We all know it’s a bad idea to swim with a full stomach but other than that what do you really know about eating and exercise?

It stands to reason that if you’re going to achieve your fitness goals you need to eat a nutritious, balanced diet and drink plenty of water. If you don’t, you won’t be able to work out as efficiently as you could or recover properly afterwards.

But a lot of myths surround when you should and shouldn’t eat before and after exercise. Some people recommend exercising on an empty stomach because they reckon it forces the body to use excess fat as energy. In my opinion, the only time you should do this is first thing in the morning and even then you shouldn’t do it for more than 30 minutes.

Exercising on an empty stomach, or for more 30 minutes pre-breakfast means that your body doesn’t have enough fuel to perform properly and this may result in fatigue and muscular atrophy (when the body uses muscle rather than fat for its energy source).

People who suffer from low blood pressure, diabetes or other medical problems should also check with their doctor or fitness expert before even contemplating early morning empty stomach workouts.

So when is the best time to eat? I recommend eating at least one to two hours before working out. If you work out when your stomach is still full your body will be too busy digesting the food to push blood around your body and the digestion process will also leave you lacking in energy.

Also if you aim to eat five or six small meals daily rather than the traditional three larger ones you will keep your energy and metabolic rates high. The other up side is that you won’t feel hungry so are less likely to snack on sugary treats. Each meal should consist of a portion of protein and complex carbohydrates as well as fats such as the Omega 3 fats found in fish, which are essential to our diet.

Remember though, too much carbohydrate on its own i.e. a large plate of pasta, will raise blood sugar levels quickly but lower them just as fast. By combining protein and carbohydrates, energy levels will stay higher for a longer because glycogen is released into your system more slowly.

Once you’ve finished exercising you really should eat something within an hour as this helps enhance recovery and fitness progression.

Check out this energy boosting sample menu of what to eat to really get the best out of your workout:

Breakfast
One to one-and-a-half hours before exercise:

• One cup of porridge (large oat flakes) or barley made with one cup of water or skimmed milk. Add fresh or dried fruit and a touch of honey or maple syrup to taste. A glass of water or herbal tea.

Within one hour after exercise:

• One omelette made with four egg whites: one whole egg and two tablespoons of skimmed milk. Toss in a pan that has been lightly coated with a non-fat cooking spray. Serve with two pieces of wholewheat (or rye) toast and a glass of water.
• Bran flakes with non-fat milk and sliced banana, toasted crumpet and no sugar fruit juice.

Lunch
One to two hours before exercise:

• A banana with a handful of almonds and a glass of water.

Within one hour after exercise:

• Mix one tin of tuna (water or brine packed) with a tablespoon of reduced or fat-free mayonnaise and lemon juice. Place this on top of a mixed green salad. Three whole grain crackers, fruit and water
• Pitta bread stuffed with 75g chicken, lettuce, tomato and chopped celery plus one cup of low fat pasta salad. Fruit and a glass or water
• Lean roast beef 50g on wholewheat bread (rye) with lettuce, tomato and mustard. Tossed green salad with a small portion of low fat dressing, sliced yellow and red pepper rings. Fruit and a glass of water.

Dinner
One to two hours before exercise:

• A protein bar and glass of water

Within one hour after exercise:

• Grill one salmon steak for 8 to 12 minutes until it flakes then squeeze some lemon juice on top. Serve with a baked potato and steamed spinach. Two scoops of fruit in jelly and a glass of water.
• Place a medium sized steak in a glass baking dish and pierce the meat. Season with lime, pepper and garlic powder. Bake at 350 degrees until cooked to your liking. Slice and serve with steamed brown rice (add salsa if you like), salad and one tablespoon of low fat dressing. One glass of red wine if you wish.
• Stir-fry beef, chicken or prawns with broccoli, onion, mushrooms and mangetout. Serve with steamed rice (add Braggs or Tamari soya sauce to taste). Two scoops of frozen nonfat yogurt.

Other great between meal snacks include fresh fruit, raw vegetables and rice cakes, low fat hummus, low fat cottage cheese and sardines are also excellent small meals, combined with pitta, crispbread or whole-wheat (rye) toast.