NUTRITION or TRAINING: which is more important?

​​For the longest time, a debate has been going on:
 
Which is more important - training or nutrition? ​Both sides of the argument have their strong points, and you’ve probably heard statements like:
 
“Fitness success is 80 percent determined by what you eat.”
 
“Without proper training, you wouldn’t be able to make positive changes.”
 
So, who is right, and who is wrong? Let’s see.

Training & Nutrition: Two sides of the same same coin

When most folks decide to start hitting the gym and get fit, they put their entire focus on the training aspect of things:

• How often to train;
• How heavy to lift;
• What exercises to do and which to avoid;

 
And many other training-related questions. Yet, it often takes trainees months, even years of dedicated training before they start paying attention to their nutrition.
 
But, the truth is, training is nothing more than a means of creating a stimulus. Your nutrition is what makes this stimulus a positive adaptation.

How Training and Nutrition Work Together

Take, for example, muscle growth. When you hit the gym, you cause a stimulus - muscle damage, metabolic stress, and mechanical tension. You then leave the gym in a weaker and more vulnerable state - this is known as catabolism (the breakdown of tissues).
 
Then, once you get back home and have a well-balanced meal, you provide your body with the nutrients it needs to repair itself and grow. In that scenario, your training stimulates your muscles and sends signals, but your nutrition is what makes it all possible. If you only focus on the training side of things and don’t pay attention to your nutrition, you won’t be able to recover adequately and adapt positively.
 
Another example here is fat loss:
 
Most people think that training is what matters most here. But, in the case of fat loss, exercise does nothing more than allowing us to burn some calories, retain our athletic abilities, and prevent the loss of muscle mass. 
 
If you don’t get enough protein and stay in a moderate caloric deficit, you won’t be able to lose fat. Also, if you don’t consume enough carbs, you won’t have the energy you need to push through demanding workouts.
 
So, in both of these cases, training and nutrition are vital for optimal results. Which is more important? Well, it’s difficult to say, and even if we could answer this, what good would it do us?
 
What you need to do is remember that training and nutrition are two sides of the same coin. Training creates the stimulus, and your nutrition is what then drives that stimulus and transforms it into a positive adaptation.

Where to Next?

If you’re new to fitness or you’ve been at it for a while, but your fitness progress seems to be stalling, start paying more attention to your nutrition first:

• Are you eating the right number of calories for your goals?
• Are you getting an adequate supply of protein, carbs, and fats?
• What is the overall quality of your nutrition? Could you maybe swap some foods for better alternatives?
• Are you paying any attention to your pre- and post-training meals?

 
Once you answer these four questions, you will put yourself ahead of most trainees and hopefully start seeing better progress.