Nutrition and Exercise In this era when entire world is facing the pandemic situation it is very important that one should understand the importance and proportionality between a healthy Nutrition and Exercise. Optimal nutrition intake results in increasing your performance in the gym, Your nutrition plan should be individualized and synchronized with your health status, fitness goals, type of exercise and physical activities. Whether you’re exercising for weight loss, general health, looking to create muscle or trying to improve performance, having a basic understanding of nutrition is always important. When and what should you eat before and after a workout? When it comes to diet and workout, everyone is different and will require a unique plan to help ignite their workouts and recover. Use hit & trial and pay attention to how you feel during and after your exercise. Recognizing how your body reacts will allow you to adjust your pre- and post-exercise eating habits to ones that work best for you. Thumb rule to this is to consume mix of protein and carbs 1-4 hours Before workout and somewhere about an hour after workout. — Large meals: 3-4 hours before exercising. –Small meals or snacks: 1-2 hours before exercising. Average protein you should eat? Depending upon the type, duration, and intensity of your workout, the recommendation for protein intake is: — 0.8 g/kg/day for maintenance — 1.2-1.7 g/kg/day to increase muscle mass Consuming excessive protein could lead to dehydration or weight gain. The is no need to overdo it! Eating a balanced diet based on protein recommendations do not require additional protein supplementation. How much carbs should you eat? Again, this particularly depends upon the duration of exercise and what type of exercise routine you follow. During endurance exercise (more than 2 hours), your glycogen stores are used up. You may experience declines in performance and fatigue. Be attentive with all these signs! Consider consuming a source of carbohydrates during your workout in case you are exercising for long hours. Why should I stay hydrated? While exercising, your body sweats and loses water to remain cool. If this fluid is not balanced, you may become dehydrated. Dehydration can result in low performance and sometimes it could be seriously dangerous Signs of dehydration include: Yellow urine or decreased urine volume Muscle cramps Nausea/vomiting Dizziness, light-headedness Clammy skin, flushed face Last is sleep! Thought this is neither the part of nutrition not exercise but a healthy diet and routine blended with rich sleep results in healthy mind and body.