What To Eat Before Exercise

 

Do you have to be careful about what you eat before your workouts?

Usually not. If you’re eating a healthy diet and getting enough calories to support your activity level, you can probably rely on your own appetite, energy levels, and experience to tell you whether you need to eat anything before exercise and what it should be. The basic rule here is: Find out what works best for you, and do that.

The size, timing, and content of your pre-exercise meals and snacks can play an important role in your energy levels during your workout, how well your body recovers and rebuilds after your workout, and whether the calories you eat will be used as fuel or stored as fat. Here’s what you need to eat and drink to get the results you want!

Foods to Eat Before a Workout:

Our body works exactly like a machine that requires fuel for running. Therefore, pre-workout foods must be rich in carbs, lean protein, fibers and healthy fats that help the muscles to endure the hardships of high intensity exercises. Carbohydrates and protein must be consumed in the ratio of 4:1.

Bananas

Bananas are very rich in carbohydrates that will provide you with usable fuel for a workout, and the supply of potassium aids in maintaining muscle and nerve function.

To people who like to work out first thing in the morning and typically skip eating before,  “Please have a banana” before, and then eat breakfast “within a half hour at the least” afterward to provide essential protein for muscle building and repair.

Dried Fruit

This is a great option if you only have a few minutes before your workout because it’s so light, so the simple carbs will provide you instant energy without weighing you down. A few recommendations for dried fruits to eat are dried berries, apricots, and pineapple. Shoot for around a quarter cup.

Sprouts and Legumes:

Sprouts and legumes are one of the healthiest snacks that are highly nutritious. Sprouts are rich in vitamin K and C, proteins, fibers and minerals. Sprouts are loaded with complex carbohydrates that take longer to break down thereby releasing energy for a longer period of time. This makes it ideal for consumption 1-2 hours before the workout.

Whole grain bread is one of most mess-free sources of carbohydrate that requires absolutely no time to prepare and can be coupled with some great protein sources such as hard boiled eggs, few turkey slices or honey. It is an ideal pre-workout snacks to develop muscles.

Oatmeal with Fresh Fruit

Oatmeal is the workout buddy you never have to nag to exercise. It sticks with you throughout your workout by gradually releasing sugar into your bloodstream. Adding fruit to your bowl will help increase the fluid content of your pre-workout snack, keeping you hydrated.

I hope this was helpful for you and let me know if you have any questions!

Image Courtesy runfunruns.com