Pre-Workout Nutrition Tips
Today I want to talk about my favorite pre-workout nutrition tips.
Getting a solid snack or meal in before training can really help you maximize your efforts, keep your energy high during the session, and make the most improvements to your fitness level.
Without further ado, here are five tips and recommendations for sensible pre-workout meals.
For more specific advice, or for advice personalized to you, please visit my nutrition coaching page.
Eat Enough Calories
Prior to your workout, you want to consume enough calories to keep your energy and blood sugar levels from tanking.
If you just have an easy workout, try about 100-250 calories prior. If you have a hard workout, a workout longer than 90 minutes or a long run or endurance session, you may want to consume 300-500 calories or more in the pre workout meal.
We will talk about what to include in that meal below.
Give Time to Digest
You should aim to eat your pre workout meal about one hour to three hours before your workout. If you eat closer to your workout, you should decrease the amount of protein and carbohydrates in the meal. For instance, one hour prior to your workout, try a cup of yogurt and a piece of fruit.
If you have more time prior to your workout, aim for a larger, more sustaining meal. For instance, if you eat about 3 hours before a workout, you could try a piece of chicken breast and a large sweet potato.
Consume Protein Prior to Workouts
Consuming protein in your pre-workout meal will help you resist muscle protein breakdown in your workout.
You can aim to consume 20-40 grams of protein prior to your workout. Some good sources include Greek yogurt, eggs, turkey breast, chicken breast, or protein powder.
Consume Carbs Prior to Workouts
You also want to consume some easily digestible carbs before your workout. Some good choices include toast, cereal, fruit, oatmeal, or pasta.
Choices like sugary cereal, donuts and cakes may cause your blood sugar to rise before crashing later. The natural sugar in fruit won’t make your blood sugar crash later.
Vegetables might make you bloated and gassy during a workout.
You can aim for 20-70 grams of carbs prior to your workouts, depending on your calorie needs and the type of workout. The longer before a workout you choose to eat, the more carbs you can include.
Keep in mind, however, that fat might be more difficult to digest than carbs. You probably don’t want to consume a ton of fat prior to your workouts.
Consume Caffeine
Caffeine can lower your perceived exertion, improve power, strength and endurance, increase fat burning and lower fatigue.
Everyone has a bit different response to caffeine, so experiment to find the dose you perform best.
I would recommend 1-2 cups of coffee prior to training to boost your results. You can also use pre-workout supplements, but be cautious about the types that you use since some of these may carry health risks.
Final Thoughts
Eating prior to your workout can really improve your workout results. What kinds of meals do you eat prior to training? Please let me know in the comment section below.
