Foods To Eat Before Exercising

In today’s article we will tell you what kind of food is best to eat before exercising. Many people have the idea that you should not eat before exercising. However, this is a myth, you have to eat something before a workout. Your body needs energy to complete a physical activity.

Eating before exercise is especially important if you do this in the morning. When you eat before jogging or working out at the gym, you get even better results. However, this doesn’t mean you should eat pizza. You need to carefully select the foods you are going to eat before exercising.

In this article, we’ll tell you a few things you need to know when it comes to choosing the best foods to eat before exercising.

Foods to eat before exercising

It depends on the type of sport

The type of workout you’ll be doing is the first thing to consider when selecting the foods you’ll be consuming before doing so. It is also important to consider your personal goals.

For example, if you’re trying to lose weight and burn fat through exercise, choose low-calorie foods. This way you feed the glucose stores of your muscles and not liver.

Instead, if your goal is to perform intense exercise or to increase muscle mass, then you need to replenish your energy reserves before you start. This is because your body needs a lot of energy and to get it your best option is foods high in protein, fat and carbohydrates.

 When and how much should you eat before exercising

It is also important to eat at least half an hour before the start of your activity. You may even need a little longer depending on the foods you eat.

Otherwise, your body will be too busy digesting what you’ve eaten, rather than using it for fuel. (This scenario may have been the start of the myth that you shouldn’t eat before exercising.)

In addition, keep an eye on the amount of food you eat before exercising. Otherwise, you may feel too full during your physical activity. For example, your stomach may hurt and you may feel heavy and lacking in energy.

Preferably eat a moderate portion of good nutrition. However, always make sure to eat it well before your workout so that your body can use it as energy during your workout.

Proteins, fluids and carbohydrates

It is best to try to eat carbohydrates that are easily digestible before exercise. That will give you the energy you need. For example, the following options are very healthy:

• Whole grain bread
• unprocessed grains
• pasta
• rice
• certain fruits and vegetables

Of course, it is best to eat a mixture of simple and compound carbohydrates. If you are going to work on your muscles, it is also important that you eat protein-rich food.

Within this group you can choose from various dairy products, but also ham, for example. It is best here to eat at least two to three hours before exercise so that you have time to digest it.

Of course, you need to stay properly hydrated before, during and after each workout. Drink at least half a liter of water before exercising. Alternatively, you can also drink unsieved fruit juice or another stimulant drink such as coffee or tea. This is especially helpful if you do your physical activity in the morning.

Foods to eat before exercising

Bananas are the perfect food to eat before and after exercise. This fruit is high in potassium, which replenishes all the minerals you lose during your physical activity. In addition, bananas contain carbohydrates and these give you the energy you need to exercise.

Fruit shakes are another good option. They are quick to prepare and you can add all kinds of ingredients to them. Ideally, a shake should contain the following:

• fruit
• yogurt
• muesli or another type of grain

When carefully prepared by choosing the right ingredients, a shake can turn into a complete food full of protein, vitamins and carbohydrates. It’s the perfect way to prepare your body for exercise.

If you don’t have much time to spare, eating a slice of bread with jam is an easy and quick option to energize your body. Granola bars are also acceptable, as long as you eat low-calorie cereal bars, which contain no artificial ingredients, but do contain whole grains, fruits and seeds.