Let's Work Out! ~Nutritionist's Column Vol.63

There are more and more warm days these days.
As we approach summer, we start to worry about our body lines.

Each person does different types of daily exercise, such as working out, jogging, Pilates, or yoga.
Today I’m going to talk about working out.

Important points for working out: Basics

There are three important elements to working out: exercise, rest, and nutrition.
Incorporating these three elements into your lifestyle in a balanced way is the key to keeping your body healthy.
I will explain the specific points you need to be careful of.

1. Exercise <br data-mce-fragment="1">What you can gain from exercise such as working out or jogging.
There are many benefits, such as regulating the autonomic nervous system, increasing the secretion of serotonin, known as the happiness hormone, and burning fat.

There are two main types of exercise.
Aerobic exercise involves continuous, gentle stress on the muscles, such as walking or jogging.
These are the two types of anaerobic exercise that exerts a lot of force in a short period of time, such as push-ups and dumbbell exercises.

In an attempt to slim down, it's easy to end up overtraining, but you need to be careful.
If you put too much strain on your body, your immune system may weaken and parts of your body may become damaged.
The important thing is to continue working out at your own pace, mixing aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

2. Rest <br data-mce-fragment="1">In order to get the most out of your workout, it's important to get plenty of rest.
Continuing to exercise without adequately recovering from fatigue can lead to injury or illness.
If you feel tired, be sure to get some rest.

Taking a period of rest after energy depletion or muscle fiber damage is called "supercompensation."
Super recovery requires 48 to 72 hours of rest, depending on the person's physical level and environment, and you can expect to see improvements in muscle strength and muscle hypertrophy.

Like rest, getting enough sleep also plays a major role in repairing damaged muscles and recovering from fatigue.
After your workout, be sure to get plenty of rest and sleep, and take care of your physical condition.

3. Nutrition <br data-mce-fragment="1">Even if you work out, it won't help you build muscle if you don't get enough nutrients.
Make sure to get the five major nutrients - carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals - in your daily meals.
A balanced intake of these nutrients provides energy, builds bodily elements, and keeps you in good health.

The basic Japanese meal is "ichiju-sansai" (one soup and three side dishes), consisting of rice, soup, one main dish, and two side dishes.
It is ideal to add to this a menu of vitamin-rich foods such as blue fish, which are rich in minerals such as calcium and iron, and fruits.

Next, here are some tips on what to eat when working out.
Finish eating at least 2 hours before exercising.
If you feel fatigued during your workout, it's a sign of low energy, so grab something easy to eat like a banana.

Key points for building a body according to your goals

I have come up with an example of building a body for a specific purpose.

1. People who want to lose fat

The causes of excess weight include an unbalanced diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise.
Carbohydrate-restricted diets are popular, but it is said that a body that is extremely deficient in carbohydrates loses the ability to convert fat into energy.
When the body becomes extremely deficient in sugar due to excessive carbohydrate restriction, it will use the proteins in the body to make up for the deficiency, and will also become deficient in protein.
For these reasons, you will understand that it is important to consume carbohydrates in moderation.

When consuming carbohydrates, it is important to also consume B vitamins.
B vitamins help convert carbohydrates into energy and prevent fat accumulation in the body.
In particular, vitamin B1, which is found in pork, red sea bream, bonito, brown rice, edamame, tofu, etc., is a nutrient that is closely related to carbohydrate metabolism.

Also, if you want to slim down, aerobic exercise such as jogging is effective.
In order to increase your basal metabolic rate, you also need muscle, so it is important to incorporate muscle training.

2. People who want to tone their bodies and build muscle

I recommend incorporating workouts that focus on building muscle.
By subjecting the body to strong stress, such as anaerobic exercise, muscles are damaged and broken down.
As damaged muscles are rebuilt, new muscles are formed.

This process uses amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
Among amino acids, leucine is an important nutrient that promotes muscle formation and prevents muscle loss.

Leucine is found in large amounts in animal proteins such as beef, liver, seafood such as horse mackerel and salmon, dairy products such as cheese, and soy products.
But eating a lot of protein doesn't necessarily mean you'll build more muscle.
In fact, taking large amounts at once can put a strain on your liver and kidneys.

It is important to consider your intake based on your body weight and the amount of exercise you do.
The recommended daily intake is calculated by converting your body weight in kg into grams.
For example, for a person weighing 50kg, the calculation would be 50g.
If you are exercising, adjust the amount you take to 1.5 to 2 times the normal amount depending on the amount of exercise you do.

Furthermore, protein cannot be stored in the body.
Eat protein evenly throughout all three meals, and maintain a balance with meat, fish, soy products, and other vegetables and seaweed that are rich in vitamins and minerals, to maintain an adequate amount of protein in your body.

Other important nutrients include carbohydrates (rice, etc.) to prevent energy deficiency, vitamin B6 for muscle synthesis (beef liver, chicken breast, tuna, bonito, garlic, avocado, etc.), and zinc for protein synthesis (seafood, liver, soy products, nuts, etc.).

Some people make protein their staple food, but it's important to think of it as just a nutritional supplement and make sure you get plenty of sleep and rest your muscles.

3. I want to relieve stress and feel refreshed. <br data-mce-fragment="1">It is said that repeated exercise with a steady rhythm increases the secretion of serotonin, the happiness hormone that stabilizes the mind.
Doing a workout that maintains a consistent rhythm, such as walking, jogging or cycling, can help relieve the stress of your busy daily life.
In addition to building muscle, Pilates and yoga can also be expected to improve concentration and activate the autonomic nervous system.
Sunshine helps boost serotonin, so if you can work out in the sun, that's ideal.

In terms of diet, in addition to protein, we recommend a diet that includes vitamin C (such as Brussels sprouts and bitter melon), which is essential for stress management, vitamin E (such as nuts and avocados), soy products, the essential amino acid tryptophan found in pork and chicken, and B vitamins such as bananas.

A workout that will make you sweat and improve your health and mental wellbeing.
Not only can you reduce fat and build muscle, but you can also expect a variety of other benefits, such as improving your physical condition and managing stress.
Please incorporate it into your daily life and enjoy wonderful days.

Click here to find GRØN's protein blend Criollo Berries and Matcha All-Stars , developed in collaboration with training gym Total Workout.
Also check out Red Heat , which has the highest tryptophan content.
A thorough comparison of GRØN protein blends ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.19 (Part 1)
A thorough comparison of GRØN protein blends ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.19 (Part 2)

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Nutritionist, Food Education Instructor, Food 6th Industrialization Producer Level 4
Ayako Ishihara

A nutritional advisor in the healthcare field and an agribusiness professional.
She is involved in a variety of activities specializing in the fields of beauty and health, including giving lectures to Miss World Japan candidates.

With the philosophy of "enriching the mind and body through food and realizing a vibrant society where people and communities are connected," he founded i-Field Co., Ltd. in 2013 and serves as its representative.
He is a core member of the food team for "DINING OUT," which opens outdoor restaurants in various regions, and also participates in fashion brand projects.
She is also involved in the promotion of local ingredients, product development and production specializing in "health" and "beauty," branding, concept design, food hygiene, sales promotion, training planning and management, etc. She is in charge of nutritional supervision for GRØN's product development, proposing ways to incorporate them more effectively into consumer health.

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