Pre-workout foods…sorted!

Stuck for what to eat before your workout?

Depending on when you workout, be that first thing in the morning, or last thing at night, your eating habits before you hit the gym are bound to be different. There are many benefits to working out fasted, but what if your only time to workout is on your lunch hour or just after work? I always find having a small snack an hour or so before a workout gives me that much needed energy boost. It also stops me cutting my workout short because I’m thinking about what to have for dinner!

Quick pre-workout snack options, such as protein and carb bars are often loaded with soy, artificial flavours and colours and all sorts of other nasties. So what I’m saying is…keep it simple!

Glucose from carbohydrates (unrefined) is used by the muscles as energy. Studies have shown that eating carbohydrate foods will increase your glycogen stores and aid in carbohydrate oxidation during exercise. That’s not to say you have to eat all the carbs before you workout…no no. Many athletes use ‘carb loading’ a few days before a big event to maximise their performance, however unless you are an athlete this isn’t strictly needed.

Carbs will help to maximise glycogen stores for high intensity activity, so a quick carb snack before you hit the gym might be beneficial. However, eating foods high in fat can help fuel your body for less intense but longer sessions, for example steady state cardio, long jogs or walks, while protein will enhance recovery times and help build muscle and so may help with weight training programmes.

Depending on your goals you may want to choose a food, or a combination of foods, to help maximise your workout. However if you are just going to the gym a few times a week and are not sure what is the best snack to eat beforehand, look for easy to digest foods that contain mainly carbs and protein. Some examples are;

• Bananas (or any fruit) are excellent pre workout out snacks. They are full of digestible carbohydrates (immediate energy) to kickstart you during the workout
• Greek yogurt
• Oatcakes
• A healthy bar such as a nakd or paleo bar that contains just dried fruit and nuts
• A protein shake blended with fruit

Making sure you have these foods to hand before you go will stop you picking something up on the way that might not be the best fuel for you or your workout….let’s not undo all of your hard work now!