The goal of a pre-workout meal is to fuel your body with energy and nutrients to optimise tour performance. Pre-workout nutrition will vary depending on a few factors including; the type of intensity of the activity, length of your workout, your training goals, your overall food intake for the day and digestion. On top of your personal preferences, of course!
The timing of your pre-workout meal is important and can really influence how you feel and perform during your exercise. Aim to have your 'main meal' 2-4 hours prior to exercise, this could be your breakfast, lunch or dinner depending on the time you are training. This will also vary based on how you feel after eating for example, some people could have their pre-workout meal 2 hours prior to training and feel great. Others may need to give their body a little bit more time to digest the food and should aim for 3-4 hours prior in that case. It can be some trial and error and see how you feel yourself!
You want your pre-workout meal to be:
High in carbohydrate
Contain a source of protein
Contain moderate about of fat and fibre, these take longer to digest and may cause digestive discomfort during your training which can hinder performance.
Some pre-exercise meals could be:
Chicken, pasta and tomato sauce
Chicken sandwich
Turkey meatballs and pasta
Chicken and noodle stir fry
Turkey bolognese
Cereal, milk and fruit
Overnight oats with nut butter
If you want a snack, aim to have this 30-90 minutes before training. This snack should be:
Rich in carbohydrate, easy to digest or 'simple' carbohydrates. For examples, orange juice, banana, jellies. You want this snack to be mainly carbs!
Be low in fibre- this can cause digestive issues which is not what you want when exercising!
Contain minimal amounts of fat as this slows down the digestion of carbs and therefore the release of energy.
Snacks to have 1-2 hours before exercise:
Cereal bar
White toast with jam or honey
Yoghurt and some fruit (honey optional)
Snacks to have 0-60 minutes before exercise:
Banana
Fruit juice (eg. small glass of orange juice)
Rice cakes with jam or honey
Handful of dried fruit or jellies
Don't forget hydration! Always start exercise hydrated to lower the risk of becoming dehydrated during exercise. Aim for pale-yellow, straw coloured urine as a useful sign of adequate hydration. Avoid drinking excessive amounts of fluid before and during exercise as this can lead to increased urination and gastrointestinal upset.
It's all about trial and error at first—everyone's body responds differently, so it's important to find what works best for you. Experiment with different meals and timings to see how your energy levels respond. Once you hit that sweet spot, you'll notice a big difference in how you feel during training and how much you can push yourself. Just a reminder: avoid trying anything new before a big event or competition. Save the experimentation for your training days!
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