The Best P90X Nutrition Plan
A lot of people are looking to maximize their 90 day results with P90X. Whether your goal is to lose weight with P90X or gain muscle with P90X, choosing the right P90X nutrition plan and P90X supplements before and after P90X is vital for success.
“P 90 X” is an extreme and advanced home work out that demands sufficient energy to maintain optimal performance and inadequate nutrition may lead to poor results. Choosing the right foods and P90X supplements can be all the difference you need to have a stellar workout. A program like P90X generally requires carbohydrates for lasting energy. During Phase 1 of P 90X, you undergo the “Fat Shredder” P90X nutrition plan, which is a low carb plan. I admit that the Fat Shredder plan does work extremely well to allow you to get ripped with P90X, but be careful to save some of your daily carbohydrates for both before and after P90X. Otherwise you will do what Tony Horton refers to as “bonking.” To bonk means to run out of energy during your workout and that is usually due to lack of carbs before a workout. If you find yourself bonking too often, then it could be a sign that you don’t have enough carbs in your daily routine and you need to add more.
What to Eat on a P90X Nutrition Plan
When it comes to premium overall health, nothing beats Shakeology as many of my members have found that combining it with an exercise program like P90X leads to even greater results. Make no mistake, Shakeology is not merely a meal replacement weight loss shake as it has countless mental and body health benefits. So many, it would take me way too long to list them all. Other companies may simply add multivitamins to their supplements but Beachbody® has taken Shakeology to whole new level by adding some of the most nutritious, exotic ingredients, superfoods, and antioxidants from around the whole and putting them in one amazing product.
- Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build long, lean muscles and reduce food cravings
- Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption
- Antioxidants and Phytonutrients to help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases
- Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for
optimal health
To read my full review of Shakeology and order your Shakeology Trial Sample Packs, click here.
In February of 2012, Beachbody® released the new Vegan Tropical Strawberry Shakeology which raised the standard of ultimate nutrition even higher. This new flavor of Shakeology also integrates into the new detox cleanse program, Ultimate Reset.
Simple vs Complex Carbs
Protein, while essential for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue, is not an adequate energy source for workouts and so you should not rely on having protein without carbs as a preworkout meal. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose, the basic energy source for extreme activity, and are stored as glycogen in the muscles which is absolute essential to include in our P90X nutrition plan. Since men have more muscle mass than women, they generally need higher carbohydrate amounts. This is also why women can generally stay on a lower carb plan than men. However, 6 weeks should be the maximum anybody should follow the Fat Shredder P90X nutrition plan.
Simple sugars like high fructose syrup, evaporated can juice, table sugar, potatoes, white breads, white rice, etc will digest fast, raise your insulin levels, and cause your blood sugar levels to peak too soon causing not only sagging energy levels, but hunger as well. Try and avoid having these as part of your P90X nutrition plan.
Slower digesting carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, wheat, or even fruit would give more moderate levels of blood sugar meaning you will have more energy for your workouts. Having enough complex carbs before your workout will ensure you have enough energy to BRING IT!
Best Early Morning P90X Pre Workout Meal
Generally, I recommend working out on an empty stomach for several reasons. First of all, both exercise and digestion require blood flow. If you try to do both at the same time, you do neither well. This is why people sometimes cramp or vomit when working out after a big meal. So long as you had a reasonable meal 1-2 hours before P90X you will have all the energy you need for a great workout.
While some people may do fine busting out P90X first thing in the morning, others may bonk. This is due to the fact that the body has essentially been fasting the entire time of rest and does not have enough glycogen stored to fuel your workout. I’m an early riser myself, and I certainly can’t hit a heavy INSANITY, P90X, or P90X2 workout on an empty stomach. But if solid foods can upset the stomach before a workout, what can we do? Use the P90X Recovery Drink!
Since the P90X Peak Results and Recovery Formula is liquid based, it will digest quickly and give us energy for our workout right when we need it most and won’t mess with our stomachs. Add a little Energy and Endurance Pre Workout Formula and you are ready to rock! I only use one scoop of the P90X Recovery Drink and then have the other scoop immediately after the workout. It works perfect as part of your P90X nutrition plan! Since women don’t have as much muscle mass as men they will only need a half serving, or one scoop. This can be taken before or after the workout.
Best P90X Post Workout Meal
After an intense workout your glycogen levels are depleted which means your body is incredibly receptive to nutrients. If you take in carbs at this point, they’ll rush in to replenish that blood sugar and glycogen. If you add some protein, it will be shuttled in, or “piggybacked,” to your muscles and give a much wanted head start on protein reshynthesis. In other words, lean muscle gain! However, the Recovery Drink is only needed after intense exercises so there is no need to use it on, for example, yoga and rest days.
Click here for a full review on the importance of the P90X Recovery Drink.
P90X Nutrition Plan Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed my crash course to creating a P90X Nutrition Plan that will work best for you. If you are reading this and want help to “BRING IT!” then look no further. If you aren’t currently a TeamBeachbody® member, then get your FREE TeamBeachbody® membership account and let’s rock this. If you are, then contact me today and I’ll let you know how to transfer to my SUPERTeam.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I really like how you explained it all. I tried looking at other sites but they all seem the same. Do you write this yourself?
Yeah, other Beachbody Coaches just cut/paste, but I take the time to write out quality stuff. I’m really passionate about helping others. If you really like my advice, then why not let me Coach you too? Click here to learn how to Change your Beachbody Coach and I would love to help you with your goals!
Awesome article. This helps a lot. Can’t wait to get started.
Glad you liked it. Getting your nutrition down right is crucial. Plus when all my clients use Shakeology with a program their results are even better. Check out my newer Shakeology review post to read up on it.
Email sent. Thanks Coach!
What about Creatine? I heard that helps with muscle.
Creatine definitely helps with resistance training. I didn’t want to overload people with info so I didn’t mention it. It’s actually used as a muscle recovery supplement, allowing you to train better–not a “muscle builder.” Check out my Body Beast Review where I talk about muscle building supplements.
Do you have any more info on nutrition for P90X?
Actually, I do! I started writing posts on the new Body Beast supplements and all of them are perfect for P90X so check them out.