When it comes to planning a good workout, what you eat prior to the workout makes a huge difference. The importance of pre workout meal is many times ignored.
Having a proper diet before a workout provides you with energy acting as fuel to support your workout. Specifically for strength training, it’s really important to fuel your body with good nutrients so that your body gets the required energy to perform weighted exercises.
The key to a pre-workout meal is always more quality and less quantity. You don’t want to eat more and end up feeling full during your workout. At the same time timing also matters. One should also not start a workout immediately after consuming a meal.
Let’s see at the thing that should be taken care of while choosing your pre-workout meal
Choose a meal that is high in carbohydrates
Carbs are sources of energy, which is why they’re an essential part of a pre-workout meal Consuming carbs before your workout or even high-intensity cardio exercise ensures your body has plenty of glucose available to fuel the workout without muscle breakdown.
A good pre-workout meal rich in carbs can include-
Fruits- You can have fruits like bananas, apple which is easy to digest and provide you with blood sugar to fuel your workout.
Oatmeal – You can have a small portioned oatmeal mixed with fruits.
Smoothie:- You can prepare a smoothie with fruits, oats, and peanut butter. That’s a great go-to meal for a workout.
Sweet potato- Sweet potato is a great source of carbohydrates that you can add to your pre-workout meal.
Add Caffeine to your pre-workout meal
Caffeine is a very effective stimulant that helps in boosting your energy level and increases your alertness. Coffee is a very good source of caffeine. So you can add black coffee to your pre-workout meal to give you that extra kick for a workout. This should be an add-on, not a necessity.
A meal rich in protein and low in fat content
The protein helps in building muscle mass and strength, and also helps in muscle repair when you lift weights. So adding some protein to your meal is a great choice. For protein, you can add eggs, protein bars, or a protein smoothie. Also, make sure you are not eating content very high in fat as fats are absorbed slowly into the body that your body will not be able to break down that meal and won’t be able to provide you with the required energy.
You can also read our article on good fats.
Timing
Taking a meal 20-60 mins prior to a workout is ideal as it gives time to the body for absorbing the nutrients from that meal in order to provide energy post absorption.
Portion
Always eat in moderation prior to the workout. Eating more will make you full and may cause hindrance to the workouts.
Pre-workout supplements
If you are a workout for quite some time and want to enhance your workout sessions then adding a pre-workout supplement is a good idea. Please make a note that you always treat pre-workout supplements as an add-on but not a necessity. Pre-workout supplements help to increase your performance, help you energize for a long, and decrease fatigue.
You can also read our review of muscle blaze total beast pre-workout and GAT-nitraflex pre-workout.
Foods to avoid before a workout
Foods that are high in fat like fried foods, cheese, etc. should be avoided before a workout as these may overload your stomach. Also, such heavy food takes time to digest and is absorbed slowly into the body that your body will not be able to break down that meal and won’t be able to provide you with the required energy.
You can also read our article on post-workout meals.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information.
