KILL IT! :)
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