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Fuel Up! Pre-Workout Eats

You lace up your sneakers, don your effects, and rush out the door to get to you workout. You start exuberantly, motivated, and energetic… but halfway through, you start to slow, and feel there’s just no wind in your sails. Or you finish, and you’re famished, entering that “hangry” state.

Did you skip a pre-exercise meal or snack?

The topic of what to eat before exercise can be confusing. A multitude of different organizations, from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to the American College of Sports Nutrition, or Dietitians of Canada, and more, all have their own recommendations for what you should consume before you go workout, down the specific gram of carbs/proteins/fat to kilograms of your body weight. (We can dive deeper into that another time. The focus here today is just on some baseline ideas.)

Thankfully, they all agree on one important point: do what feels best for you! And it may take some trial and error.

“Training Low,” or intentionally training in a carb-depleted or fasted state, is starting to be studied more. But currently, it is not a typical recommendation. (Speak to your coach or dietitian to see if this is an individualized approach that can safely be done for you, if you are interested) Normally depleted stores are associated with fatigue, reduced work rates, impaired skill and concentration, and increased perception of effort. So generally it is recommended that you consume some proper foods before physical activity to help fuel you towards your goals of weight loss and/or muscle gain.

Having something to eat before going to workout can greatly enhance your efforts. Eating some carbohydrate-rich foods will give you more fuel in your body to help push harder in your workout. A little bit of protein will help with muscle feeding and repair. Hydration is also key, as even mild dehydration can cause drops in your performance, which usually means fewer calories burned or less weights moved. Why not get the most bang for your exercise buck?

It is the amounts, timing, and form of food that are highly dependent upon your own preferences and tolerances. The goal is to provide enough food and fuel before your workout that you can achieve a top-notch effort without feeling hungry, but not too much nor too close to the workout time as to cause cramping, nausea, or other stomach distress.

If you eat 3-4 hours before you exercise, you may do better with a more meal-sized intake. If you eat only 1-2 hours before, a snack will usually do. If you don’t have time to eat well ahead of the activity, a small snack or liquid form may sit best. Just make sure you’re not undoing your weight goals by consuming excess calories! Simply plan ahead to spread your food out around your workout time.

Pre-workout Meal Ideas:

Pre-workout Snack Ideas:

Pre-workout Drink Ideas:

Bonus Boost: having coffee about an hour before a workout has been shown to boost results! Caffeine is a common aid to help increase time to exhaustion in aerobic endurance exercise bought, decrease ratings of perceived exertion, and improve physical performance even during periods of sleep deprivation.


SOURCES:

American College of Sports Medicine, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, a Joint Position Statement. “Nutrition and Athletic Performance.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. (2016) 543-568. Print.

Campbell, Bill I., Spano, Marie A. NSCA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition. Human Kinetics. 2011. Book.

Dunford, Marie; Macedonio, Michele. “A Step-by-step Process for Helping Athletes Achieve Optimal Performance Weight and Body Composition.” Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo. Nashville, TN. 4 Oct 2015. Conference Presentation.

Patgieter, S. “Sports Nutrition: A review of the latest guidelines for exercise and sport nutrition from the American College of Sport and Nutrition, the International Olympic Committee and the International Society for Sports Science” S Afr Journal of Clinical Nutrition 26.1 (2013). 6-16. Print.

“Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance” Journal of the American Dietetic Association. March. 109.3 (2009): 509-527. Print.

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