Long workouts are more demanding than regular exercise sessions. They could deplete our body’s short-term energy reserves, since we need to move almost constantly for two hours or more. Any continuous physical activity that lasts more than an hour can be demanding. Without proper preparation, long workout programs may leave us completely exhausted and unproductive for the rest of the day. Being prepared for long workouts is more complicated than just taking bigger amount of calories. There are also other things we should do to enhance exercise performance and improve endurance.
Take some amount of amino acids
Whenever we plan to have longer exercise sessions, especially those that are longer than 3 hours; we may need to have amino acid intakes to prevent our body from cannibalizing muscles for protein. Products with amino acids could also reduce the perceived exertion. There are amino acid powder or capsule products before heading into routine exercises. Of course, we could eat a huge chunk of chicken breast before an exercise, but it will take longer to digest. We can pop amino acid supplements before we head out for regular long workout sessions.
Eat early, eat often
A few hours before the long workout session, take in about 400 calories per hour. It is obviously necessary to avoid having a single, large meal before an exercise to prevent discomfort.
Eat foods with MCT (medium chain triglycerides)
MCT is a type of fat found in coconut-based products, such as coconut milk and coconut oil. MCT provides more rapid energy source than other fat types. Again, we shouldn’t overdo the consumption of MCT to avoid stomach distress, especially before intense, long workouts. Chomping down food cooked with coconut milk or white meat sautéed with coconut oil are good ways to allow our body get some amount of MCT.
Have regular electrolyte consumption
During long workout sessions, it could be necessary to drink a small bottle of electrolyte-rich beverage every hour. This could partially dehydrate our body and maintain electrolyte level. Depending on the intensity of our workout, we could need to take between 700 and 1200mg of electrolytes, such as sodium, every hour. The product may also contain other minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Go high on carbohydrate consumption
Chronically, long-term high carbohydrate diet may cause metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, weight gain and other health issues. But, it could be necessary for people who plan to have long-term workout session. Some people may argue that they need to restrict carbohydrate intake to teach their body to burn more fat. However, people with severely depleted carbohydrate level could experience extreme weakness. Also, it is very unlikely that occasional high-carbohydrate intake will cause damage on our body, especially if we also perform long workouts.
Eat clean foods
Bloating, indigestion and discomfort could ruin any long workout session. A huge serving of burger and fries; won’t make our belly any happier due to its sodium, gluten and slow-burning fats content. It is recommended to have a moderate meal with “cleaner” ingredients, such as fruit smoothie, quinoa, brown rice and veggies. We can add some nuts and almond butter to satiate our appetite. A good practice is to sleep early the previous night and eat multiple smaller meals each hour; a few hours before the long workout begin.Eating cleaner will also help you Lose Weight in the long run, the better diet, the better the results.
Drink enough water
Water may not be the sexiest topic during Workout Sessions, but we will surely sweat profusely. During more intense exercise in warmer weather, we could require about 25 ounces of water each hour. In any case, we should drink some water once we start to feel thirsty. Although it is possible to exercise for a couple of hours without water, we will be more active if our cells are properly hydrated. It is certainly uncomfortable to exercise with dry, sticky mouth.
Drink some caffeinated beverage
It is certainly a bad idea to overstimulate our central nervous system with high dose of caffeinated drinks. However, some Caffeine may provide good results if we plan to have hardcore workout sessions.
