If you want to lose weight quickly, should you do aerobic exercise first or build muscle strength first?

"Eat less and exercise more" is the 4-word motto for successful weight loss! However, these four simple words actually contain a lot of knowledge when it comes to their actual implementation. In the "Call a Doctor 5914" service, some netizens asked questions: "If I want to improve my weight loss efficiency, should I do aerobic exercise first, or build muscle strength first?", "Are the nutritional supplements the same between the two?" What should we do to fully realize the benefits of exercise? Let a professional nutritionist answer your questions!

If you want to lose weight successfully, should you do strength training and aerobic exercise first? Nutritionists recommend this

Nutritionist Liang Jiawei said that before discussing whether to do aerobic exercise or strength training first in order to lose weight successfully, it is important to remind friends who do not have the habit of exercising to keep in mind the principle of gradual progress when starting exercise training, and gradually increase the intensity and type. If circumstances permit, it is best to seek the assistance of a professional coach and exercise under his supervision, which will help avoid potential sports injuries caused by excessive exercise and incorrect posture. Setting realistic exercise goals will make exercise more sustainable in daily life.

As for, which is better, doing aerobic exercise first or training muscle strength first? Nutritionist Liang Jiawei pointed out that, generally speaking, the order in which the human body consumes its main energy during exercise is: "glycogen in muscles → glucose in the blood → glycogen in the liver → neutral fat (triglycerides) in the blood." Therefore, some researchers advocate performing strength training first to consume glycogen, and then performing aerobic exercise to shorten the time to consume fat. However, nutritionist Liang Jiawei reminds that those who want to lose weight are still advised to seek evaluation from professional coaches on the proportion of exercise types and make adjustments according to their personal exercise habits and goals.

Supplementing with the right nutrients is more effective in losing weight! Adequate calories + protein supply is the key

As for aerobic exercise and strength training, are the nutritional supplements the same for the two? Nutritionist Liang Jiawei pointed out that although it is a high-intensity muscle exercise and its endurance is not as good as aerobic exercise, some sports experts recommend that during the exercise process, one can first do "muscle strength exercise" to consume sugars, and then do "aerobic exercise".

However, from a nutritionist's perspective, people are still expected to consider overall energy balance based on the total calories consumed when supplementing their nutrition, and to set calorie plans and diet menus based on the ideal number of kilograms of weight loss. Specifically, those who want to lose weight should consume 35 to 40 calories per kilogram of body weight while getting enough exercise to maintain the functioning of physiological functions. And if people set their exercise goal as "muscle building", in addition to strength training, protein intake should also be increased to 1.5 grams to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight to provide the raw materials needed for muscle formation.

How to eat properly before and after exercise? Nutrition experts tell you

In addition to reminding people to supplement enough calories and protein during weight loss and not to diet arbitrarily, nutritionist Liang Jiawei also mentioned that nutritional supplements before and after exercise are the key to helping people have good exercise quality and promote effective muscle synthesis. Generally speaking, it is recommended that you eat a full meal 3 to 4 hours before exercise, and eat a snack that provides rich carbohydrates and appropriate amount of protein 1 to 2 hours before training.

However, it also emphasizes that because the gastrointestinal function of each athlete is slightly different, the time of eating before exercise needs to be determined by the athlete observing his or her own physiological state and adaptability during the exercise. For example, if you eat a snack an hour before exercise, will it prevent you from feeling intestinal strain and having to run to the bathroom during exercise? If so, you need to eat earlier.

As for nutritional supplements after exercise, it is recommended to supplement an appropriate amount of carbohydrates and protein within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise. The two complement each other, helping the synthesis of glycogen in the liver and muscles and accelerating the recovery of the athlete's physical strength; at the same time, they also have the benefits of enhancing the repair ability of muscle tissue, increasing physical strength and endurance.

Get your hands dirty with sports cooking: 2 recipes recommended by nutritionists, nutritious and delicious

But it is worth noting that although people understand the importance of nutritional supplements before and after exercise, how to implement it in daily life is a big problem for ordinary people. In view of this, nutritionist Liang Jiawei has selected two nutritious and delicious meals and snacks from his book "Eating Right for Exercise: Diet Plans Designed by Nutritionists for Various Sports Training, Competitions, and Recovery Periods" to help improve athletes' performance. These are provided for your reference:

★Japanese-style grilled chicken rice

This recipe mainly uses chicken breast to provide an appropriate amount of protein, and rice as the staple food to provide a large amount of carbohydrates. The strong taste of the stewed meat can stimulate the appetite of athletes who are under pressure, provide nutrition, and satisfy their taste buds before achieving good results in the competition.

Ingredients (6 servings): 6 bowls of rice, some onions, 2-3 tablespoons of Japanese soy sauce, 2-3 tablespoons of honey, a little cornstarch, 3-4 slices of ginger, a little chopped green onion, 450 grams of chicken breast, 30 ml of olive oil, and 6 grams of white sesame seeds.

Production steps:

1. Cut the onion into shreds and put them with ginger slices into a frying pan heated with olive oil and sauté until fragrant.

2. Add the chicken breast into the pan and stir-fry. When it is about 80% cooked, add soy sauce and honey and mix well. If the taste is too strong, add a little water to dilute it.

3. Finally, thicken the sauce with tartaric acid water, sprinkle with chopped green onions, cover the pot and simmer for 3 minutes before serving.

4. Place a layer of teriyaki chicken on the rice and sprinkle with calcium-rich sesame seeds.

Nutritional information (per serving):

Calories 434.2 kcal, carbohydrates 66.9 grams, protein 23.8 grams, fat 7.1 grams, dietary fiber 0.9 grams, sodium 413.5 mg.

★ Homemade simple dried fruit cocoa energy bars

This energy bar is very simple to make, and you can also make slight changes to the ingredients according to your personal taste to make a fresh energy bar that is convenient and suits your taste.

Ingredients (recipe for 6 servings):

85 grams of cashews, 20 grams of almond slices, 120 grams of raisins, 110 grams of dried dates, and 60 grams of cocoa chocolate beans.

Production steps:

1. Line a dry baking sheet with baking paper.

2. Place dried fruits (raisins, dates), cashews, and almond slices into a food processor and blend for about 30 to 40 seconds.

3. Slowly scrape the mud-like material from the blender and manually shape it into oval balls. Arrange them on the baking tray in order. Finally, press them slightly by hand to flatten them into the shape of an energy bar. The more solid the better.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the energy bars on the baking tray, using your fingers to push the chocolate in slightly.

5. Put it in the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.

6. After taking it out, let it cool down, cover the baking tray with non-PVC plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 6 hours before you can enjoy your homemade energy bars.

Nutritional composition: Calories 204.5 kcal, carbohydrates 30.5 grams, protein 3.2 grams, fat 8.2 grams, dietary fiber 1.2 grams, sodium 113.6 mg.