Pre-Workout Food Tips to Boost Your Performance
By Jacqueline Kaminski, NASM-Certified Fitness Expert
Should You Eat Before Your Workout?
That's a rhetorical question – the answer is always, of course. The entire realm of pre-workout fueling exists for a reason: documented benefits. In this blog, we'll explore the importance of pre-workout nutrition and delve into the best foods to maximize your workout, whether you're hitting the weights, running the court, or heading out on a hike.
The Basics of Pre-Workout Food
Before we explore the best foods to fuel your workout, it's essential to understand why pre-workout nutrition matters. Exercise demands energy, and your body generates this energy by breaking down stored energy from the food you eat or storage sources like body fat, muscle, and liver glycogen.
However, the availability of energy from storage is limited and takes time to metabolize into ATP, the energy needed during your workout. Ever felt sluggish at the beginning of a workout? It might be because your body needs time to break down stored energy to power your session.
Fuel Up to Level Up
If you don't eat before you train, your muscles and liver will break down stored glycogen or carbohydrates for energy through a process called glycogenolysis. This is the fastest method to generate ATP, especially at high exercise intensities. Consuming a pre-workout meal or snack is about boosting performance.
Research indicates that even a small intake of 30-60g of carbohydrates 30-60 minutes before training can prevent early fatigue and increase time to exhaustion.
What Kind of Pre-Workout Food Should You Eat?
1. Oatmeal/Overnight Oats with Fruit, Honey, & Dark Chocolate
Oatmeal, a rich complex carbohydrate, is easily digestible and sustains energy levels. Mixing in different fruits and honey maximizes carbohydrate absorption. Dark chocolate, rich in magnesium, supports muscle contractions.
2. Greek Yogurt Bowl with Granola
Protein before a workout boosts recovery and prevents excessive muscle breakdown. Combining protein with rich carbohydrates like granola and fruit provides the necessary energy boost.
3. Sweet Potatoes
An extremely rich complex carb with a slow release of energy, providing sustained levels during your workout.
4. Avocado Toast
Avocado, an excellent healthy fat source, high in potassium, paired with carbohydrates helps slow the release of energy for sustained levels.
5. Sushi (Not Fried)
Sushi combines protein, carbohydrates, electrolytes, and healthy fat – a perfect mix for energy, muscle support, and hydration.
Why Consume a Pre-Workout Snack?
A lack of proper nutrients before exercise can put you in a catabolic state, breaking down muscles and stored energy for energy. Risks include low blood sugar and increased risk for dehydration, raising the potential for injury and illness.
Summary
The answer to whether you should consume a pre-workout snack is always YES. Follow these guidelines:
- Consume a pre-workout meal or snack within 3 hours of exercise.
- Maximize performance with a carbohydrate-rich snack + protein 30-60 minutes before exercise.
- Aim for 30-60g of carbohydrates for a basic pre-workout snack, and 1g/kg of carbohydrates 60 minutes prior to training for more advanced athletes.
- If adding protein, aim for 10-15g in your pre-workout snack.
- Carbohydrate-rich snacks are ideal for high-intensity sessions, while adding fats is better for low-intensity sessions.
Remember, strategic fueling can only help you – never hurt you!