Whether your exercise program is a cardio workout like running or power walking, or a resistance workout at the gym, your diet needs to have the right proportion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The optimal proteins-carbs-fats ratio is determined by the type and intensity of the workout.

When we exercise, we help our bodies become healthier. However, exercise is only one part of the equation. A good diet is also essential, and in order to obtain the best results, you need to be knowledgeable about what you eat before and after you exercise. Ideally, eat at least an hour or more prior to your workout session. If your workout is going to have a low level of intensity, your pre-workout meal should have less than 300 calories. If you are going to have a high intensity workout, your pre-workout meal should have 500 to 600 calories.

For a cardio workout, the pre-workout meal should consist of more carbohydrates than proteins (2/3 carbs, 1/3 protein). This ratio ensures a high level of energy throughout the workout due to the abundance of stored carbohydrates.

For a resistance workout, the pre-workout meal should consist of 2/3 proteins and 1/3 carbohydrates. The body will have enough energy to complete the session and the extra proteins will keep to a minimum the muscle breakdown during the workout.

The post-workout meal is as equally important as the pre-workout one. Any type of exercise that you do, cardio or resistance, will make you lose energy in the form of glycogen. Glycogen is the main source of energy for the brain and the central nervous system. If you don't renew the provisions of glycogen after they are depleted, your body will start to obtain amino acids by disintegrating your muscle tissues, and then use them as fuel for your brain and central nervous system.

The breakdown of your muscle tissues isn't uncommon. The resistance exercise especially causes it by creating a series of micro tears at the muscle level. After a workout, your muscles undergo an inevitable process of regeneration. Proteins act as the building bricks of muscular restoration. This is why they are so important, since you don't want your muscles to break down even more after a workout.

Every time you finish a cardio workout, your body is in dire need of carbohydrates, particularly carbohydrates that are high in fiber content. The best way to introduce them in your diet is by consuming rice, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal and fruits. Your post-workout meal should contain plenty of carbohydrates of this type.

It is best to eat something about 30 minutes after a resistance workout, and you need a mixture of proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins are necessary in this case because they have a constructive and repairing function. The role of the carbohydrates is not only that of renewing the provisions of lost glycogen, but also that of contributing to the transformation of the proteins into structural proteins, i.e. muscular tissue.

The next time you go for your exercise workout, keep in mind the benefits you'll get when you follow the right nutritional guidelines.