What and When Do I Eat Before a Workout?

Being physically active is important. It helps to keep the cardiovascular system, muscles, and immune system healthy. People have different ways of being physically active. Some folks jog, walk or run in the morning. Other people will go to the gym to do their fitness regimens. Amidst the thirty minute power walks and kickboxing classes, there are common questions that all fitness enthusiasts and athletes commonly ask; what and when do I eat before a workout.

The answer can be complicated as food is the fuel for our bodies. We want the food we eat to support our goals, not work against them. The trick is to make sure we are not putting too much fuel or not enough fuel in the tank. Finding a happy medium is crucial, because no one wants to feel sick while they are working out. What you eat usually depends upon the type of fitness activity you are performing. For the sake of argument and to save you from reading a nutritional and biochemical text book, let’s keep it simple. The most common form of fitness activity is a cardio session. Usually, it is an aerobics class, nature run, bicycling, or a jog on the treadmill. Now, the most common reasons for these cardiovascular activities are to lose fat, maintain a toned physique, or simply to stay in shape.

Ideally, you want to have some nutrients in the blood when you are physically active. This means, you should either eat or drink something relatively light thirty minutes to an hour before your activity. The time between the meal and your workout allows for digestion, so you are not running around with food in your stomach.

You want the light meal or drink to be high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and very low in fat. A male should consume anywhere between 20g and 40g of protein, 1g to 20g of carbohydrates, and 0g to 1g of fat before an aerobic activity. A female should consume 15g to 30g of protein, 1g to 15g of carbohydrates, and 0g to 1g of fat. These macronutrient ratios will trigger the body to use stored body fat for energy and spare muscle tissue breakdown. Which means you will lose body fat and maintain muscle definition. Whey protein shakes such as Nitraplex’s Lean Protein will provide the proper amount of nutrients for a pre-workout meal. Foods such as egg whites, white chicken breast, white turkey breast, and tilapia will provide great sources of lean easily digestible proteins accompanied by a single piece of whole wheat toast or a banana or a few ounces of steamed/microwaved vegetables is a great combination for a pre-aerobic meal. Just be sure to eat another healthy meal as soon as your workout is complete.

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Stay active and live healthy,
Andrew Wood
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Nutritional/Chemical formulator

True Healthy Products, LLC
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