It remains no secret that maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves the cooperation of healthy diets and frequent physical activity. Both components fight off chronic disease, weight gain and other undesirable conditions, as well as provide a person with an overall feeling of well-being.

What remains unclear is how nutrition affects exercise both before and after a workout session. The perfect meal sizes and food combinations, along with adequate hydration, can optimize workout results and improve performance during a bout of physical activity.

Every day should start with a healthy breakfast to boost metabolism. A healthy breakfast plays an important role in preparing the body for physical activity. Overnight, the body runs off energy from its last meal and stored glycogen, so it likely needs to be refueled in the morning.

In order to boost blood sugar and reduce the risk of light-headedness during a workout, eat a breakfast or a light snack beforehand. Plan a meal or snack in a time-conscious manner with respect to your workout. A lighter breakfast or a drink that will elevate blood sugar levels is a good choice if you plan to exercise within an hour of eating.

A breakfast rich in carbohydrates will raise these levels in order to provide energy to help power through a workout. Breakfast foods such as whole-grain breads or cereals, milk, juices or bananas and snack foods such as energy bars and drinks, bananas and other fresh fruit, yogurt, fruit smoothies, wholegrain crackers, peanut butter and granola bars.

It is best to eat large meals three to four hours before exercise, smaller-sized meals two to three hours prior to physical activity, and lighter snacks an hour before a workout. Hydrating before a workout can prepare the body for the strain that will be placed on it during the workout. It is also important to drink two to three cups of water during the two or three hours preceding the workout.

During your workout, adequate water and liquid consumption is the key in preventing exhaustion and dehydration. A general guideline to follow is to drink about 1/2 to 1 full cup of water for every 15 to 20 minutes of exercise. These conditions may vary due to weather and body size. During a workout lasting less than 60 minutes, water will provide adequate hydration. If the duration of physical activity exceeds an hour, a sports drink can help regulate blood sugar and electrolyte levels for optimum performance.

Post-workout, nutrition plays an important role in replenishing energy stores. During a workout, your body utilizes stored glycogen to supply fuel for physical activity. After a workout, it remains important that a person restock glycogen. You should eat a meal full of carbohydrates as well as protein within two hours of completing a workout.

Carbohydrates will serve as a main source of fuel, and protein consumption can assist in the repair of tissues, like the muscles that have just been tested. Great post-workout foods that provide carbohydrates and proteins include fruit and yogurt, peanut butter or deli sandwiches, string cheese and crackers, nuts and dried fruits/trail mix, or a full meal containing a meat, starch and a vegetable.

For example, the meal might include a baked chicken breast, baked potato and steamed broccoli, with a fruit, granola and yogurt parfait for dessert. After physical activity, adequate hydration is still very important to the body. You should drink two to three cups of water after a workout for every pound you lose during that workout.