Last week we spoke about how important it is to get the right food in after your workout. If you missed it here is Nutrient Timing Part I. This week we are going to look at what you should be eating before you workout (I know I am working backwards but bare with me). Without the right fuel before you workout you will see a dramatic decrease in performance.
What you eat before your workout is going to fuel your performance. If you don't get enough or too much food you will not get a great workout in. I have seen too many people try and workout on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I know it is hard to eat breakfast, but it will be so much more beneficial. People think that if they do not eat and workout they will burn more fat. There is little evidence to support this. You will burn more calories the more intense the workout is. If you haven't eaten since dinner the night before you will be very low energy and will have bad concentration. This will not lead to a very productive workout.
How long to eat before your workout depends, person to person. My roommate in grad school could eat 60 buffalo wings and a pint of ice cream 30 minutes before a basketball game and play the best game of his life. No, this is not typical and I would not recommend trying it. Everyone will have a different digestion rate and will be able to tolerate different amounts of food. Generally speaking it is recommended to eat about 1-2 hours prior to exercise.
Depending on when you workout you might have a whole meal before you workout or just a snack. Your pre-exercise meal/snack should be composed of an equal ratio of carbohydrates and protein. Instead of high glycemic carbs though we want to switch to low glycemic. These types of carbohydrates will cause a slower raise in insulin and provide more long last energy for the workout. Try to keep meals lower in fat and fiber for easier digestion and quicker gastric emptying. Fluids will be digested more rapidly as well, so if you still feel full eating 2 hours before a workout you might want to switch to a protein shake.
Sorry I don't have any delicious recipes for you this week but here are a few examples of some great pre-workout snacks/meals.
*1 Cup Steal Cut Oatmeal and 1 Hard Boiled Egg
*1 Banana with 6oz low fat yogurt
*1 String Cheese and Whole Wheat Pita
*Smoothie with 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup strawberries, flaxseed, protein powder, and ice.
Just remember to eat, workout, and eat.
Sincerely,
Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator
858-752-4561
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