Pre-workout Meal: 

By: Sarah Bissell

Many people wonder if eating before exercise is a good idea. With a little thought and planning, a pre-workout meal is a great way to optimize your workout routine. During exercise, your body uses glucose from carbohydrates to give your muscles and brain energy. Eating a small meal or snack one to four hours before a workout will maximizes performance, maintain or improve health status, and maintain or improve lean body mass. There are a few things, such as meal composition and timing, to consider when you are fueling up for an intensive workout.

When you’re reaching for a pre-workout snack, choose items that contain a moderate amount of protein and are high in complex carbohydrates to give you energy and keep your blood sugar from dropping during exercise. Items lower in fat and fiber are better options to limit stomach and GI discomfort while working out. Timing is also important because you do not want to feel hungry nor do you want to have any undigested food left in the stomach. Larger meals should be eaten earlier, but smaller meals can be consumed closer to exercise while still providing at least an hour for digestion.

Going into a workout hungry can result in dizziness, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, loss of bone density, increased risk of illness and injury, and prolonged recovery process. Avoiding all of these risks will benefit your workout and your daily activity levels. Some examples of healthy and energizing pre-workout meals/snacks include, scramble eggs with wheat toast, yogurt with fruit and granola, whole grain crackers with peanut butter, wheat pasta with grilled chicken, and cereal with skim milk and fruit. If you have any more questions about getting the right pre-workout snack for you, come by the Pawsitive Nutrition office in the rec center and talk to our nutrition specialists!

Sources:

Dunford, Marie, and J. Andrew Doyle. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008. Print.

"Nutrition and Athletic Performance." Eatright.org. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Mar. 2009. Web. 04 Oct. 2012. .