Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before a Workout

Good nutrition is key to helping your body perform at its best and recover quickly. Optimizing your nutrient intake before exercise can maximize your performance and minimize muscle damage.

A well-balanced pre-workout snack should include carbohydrates for quick energy and small amounts of protein to build and repair muscle tissue while regulating glucose release in the blood. Keeping these meals low in fat and fiber helps avoid common digestive issues like cramping and nausea.

Carbohydrates are an essential energy source. Consuming the right amount of carbohydrates before a workout ensures your body has enough energy to perform well. Simple carbs, like those found in white bread, provide rapid energy and are ideal for pre-workout consumption.

Complex carbohydrates, which include fiber and starch, offer a slower, more sustained energy source. Eat a meal rich in complex carbohydrates and protein about 2-3 hours before exercising to give your body ample time to digest. Alternatively, a smaller meal primarily composed of simple carbohydrates and protein can be consumed 30-45 minutes before working out.

Also read: Drinking Water with Meals: All Myths and Facts

Before strength training, eat a pre-workout meal that includes:

• Relatively high in carbohydrates to maximize the maintenance of blood glucose
• Low in fat and fiber to minimize gastrointestinal distress
• Ample in protein and fats for a complete and balanced meal.

My favorite pre-workout foods to eat options.

1. Banana + peanut butter + nuts

2. Oatmeal + Apple + Nuts

3. Protein smoothie + Banana + Nuts

4. Chicken + Sweet potato

5. Tofu sandwich

6. Chicken rice:

Approximately 30 minutes to one hour before strength training, fuel up with a small, easily digestible snack that includes:

• Simplified protein and carbohydrate foods to aid in the digestion and absorption of glucose and amino acids
• 70 to 75 percent carbohydrates
• 20 to 25 percent easily digestible protein

This balanced snack will help provide the necessary energy and nutrients to optimize your workout performance and support muscle recovery.

A few of my favorite options are:

1. Greek yogurt + Berries

2. Jam toast + Whey

3. Egg whites

4. Banana + Whey Protein

5. Rice cake + Honey

6. Oat Meal + Fruit

Coffee: A Pre-Workout Powerhouse?

Coffee is a popular beverage enjoyed worldwide, and for good reason. It contains caffeine, a well-known stimulant that can benefit pre-workout performance.

The Science Behind it:

Caffeine is absorbed by the body within 30 to 45 minutes after consumption and can remain elevated in the bloodstream for 3 to 6 hours. 

As it’s metabolized, caffeine interacts with the body in several ways:

• Caffeine can promote vasodilation, which widens blood vessels. This improves blood flow, potentially delivering more oxygen and nutrients to working muscles.

• Caffeine may increase fat oxidation, the process by which your body uses fat for energy. This can be beneficial during exercise, potentially sparing muscle glycogen stores.

• Caffeine can help open airways in the lungs, making breathing easier during exercise.

 Beetroot Juice: Pre-Workout and Post-Workout

Beetroot juice has gained popularity among athletes for its potential performance-enhancing properties. The key player here is nitrate, an abundant compound in beetroot.

Once consumed, the body converts nitrates into nitric oxide, a molecule with several benefits for exercise:

Improved Blood Flow: Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow. 

Enhanced Stamina: Studies suggest beetroot juice may increase time to exhaustion, allowing you to exercise for longer durations before fatigue sets in.

Lower Oxygen Cost: Nitric oxide may improve muscle efficiency, allowing you to perform the same work at a lower oxygen cost.

Take-Home Message

Consuming a full meal 2-3 hours before your workout is recommended. For meals closer to your workout, opt for simpler carbohydrates with some protein. Including a combination of carbohydrates and protein in your pre-workout meals is best. While fat can be beneficial, it should be consumed at least two hours before exercise.