Why is Nutrition Important in CrossFit?
Diet and nutrition go hand in hand with CrossFit training itself. Combined with a diet rich in protein and healthy fats with limiting carbohydrates, it has a synergic effect on the body´s ability to maintain muscle mass while burning fat. Of course, you can eat what you want and still see some minor results. But we promise you, they will be nowhere near the results you want/ are capable of. Finding a good CrossFit trainer is a great way to diet plan and learn about the right nutrition for you.
Calories
Counting calories is a great way to keep on track. It’s definitely recommended that you do this when you first start out at CrossFit. However, counting calories can become obsessive and unhealthy. It’s important to be aware of which foods contain low and high amounts of calories. But after a while, you’ll start to naturally know what foods to eat and avoid, and won’t necessarily have to count. Creating a diet plan to plan what meals to eat will definitely help too.
It’s important to remember that everyone has different goals when starting CrossFit. Energy balance determines whether weight will be gained or lost. Unfortunately, many people choose to ignore this. And it’s essential to achieve whichever personal goal you’ve created for yourself. To get the best results you MUST take calories into account. Don’t stress about specific numbers too much as they’re just estimates. But try to be stricter with yourself and more mindful and consistent with your diet.
Here are some facts for you and your goals:
- If you feel you’re training extremely hard and not seeing any muscle growth or weight gain. You are not eating enough. To get these desired results you need to eat more. So the fat can be turned into muscle.
- If your goal is to lose weight, you should be careful what calories you’re consuming. If you’re selecting foods that you think are healthy and still not losing weight. Then you need to eat less and create a healthy calorie balance.
Macros
There are three categories of nutrients you should eat to maintain a healthy diet, provide you with energy. And of course, give you the best chance to reach your goals in CrossFit. These are protein, carbohydrates and fats. So when someone tells you to keep track of your macros. These means you should look at all three things and how much you’re consuming.
Protein
It’s very important to ensure adequate protein intake. This can act as the fundamental base for growth, recovery and it promotes muscle repair. It boosts glycogen storage and reduces muscle soreness. A good CrossFit trainer will create a personal plan for you in regards to protein intake.
Fat and Carbohydrates
It’s a fact – carbs and fats fuel the body. Fat is en essential part of hormonal regulation. Which is important for growth, development, regulating sugar levels, bone growth and appetite. Most CrossFit trainers will recommend 20-30% fat intake in your daily calorie plan. And the rest should be carbohydrates! It’s important that this is roughly your balance, and to never consume more fat than carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your body. And not only will it help muscle growth. It will also assist your body to hang onto muscle when dieting.
There’s so much to look at when looking at nutrition in CrossFit. And this page talks about the main aspects of your diet to look at. But as previously mentioned, we extremely recommend talking to a professional to create a diet plan. And of course, do your own research on what’s good and bad for your body.