What to Eat Before a Workout

 Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before a Workout

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts are always looking for ways to improve their performance and achieve their goals.

Good nutrition can help your body work better and recover faster after each workout.

Taking optimal nutrition before exercise will not only help you maximize your effectiveness, it will also reduce muscle loss.

Here's what you need to know about pre-workout nutrition.

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It is important to know what to eat

Feeding your body the right nutrients before exercise gives you the energy and strength you need to perform optimally.

Each macronutrient has a specific function before a workout. However, the proportions you need to eat them vary and depend on the type of exercise.

Below is a brief description of the activity of each macronutrient.

Carbohydrates

Your muscles use glucose from sugars for fuel.

Glycogen is the body that processes and stores glucose, mainly in the liver and muscles.

For short and high-intensity exercises, your glycogen stores are the main source of energy for your muscles.

For long-term exercise, however, the degree to which carbohydrates are used depends on a variety of factors. These include intensity, type of training, and your general diet.

Limiting the glycogen stores in your muscles. As these reserves decrease, so does production and intensity.

Studies have consistently shown that carbohydrates can increase glycogen storage and utilization while increasing carbohydrate oxidation during exercise.

Carbohydrate loading, which involves a high-carbohydrate diet for 1 to 7 days, is a well-known method of maximizing glycogen stores.

Protein

Many studies have documented the possibility of protein intake before training to improve athletic performance.

Eating protein before exercise (alone or with carbohydrates) has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis.

Participants showed a positive anabolic response in a study after taking 20 grams of Hui protein before exercise.

Other benefits of eating protein before exercise include:

Better anabolic response or muscle growth.

Improves muscle recovery

Increase strength and lean body mass

Increasing muscle performance

Fat

Glycogen is used for short, high-intensity exercise, but fat is a fuel source for long-lasting, medium to low-intensity exercise.

Some studies have investigated the effects of fat intake on athletic performance. However, these studies have focused on high-fat diets for an extended period of time rather than exercise.

For example, a study has shown how a four-week diet containing 40% fat increases the endurance time of healthy, trained runners.

SUMMARY:

Carbohydrates help maximize glycogen stores for high-intensity exercise, but fat helps your body fuel long-term, less intense workouts. Meanwhile, protein improves muscle protein synthesis and recovery aids.

What is the pre-workout mealtime?

Exercise while eating is an important aspect of pre-nutrition.

To maximize the results of your training, try eating a full meal of sugars, proteins and fats 2-3 hours before exercise.

However, in some cases, you may not be able to get a full meal 2 to 3 hours before exercise.

In that case you can eat a good meal before training. However, keep in mind that the earlier you eat before your workout, the smaller the meal should be.

If you eat 45 to 60 minutes before your workout, choose foods that are easy to digest and contain the most sugars and some protein.

This will help prevent any stomach upset during exercise.

SUMMARY:

It is recommended to eat a full meal 2 to 3 hours before your workout. For meals eaten around your workout, choose simple carbohydrates and some protein.

Some examples of pre-workout meals

What foods and how much to eat depend on the type, duration, and intensity of training.

A good rule of thumb is to eat a mixture of carbohydrates and protein before exercising.

If you eat fat with your pre-workout meal, you should eat it at least a few hours before your workout.

Here are some examples of pre-workout balanced meals:

If your training starts in 2-3 hours or more

Whole wheat bread, fatty protein and salad sandwiches

Top with an omelet and whole wheat avocado toast and a cup of fruit.

Fatty proteins, brown rice and fried vegetables

If your training starts in 2 hours

Protein shake made with milk, protein powder, banana and mixed berries

Whole grains and milk

Top with a cup of oatmeal bananas and chopped walnuts.

Natural almond butter sandwiches and fruit preserves on whole grain breads

If your workout starts in an hour or less

Greek yogurt and fruit

Nutritious bars with proteins and nutrients

A piece of fruit, such as a banana, an orange, or an apple.

Remember that you don't need to eat many meals before training at different times. Choose only one of these.

For best results, experiment with different nutrient compositions and timing

SUMMARY:

A combination of carbohydrates and protein is recommended for pre-workout meals. Fat can also be beneficial, but it should be consumed at least two hours before exercise.

Supplements can also be effective before exercise.

Complimentary use is common in sports. These products can increase performance, improve strength, increase body mass, and reduce fatigue.

Below are some of the best pre-workout supplements.

Creatine

Creatine is probably the most widely used sports supplement.

It has been shown to increase muscle mass, muscle fiber size, and muscle strength and power while delaying fatigue.

Although taking creatine before a workout is beneficial, it appears to be more effective after a workout.

Taking 2 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day is effective.

Caffeine

Among many other benefits, caffeine has been shown to help improve performance, increase strength and power, reduce fatigue, and stimulate fat burning.

Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, and energy drinks, but it is also found in supplements and pre-workout pills.

It doesn't matter how you use it, because the performance effects are usually the same.

The main effects of caffeine are seen 90 minutes after eating. However, it has also been shown to be effective by eating 15 to 60 minutes before exercise.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

BCAAs refer to the essential amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine.

Studies have shown that taking BCAAs before a workout helps reduce muscle loss and increases muscle protein synthesis.

A dose of 5 grams or more is effective at least one hour before exercise.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that increases carnosine stores in muscles. It has been shown to be most effective for short, high-intensity exercises.

It does this by increasing exercise capacity and muscular endurance while reducing fatigue.

The recommended daily dose is 2 to 5 grams, of which at least 0.5 grams should be consumed before your workout.

Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement

Some people prefer products that contain a combination of the supplements mentioned above.

The combination of these ingredients can have a synergistic effect and performance can be significantly improved.

The most commonly used ingredients in these products include caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, branched-chain amino acids, arginine, and B vitamins.

These pre-workout supplements have been shown to increase work output, strength, endurance, anaerobic strength, reaction time, concentration, and alertness.

The specific dose depends on the product but it is recommended to take them 30-45 minutes before exercise.

SUMMARY:

Creatine, caffeine, BCAAs, and beta-alanine are often recommended before a workout. The multi-component pre-workout supplement combines different components for optimal comfort.

Hydration is also very important

Your body needs water to function.

Good hydration has been shown to maintain and even improve performance, while dehydration has been associated with a significant reduction in performance.

It is advisable to take water and sodium before exercise. This will improve fluid balance (32 trusted sources, 33 trusted sources).

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends drinking at least four hours of practice and 8 to 12 ounces (0.23 to 0.35 liters) and 16 to 20 ounces (0.5 to 0.6 liters) of water 10 to 15 minutes before exercise.

In addition, they recommend drinking a sodium-rich drink to help retain fluids.

SUMMARY:

Water is important for performance. It is advisable to drink water and sodium-rich drinks before exercise to maintain fluid balance and prevent excess fluid loss.

BOTTOM LINE:

To maximize your performance and recovery, it is important to fuel your body with proper nutrition before a workout.

Carbohydrates help maximize your body's ability to use glycogen for fuel for short and intense workouts, while fats help fuel your body's long exercise sessions.

Eating protein helps improve muscle protein synthesis, prevents muscle damage and promotes recovery.

Better hydration is related to better performance.

Pre-workout meals can be eaten three hours to 30 minutes before training. However, choose foods that are easy to digest, especially if your workout starts in an hour or less. This will help you avoid stomach instability.

Additionally, many different supplements can help performance and promote recovery.

At the end of the day, pre-workout nutrition exercises can go a long way towards better performance and faster recovery.