Patriot Health Digest
It seems like attempting to figure out what you should eat before a workout is always an issue with new exercisers. Your pre-workout can make or break your workout and your recovery.
There are some important things to remember when you’re deciding on your pre-workout meal. With the the most important being the type of workout you are doing: Is it strength-training or cardio?
For people doing strength training, you might want change your pre-workout to take into account gastrointestinal issues. It’s best to include more protein in a strength workout pre-workout meal, more than you would include in a cardio pre-workout.
But what should you eat? A good rule is to eat foods very close to their natural source. In other words: unprocessed foods. More than this, here are two general rules to follow for pre-workouts.
Eat The Right Foods
The most crucial thing to consume before a workout are carbs, specifically, simple carbs, which are promptly absorbed into your body and used for energy.
Complex carbs have fiber, which could give you GI distress during your workouts, especially cardio. For example, oatmeal is a good source of carbs a few hours before a workout, because your body will have the time to digest this.
Quick-acting sugars can be in the form of white breads, cereals, fruits bagels, and honey, as examples.
Protein also has an important role leading into workouts because it can aid your muscles in recovery after your workout. Sources of good protein include eggs, nut butter, and cottage cheese.
Avoid These Foods
Usually speaking, foods that take longer for your stomach to digest—those high in fat and protein—can trigger stomach problems during a workout, especially cardio workouts.
If you are on a five-mile run, you do not want to get gas, for example.
It is also crucial to think about what foods will help you recover correctly and perform well.
So avoid any foods that give you stomach problems that could hinder your progress. It is best to keep your pre-work as simple as possible, with only 3-5 ingredients at most. This will make it easy to experiment to find your own personal best pre-workout meal.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
