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Diet Requirements & Aerobic Training

Diet Requirements & Aerobic Training
The type of fuel you put in a vehicle depends on the performance you expect out of it. The same is true of our body. Unlike weight training, aerobic training has two main goals. The first is to improve cardiovascular performance, the second to burn fat. Both of these goals can be realized during the same aerobic session.

If the goal is to simply improve cardiovascular strength then we need to target performance. Like weight training, we want to consume a complex carbohydrate snack before aerobics. A sugar snack will not provide the sustained energy and in fact may decrease performance. Excessive sugar intake before aerobic activity can work against the participant. When large amounts of sugar are ingested, the pancreas must secrete insulin to metabolize the sugar. Insulin levels in the blood inhibit the liver from metabolizing fat. Therefore little or no fat burning takes place during exercise. This includes sugary drinks, i.e., sport drinks which, stay in the stomach much longer than ordinary cold water thereby inhibiting quick hydration. Therefore, if the goal is to burn fat, then water only should be consumed before aerobics.

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