It is strongly recommended that you get some cardiovascular exercise or some type of resistance workout in prior to your eating competition. You will notice a significant difference in the way you feel before your big challenge which will definitely increase your level of performance, allowing you to eat faster for a longer period of time. It is a fact that your body is able to perform better when you are in shape and feeling strong than when you are feeling lazy and sluggish. That is one reason why it’s better to do a challenge later in the day rather than earlier in the morning, because you are allowing your body time to really wake up and operate at full speed. A workout will really wake your body up so that you feel more hungry, strong, and ready to dominate your event.
After a good weightlifting workout or long cardio session, have you ever felt really hungry afterwards? I am sure that you have. This is because you just drained your body of a lot of nutrients, glycogen, and calories that your body had stored up, and now your body is craving more food and nutrients so that your “tanks” can be refilled. The explanation can obviously get more scientific than that, but that is basically what is happening. After exercise, your body is much more accepting of the calories you put into it so that it can use all of the calories as energy to rebuild and refuel. That is why people drink protein shakes after lifting weights, to help fuel muscle growth after spending the last 45 minutes to an hour tearing their muscles down. Make sure to workout or do some cardio so that your body is hungry and ready to eat when your competition starts, and not tired or drowsy.
It is a proven fact that exercise is great for relieving stress, which is another reason that you want to workout before your challenge or contest. The increase in calories over the past few days created some additional stress on your body because it is not used to processing that much food and water at one time. Also, there is some additional stress since you haven’t eaten solid foods since the night before which your body also isn’t used to. Get a good workout in to help your body burst through that stress so that you begin feeling physically stronger. Have you ever felt really stressed out before going into the gym, and then walked out feeling “like a million bucks” after a great workout? Lift or exercise beforehand so that all those added stresses are totally gone.
Another reason to lift beforehand is so that your body is stretched and loose afterwards which is what you want to be right before and during an eating competition. You will not perform at your highest level if you are very sluggish and tight. If you are not a person that exercises much, at least stretch or do some yoga beforehand. When I am travelling, I usually end up just stretching. The more loose you are, the better you will feel. Adapted from a quote by Randy Moss (NFL), “If you lift good, you will feel good, and if you feel good, you will eat good!!”
Whether you choose resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, or just stretching, that is really up to you and is just a personal preference. There really is no right or wrong way as long as you are doing something that is actually beneficial. I know some eaters that love to lift weights beforehand, and I know others that go on long runs or bike rides. Then there are others that just stretch or do yoga. Your workout may even be working in your yard shoveling mulch!! The choice is up to you and just depends on what you know makes you feel better and stronger, which will help make sure you are relaxed when you get to your event later. Your challenge or contest isn’t going to be easy, so don’t make it a point to just have an easy, relaxing workout. Having an intense workout will lift your spirit and pump you up so that you are feeling great and ready to dominate your competition.
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