Fuelling Your Workout: What Should You Eat Before Exercising?

Let's deep dive into pre-workout nutrition and why you should be fuelling your body before your next workout...

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Understanding how to fuel your body properly before and after a workout can make a difference in both your performance and energy levels during a workout and your recovery after. In this blog post, we are going to focus on pre-workout nutrition. We will discuss post-workout nutrition in the next blog.

Proper pre-training nutrition enhances your ability to train with intensity and supports your energy levels throughout your session.

Whether you are a seasoned athlete or just a casual gym goer, you can benefit from timing your nutrition around your workouts.

Let’s talk about some essentials of your pre-workout nutrition:

Pre-Workout Nutrition:

• Nutrient Timing:

Nutrient timing can depend on the time of day you are working out. If you're working out later in the morning, during the day, or in the afternoon/evening, ideally you want to aim to eat a balanced meal 2-3 hours before and a smaller, easily digestible snack closer to your workout (approx. 30 minutes before).

If you’re short on time or are training first thing in the morning, aim to choose foods that are simple to digest and contain mainly carbs and some protein around 45-60 minutes beforehand. This will still provide your body with energy for your workout. Pre-workout nutrition aims to ensure your body has sufficient energy to get through your session without feeling sluggish or overly full from ill-timed nutrition.

• Focus on Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are your body’s primary energy source. Before a workout, focus on consuming complex carbs a few hours before your workout and simple carbs closer to your workout. Examples of each type of carbohydrate include:

Simple:

• Fruits, such as bananas, pineapple, watermelon, and apples.

• Rice cakes.

• Cereal.

• Honey.

Complex:

• Oats.

• Whole-grain bread.

• Whole-grain pasta.

• Vegetables, such as broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

• Brown rice.
  

• Include Protein:

Studies have shown that a moderate amount of protein before a workout can be beneficial to your workout, possibly improving athletic performance. Try to opt for lean protein sources such as:

• Greek yogurt.

• Eggs.

• Lean meats, e.g. chicken breast.

• Don't Forget to Keep Hydrated:

Proper hydration both before and during your workout is vital for optimal performance. Focus on ensuring you drink enough water consistently throughout the day. If you’re exercising for more than an hour at a moderate to vigorous intensity, you can consider keeping a sports drink with electrolytes handy which can help replenish lost minerals.

Examples of Pre-Workout Meals/Snacks:

Pre-Workout Meal (2-3 Hours Before):

• A whole-grain sandwich with chicken breast and salad.

• Egg omelette and whole-grain toast topped with avocado.

• Lean beef with brown rice and roasted vegetables.

• Oatmeal with milk and berries.
  

Pre-Workout Snack (30-Minutes Before):

• Honey and banana on rice cakes.

• Fruit smoothie.

• Granola bar.

• Dried fruit.

Pre-workout nutrition doesn't need to be complicated, you can optimise your workout by simply eating preferred food sources within general timeframes. It doesn't need to be exactly to the minute, so try not to get too hung up on it.

Balanced meals that contain protein, carbohydrates and fats are best eaten at least 2-3 hours before a workout, and quick simple carbohydrate sources are preferred closer to your workout, such as 30 minutes before.

It is always best to listen to your body and adjust as necessary, the above are just guidelines to help you optimise your fuel sources for your workout. You may find that you need to make slight adjustments due to your individual needs, workout intensity, and fitness goals.