"This is an insight to what I eat pre/post workout and the why behind it."
Pre- and post-workout meals are considered the two most important meals of the day for an athlete. A good pre-workout meal can provide the right nutrients to help fuel an epic workout. And a good post-workout meal can help fast track recovery to repair muscle. But eating the wrong meal can have you feeling sluggish and unmotivated during your workout. Luckily, 2x Ms Figure Olympia Champ Erin Stern invited us to her kitchen to talk about her pre- and post-workout food choices.
Erin's Go To Pre-Workout Meal
The goal for me is to get about 30 g of protein and 30 g of carbohydrates. I want this meal to be low fat and low fiber. The reason for that is that is for a faster digesting meal that’s not going to weigh me down. The energy is going to be more readily available. I like chicken breast and white rice; it digests quickly and it’s something I can have 1 ½ hours to 2 hours before I work out.
Measure Your Macros
Keep track of it. That way if you want to make changes you can. If you want to start bulking or if you want to start leaning down, you have the ability to make those changes. Keep track in your food logs. You can eyeball portions after a while but it’s really important to establish that baseline from measuring so you know exactly what you’re taking in.
Add Flavor to Your Meals
Just because you’re dieting doesn't mean the food has to taste like cardboard. Make sure to add salt, add spices, add acidity and make it taste good. Don’t be afraid to use things like hot sauces. Just make sure there’s simple ingredients on the back of your condiments.
Prioritize Recovery Post Workout
I like to eat within 30 minutes to 1 hour after training. There isn’t an anabolic window so you don’t have to necessarily rush home after training. But it’s good to understand that when you’re in the gym you’re actually tearing your muscles down and everything outside the gym is helping you to recover, rebuild, and grow stronger.
An Easy, Protein-Rich Post-Workout Meal
This is pretty similar to the pre-workout meal. I’m looking for a nice balance of fast-digesting protein and fast-digesting carbohydrates. I make cream of rice, using white rice flour, and I add 1 serving of COR-Performance Whey (2 scoops). My post-workout meal is 40 grams of carbohydrates and 24 grams of protein. It’s fast digesting, low fat, and low fiber. It fuels the muscles for recovery, replenishes energy stores, and helps you get stronger.
Erin Stern’s COR-Performance Cream of Rice Protein Recipe
Ingredients
- 50 g of cream of rice flour
- 2 scoops COR-Performance Whey Protein
- A pinch of Ceylon cinnamon
- A few drops of liquid stevia
Directions
- Measure out about 50 g of cream of rice flour into a pot
- Add water (more water for a runnier cream of rice, less water for a thicker cream of rice)
- Place pot on stove top and heat it up so it thickens up nicely
- Add a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon
- Add a few drops of liquid stevia
- Stir
- Cook until it reaches your preferred consistency
- Let your cream of rice cool down for a few minutes before adding in COR-Performance Whey. If you add your protein in to hot cream of rice, it will denature the protein and won’t blend smoothly.
- Pour your cream of rice into a bowl
- Add 2 scoops of COR-Performance Whey to the cream of rice bowl and mix the protein in until it reaches a smooth consistency
- Put your bowl in the microwave for 1 to 1 ½ minutes
- Let your bowl cool for a few minutes so it can thicken up.
