Have you ever worked out and felt an unexpected drop in your performance? Believe it or not, this is a sign that your diet before and during training (that's right!) may not be adequate for the intensity and duration of the physical activity you're doing that day.

As we have already shown several times, your food choices directly influence your performance during exercise, regardless of the modality. However, what few people know is that this supplementation should also occur, in some cases, while training is taking place, in order to keep your body energized and enhance the achievement of results.

We have dedicated two other articles with tips on what to eat before and after training , but what about during training? What foods are recommended and when is it necessary? That's what you'll see here. Stay with us until the end and learn the recommendations to ensure maximum energy and no discomfort while exercising.

Intra-workout snack: what it is and what its function is

We always hear about pre-workout meals (which are eaten before exercise) and post-workout meals (which are eaten after physical activity). However, between these two meals is the intra-workout meal, which is eaten during exercise.

Although it is rarely mentioned, this is an extremely important diet for athletes who train for a longer period of time and want to maintain their performance from the beginning to the end of their physical activity. But, in addition to good performance, proper nutrition at this time provides a series of benefits for those who practice it.

Reduces fatigue

If you've been leading an active lifestyle for a while, you know that certain types of workouts, especially high-intensity ones, can make you feel more tired.

It's no different for those that last a few hours longer. At a certain point, your legs start to fail, your movements are no longer as precise, your muscles burn and fighting your body's request to stop becomes even more difficult.

Fatigue during exercise is normal and is associated with low glycogen stores and depletion, hypoglycemia and dehydration. However, it can be reduced by having an appropriate intra-workout snack, with essential nutrients that help reduce the feeling of excessive fatigue and give you more energy.

Gives more energy

Walking, lifting weights, cycling, swimming or dancing becomes almost impossible if there is not at least some energy in the body. After all, it is energy that gives us the energy to carry out our daily tasks, including physical activities.

In this case, intra-workout nutrition makes all the difference, especially if it is chosen correctly. Carbohydrates, for example, are great sources of energy, especially the complex type, which are released more slowly into the body.

Provides enhanced muscle protein synthesis

Intra-workout nutrition can also help with muscle protein synthesis, a process responsible for repairing and strengthening muscles. Therefore, foods rich in macronutrients such as magnesium, calcium and proteins are essential for this process of muscle strengthening and recovery after training.

Specific supplements for intra-workout can also provide good results.

In what situation is it necessary to have an intra-workout snack?

Intra-workout snacks are recommended for high-intensity exercises lasting more than an hour. For example, long running competitions or intense cycling workouts, where the athlete requires greater effort, they are essential, as they help to replace the mineral salts lost through perspiration and the energy expended, in addition to providing the benefits mentioned above.

For lower-intensity exercises lasting less than an hour, a meal is not necessary. A pre-workout snack rich in macronutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fibers, is enough to give you energy, avoid discomfort and provide good results.

It is important to note that this type of snack does not replace or eliminate meals eaten before and after exercise. People who do long workouts should maintain them and simply include it in their routine.

Healthy Intra-Workout Snack Options

Just like pre- and post-workout snacks, those made during physical exercise don't need to be very elaborate. Ideally, they should be practical, tasty and rich in nutrients specific to the occasion. Check out some healthy options in the topics below.

Cheese sandwich with fruit jelly

During more intense workouts, such as cycling or long-distance running, lasting more than two hours, you need a snack that not only provides energy but also satiety. That's why a cheese sandwich with fruit jelly is a great option.

Here, we have carbohydrates, found in bread and jam (depending on the fruit) and protein, present in cheese. There is also the option of replacing white bread with wholemeal bread, which is very rich in fiber.

Bold Protein Bars

When we say that our protein bars are excellent snack options to be consumed at any time of the day, we are not lying. As we have shown before, they can be consumed both before and after a workout. However, because they contain all the essential macronutrients for the body, they can also be consumed during a workout.

20 grams of protein, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber and 11 grams of fat. You can find all of this in Bold bars, not to mention the delicious flavors, made to please the most diverse palates.

Banana jam

Another practical alternative for a mid-workout snack is banana sweets, popularly known as bananinhas. The healthier versions of the dessert have a low glycemic index and ideal amounts of carbohydrates, which provide more energy and strength to last until the end of the workout.

And the best thing is that the sweet is suitable for all types of intense physical activity: cycling, running and even CrossFit.

Coconut Water

Eating during exercise is indeed important. But we cannot forget about hydration. In addition to regular water, a highly recommended option is coconut water, which is rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Because it is very nutritious, the drink is ideal for replacing electrolytes lost through sweat during training. The natural sugar present in the liquid also ensures good performance for the athlete.

Intra-workout supplements

Intra-workout supplements are also interesting alternatives for those who practice intense and long-term physical activities.

Those who opt for supplementation should choose which one best meets their needs: amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) or carbohydrate transport. This decision, however, should be guided by a nutritionist who will be able to recommend the ideal supplement to achieve your goals.

Bonus tip: staying hydrated is also important

If you're the type of person who doesn't carry a bottle of water to work out, it's time to change!

During physical activity, especially high-intensity exercise, there is a significant loss of water and mineral salts that, if not replaced, can lead to serious dehydration. In this case, when fluid loss occurs and sweating is not compensated for, we see an imbalance in temperature regulation that can lead to decreased performance and the emergence of other health problems.

But the good news is that this can be easily avoided if the athlete stays hydrated while exercising. For intense workouts that last more than an hour, it is recommended to drink 50 to 100 ml of water at regular intervals of 15 or 20 minutes.

Choose Bold bars for your workout snack

With so many delicious options for intra-workout snacks, it's hard to choose the best one, isn't it?

In fact, they are all very good. But our protein bars stand out for their complete composition of nutrients and practicality. Not forgetting, of course, the surreal flavors, which will leave you breathless from the first to the last bite.

Visit our online store and choose your favorite!