Fueling your body for exercise is an important part of success. If your body is not properly balanced with nutrients prior to exercise, you will never be able to make the most of your workout. It’s no different than trying to run a car on an empty gas tank, essentially running on fumes. Sure it may work for a while, but eventually, that car will start to break down and won’t drive very far down the street.
If you really want to be the best you can be, you have to train hard. However, you can’t train hard without quality fuel. Have you ever noticed that you feel tired in the middle of a workout? Feeling extremely sore a few days after a training session? Noticed your stomach rumbling or cramping up during an exercise? None of these should happen often, and if so, there is room for improvement in your pre-training meals.
The goal is to find the right balance of time and food, as these substrates will help your body return to a balanced state in your body faster. In other words, the faster and more efficiently your body returns to baseline by using nutrition to counteract the stress created during your last workout, the sooner you can give it your all during your next workout. The right fuel can help you push harder to last longer and ultimately improve long-term performance.
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Pre-Workout Meal Ingredients
The composition of the pre-workout meal (protein + carbohydrate + fat) ratio is very important. As you can imagine, this varies from athlete to athlete. Ultra-endurance runners require a different fueling strategy than soccer players. Plant-based athletes are typically more tolerant of high-fiber foods than, for example, ketogenic athletes. However, in general, there are a few guidelines you need to adopt.
- Control fat.
While consuming enough dietary fat is extremely important to overall health, the worst time to consume more fat is before a workout. Sure, you probably realize that you shouldn’t eat fast food before you exercise. But guess what? Even more good vegetable fats (i.e. guacamole, peanut butter ETC.) are not suitable for consumption before strenuous exercise.
Simply put, it takes a little more work to digest the fat. As a result, our blood rushes to our intestines to help achieve this goal. If most of our blood is helping our gastrointestinal system, that means less blood in our arms, legs and brain. The end result is often unnecessary fatigue and cramping. Save high-fat foods for after your workout.
- Avoid high fiber
Black beans and kale are undoubtedly amazing, nutrient-dense foods. However, consuming more fiber before a workout, especially for those who don’t regularly consume high-fiber foods, can result in bloating, bloating, and maybe even a few extra trips to the bathroom. Again, save these foods for after your workout.
If you have a sensitive stomach but don’t want to eliminate high-fiber foods pre-workout, change the way you consume them. Suck the juice out of your orange wedge and spit out the high-fiber film (pre-workout only, otherwise, you better eat it!) . Blend your kale into a smoothie instead of eating a big salad. Cook cruciferous vegetables until they’re ready to be cut with a tool. Sure, they won’t be as nutritious, but that’s my compromise. Pressure cook then make your beans into a sauce or dip instead of eating them whole. Lowering the lectin content may help your gastrointestinal system feel a little better.
- Protein should always be present, but in moderation
Please don’t be one of those athletes who just eats a bowl of pasta and nothing else. This is not ideal for blood sugar, body composition, or anything in between. If you want sustained energy, include a moderate amount of protein in your diet one meal before your workout. Roughly a low-fat, palm-sized piece of animal protein or ~15-20 grams of vegetable protein.
Recall our rule about eating fat (high fat before a workout is not good) …… baked or grilled chicken, white fish, turkey, will feel better before a workout than beef, pork, fried and breaded meats when hatched. Also, be diligent in parts. Sure, chicken is a great all-natural food pre-workout form of protein, but 4-5 ounces is enough, not 8-12!
Finally, while a high-quality grass-fed protein powder can be an excellent supplement for an athlete’s daily life (the key is to use it as a supplement, not a staple food!) ), we encourage trying to eat fresh, natural foods whenever possible.
- All natural carbohydrate sources should dominate
You may remember from 5th grade science class that carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for the brain and muscles. Therefore, we need to make sure we consume enough of them before we work out. There’s more on this topic below.
Again, these are just general guidelines because every athlete is different and our immune systems are as unique as our fingerprints. Ultimately, you must listen to your body and choose what works best for you. As long as you feel energized after eating, your instincts are strong and your endurance is consistent throughout a training session or race, you’re doing well.
Okay, let’s put it all together. What exactly should my pre-workout meal look like?
First, before I dive into meal choices and composition, I want to mention one very important tip.
Do not experiment on race day. Always practice food as if it were a sport or skill. Just because something works for your teammates or co-workers, doesn’t mean it will work for you!
When it comes to meal composition, I want you to think of your plate as a pie chart. Most people reading this article will benefit from the following ratios: 50% of your plate = carbohydrates, 25% = protein and 25% low-fiber vegetables. Fat intake will be very low, about 1 tablespoon or less.
Remember, carbohydrates don’t just mean bread, pasta and crackers! The carbohydrate family includes foods like pasta and bread, but it also includes starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, and antifreeze, fruits, and dairy products! How many athletes do you know who eat only processed carbohydrates, i.e. piles of pasta and bread, before a hard workout or competition, only to become sluggish and bloated?
To be your best, you have to feel your best, and to feel your best, you have to eat your best.
Ending. The. The story. Would you pour bad fuel into a Ferrari or an Aston Martin? Of course not, and the same motto should apply to your body. Premium only, all day, every day, baby!
It doesn’t matter who you are or what sport you play. Make sure you try to eat real food before the race. Why? Because you are a human being, and humans are designed to function best on real food.
In other words, swap out pasta for baked potatoes. Swap out cookies for fruit. Swap out bread for quinoa.
Now, of course, your dietitian will work with you to determine portion sizes based on your goals, eating habits, schedule, etc. But here are some general examples that will work for almost anyone.
Pre-workout meal ideas
Okay, now let’s put it all together. Here are some of my favorite pre-workout meal options
Grilled chicken + quinoa + grilled veggies
Grilled white fish + brown rice + salad
Roasted turkey + sweet potatoes + roasted veggies
I recommend adding a few teaspoons of olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil to the veggies. Drizzle on top before or after cooking.
Pre-workout breakfast: Cook ½ cup dry oats or amaranth in almond milk. About 2 minutes before the cereal is cooked, add chopped baby bananas, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ tablespoon almond butter.
