Bootcamp Nutrition Done Right

If you are a military recruit heading to basic training boot camp, you don't have to worry about eating a balanced diet or having enough energy for the workouts. You'll get your grub at the mess hall while your drill sarge yells at you.

When you enroll in a fitness bootcamp class, your instructor will act like a drill seargeant and yell like one, but you'll have to find your own food. If you don't eat the right equation of carbohydrates and proteins, you'll have a lousy workout because you'll run out of energy. However if you know when and how to eat, both before and after class, you'll see better and faster results.

Don't Eat Right Before Class: A stomach full of food tells your body to store that energy, not release it. Exercising on a full tummy sends your muscles conflicting messages. Avoid eating for at least an hour - ideally two hours - prior to the start of your boot camp class. If you don't have time to eat, add a little juice or energy drink to your water bottle. The small amount of sugar and electrolyte will keep you going during all the training.

Eat a Balanced Meal: If you eat too many carbohydrates, your body will get flooded with insulin and will have a hard time releasing that energy for the bootcamp workout. If you consume too much protein you'll get tired and lazy. Your last meal before your workout should be a colorful mix of proteins and carbs. For example, a piece of whole grain bread with peanut butter, or an egg and some veggies, or a bean burrito.

Refuel After Class: It's important to eat soon after class. Just because your aren't moving anymore, doesn't mean your body isn't still working after boot camp is over. Your muscles' metabolism is working very fast and you want to continue to supply them with good sources of energy, so they can rebuild stronger. it's a great time for a fruit protein shake! If

Carbo Loading: One way to make sure your muscles will have enough energy for a tough boot camp class is to starve them of carbohydrates for a day and then overload on carbs. This is called "carbo-loading." If you do boot-camp workout every day eat a lot of protein during the daytime, except for the meal right before your workout. If you do class every other day, then save the carbs for the last meal of your day and right before the workout.