What should i eat before a workout

Food gives results in the gym. Many studies prove a small meal of carbohydrates, protein, and fats improves training. Carbohydrates should be the primary source. Carbs become glycogen when digested. Glycogen is your muscle’s fuel for workouts. Simple.

If you don’t use the glycogen it is fat. Skip the pre-workout meal on the days that you don’t train with weights or for low-impact steady-state cardio. Your body’s preference while training is glycogen first, fat second. Fat burning starts after 30-60 minutes of exercise.

Why?

“It helps to understand that our bodies are designed to store excess energy in fat cells,” in a statement by endocrinologist Bartolome Burguera, MD, Ph.D.

We will go over what to eat the night before as well as the hours before training commences. This is a component of nutrient timing.

In an article written by Dr. Jenna A. Bell, Ph.D., RD,

“Simply put, nutrient timing means being mindful of when to eat, rather than what to eat. Its premise is to support optimal performance during a training session, provide all that is needed for muscle growth, exploit glycogen replenishment after activity, and follow a diet that promotes growth and repair around the clock. Nutrient timing is based on data supporting variances in hormonal release throughout the day and in response to exercise.”

I recommend this article, and it’s easy to understand.

Unfortunately, some take this to an extreme. I’ve seen kids eating pizza and donuts before a powerlifting session and I’ve also seen them puke afterward. It’s safe to assume you should refrain from that.

The days of large mammoth powerlifters and fat strongman competitors are gone. That also means you should skip the Planet Fitness pizza Thursdays. But, if a person is in the gym and they eat a piece of pizza after they workout, they did train so don’t judge.

Now I’m hungry for pizza.

The meal before training should have a tiny amount of fat. This helps prolong the effect of energy. In other words, you won’t gas out.

I’ve had clients train on an empty stomach, usually in the early morning. Most of the time they’re lethargic and they feel like garbage. Some have puked on an empty stomach. Granted some sessions started at 5 or 6 am but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat. If a meal in the morning doesn’t agree with you, plan some carbs at night. It will benefit you in conjunction with a little light eating in the early morning.

When you train early in the morning

After dinner eat around 7-8 pm. Make a small meal that consists of a long digesting protein. Cottage cheese, 2% greek yogurt, tuna, chicken, and casein protein powder fit well. This meal will carry over to the early morning. When you start training you will have a supply of energy for the workout. Right after you roll out of bed, get two servings of fruit. Hydrate with 16 ounces of water and pinch of sea salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of peanut butter.

Here's what I have done when I need to train at 4:30 am.

My last meal of the night may be a turkey sandwich.

2 slices of Ezekiel bread

2 ounces of lean turkey cold cuts (I like Boars Head)

1 cup spinach

1 tbsp of avocado

Other nights, I may have

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup blueberries or any berry

1 tbsp natural peanut butter

1/2 scoop of protein powder for taste

After I train I have a full breakfast after.

4 egg whites

1 whole egg

2 slices of baked bacon (when it's baked it removes some of the fat)

1 slice Ezekiel bread

2 cups spinach sauteed into the omelet

Forget that pesky, no evidence-based, anabolic window. It doesn’t exist and it’s far from proven. Besides, chances are you’re hungry anyway so eat! Have a whole food meal too. Whole food is much better than a bar. It has fewer artificial ingredients. Whole food is “natural” compared to an artificially glued-together brick, and it’s much more satisfying and satisfies my appetite for longer than a bar.

If you train in the after work…

If your workout is 2-3 hours away assuming this is after a 12-1 pm lunch. Have "proats":

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 scoop of protein. You can use the pre-sweetened quick oats

Add a serving of berries or a banana

I may decide to have something a bit more filling. Usually, this meal suits me on a longer workout like a squat or deadlift session.

1 cup of white rice

Steamed light fish like cod or tilapia. I have a steamer that makes steamed fish in 5 minutes. 

2 tbsp salsa on it for great taste.

Have a blender available? Make a fruit smoothie:

1 scoop protein powder

1 cup of  berries or a whole or half banana

1 cup of spinach. The spinach takes on whatever flavor of the fruit, and the carrots are a sweet treat. Plus you get a ton of antioxidants.

1/2 cup baby carrots

If your workout occurs within an hour…

2 rice cakes

1 tbsp Polaner fruit spread

1/2 tbsp peanut butter

Supplements

I take minimal supplements before training. Coffee is my number one choice over any pre-workout supplement. Often, I will have a Bang Cola instead. Other supplements I like are beta-alanine and creatine.

I hope this list helps and makes gainz!