What Should You Eat Before A Workout? The Best Foods to Fuel
If you’ve ever been in the middle of a workout and felt totally sluggish or like all of your energy was drained, there’s a good chance it could be blamed on what you ate…or didn’t eat.
The foods we consume are literally our fuel (energy) for our bodies. Think of it as putting a low-quality gasoline in a premium sports car. The vehicle might be able to “go” but its performance will be sluggish. And over time, the whole vehicle could deteriorate.
In this post, we’re going to talk about the best foods to eat before your workout to help you maximize your time in the gym (or garage, living room, park or wherever else you like to work out).
When we’re talking about nutrition, there are foods that can help you go into beast mode and foods that might not be “bad,” but may not be the best to eat before your workout.
What makes a food “good” to eat?
The body needs three main nutrients to perform at optimal levels: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. These three main nutrients are called MACRONUTRIENTS.
If you’ve ever heard someone say they’re counting their macros, yup — this is what they’re talking about. (If this is something you’re curious about, I thought this YouTuber did a great job explaining.)
Essentially, those macronutrients provide our body with the nutrients necessary for things like hair/nail growth, cellular repair, energy level, development, healing, and overall, just make us feel good.
Two things about macronutrients — we need a lot of them AND our body doesn’t produce enough of them on its own so it’s KEY to consume them in our diets.
All of the macronutrients play an important role in our bodily functions so we should include ALL of them in our diet. (This is why I’m not an advocate of diets that exclude one of the main macronutrients.)
BUT I DIGRESS! This post isn’t intended to give you a lesson on macronutrients so if you want to learn more, check out this article from WebMD.com.
Good nutrition can help the body perform better and recover faster which makes all the difference in your workouts. Enough about all this macro stuff. Let’s talk about what that means in the real food we eat.
Give me the carbs!
Oh, how I love you, carbohydrates. No, really…I do. I would take a bagel or a piece of pizza over cake and ice cream any day of the week.
Carbs have gotten a really bad rap over the past decade with the explosion of diets like Atkins and Keto. But here’s the thing, your muscles use the glucose from carbs for fuel. Do Americans consume too many carbs? Probably, but we can’t rule out their benefits when consumed appropriately.
With that being said, we have to understand the difference between “good carbs” and “bad carbs.” Processed/refined carbs are a different animal than natural carbs which release sugar over time rather than spiking your glucose levels.
Going back to working out — A study from the National Institute of Health (NIH) shows that glycogen in the muscle is limited and when you use up the stored glycogen, your performance decreases. Your glycogen stores are your muscles’ main source of energy for short and high-intensity exercise.
Again, I don’t want to get all “scientifical”, so here are some good carbs to eat before you work out since we know that the glycogen from carbs fuels our workouts, and when we use up the glycogen, our performance diminishes.
- Bananas
- Oats
- Whole grain bread
- Dried fruit
- Sweet potato
- Beans
- Quinoa
The quality of the carb is crucial. Studies show that refined/processed carbs can produce a spike in blood sugar which over time is linked to disease, obesity, food cravings, and can leave you feeling hungry again shortly after eating.
Some common “bad carb” culprits are sugar-sweetened drinks (yes, that includes most juices), polished rice, highly processed snacks, cookies, pastries, ice cream, potato chips, fries, and items made with white flour… SHOOT. There’s some good stuff on that list. My rule of thumb is everything in moderation.
The quality and amount of carbs we should eat is a complex subject with even some “experts” disagreeing on what’s appropriate. If you want to dive deeper into this, check out this article from Medical News Today.
Moving along….
The ever-so-loved PROTEIN
Protein bar, protein powder, protein shake, protein meal — protein everywhere!
Statistica.com reported in November of 2022 that the whey protein market ALONE is set to grow to $18.12 billion by 2029. HOLY SMOKES.
So what’s the deal with protein anyway?
Well, studies show that consuming pre or post-workout protein can:
- Increase muscle mass
- Aid in muscle recovery
- Enhance muscle performance
- Increase muscle protein synthesis (MPS)
This article from VeryWellFit.com says that;
“MPS can be enhanced by increasing your protein intake immediately following exercise. The amino acids from protein will then be shuttled to your muscles, replacing any lost to exercise. Learning how to stimulate MPS through exercise and diet can help accelerate muscle growth, improve recovery and athletic performance, and increase overall endurance.2“
https://www.verywellfit.com/muscle-protein-synthesis-and-muscle-growth-4148337
Hence the reason so many people get their protein in IMMEDIATELY following their workout.
Whether you choose to add a bit of protein to your carbs before your workout is up to you, but if I were to give a recommendation (without a certification in nutrition) I would say at least get your protein in after your workout.
Your options for protein after your workout are seriously endless. If you don’t want to invest in a powder or other protein supplement, you can get enough protein through the foods you consume focusing on dairy, eggs, lean meats, nuts, and legumes.
And last but not least…..
Fat — It’s not always bad.
I said I wasn’t going to get scientifical. And I’m not.
Fat is the most energy-dense of the three macronutrients providing nearly double the amount of energy (9 kcal per gram) than protein and carbohydrates which are 4 kcal per gram.
Carbs help maximize glycogen stores for high-intensity exercise, while fat helps fuel your body for longer, less intense workouts.
But just like carbs, not all fats are created equal.
Saturated fats (think fatty meats, butter, cheese) and trans fats (think fried foods) can increase the body’s bad cholesterol, while unsaturated fats (think avocado, nuts, fish, olive oil) can help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
Because of the complex process of using fat to fuel exercise, it’s generally best to avoid fatty foods before working out. Your workout will be done before the fat is available as usable energy and fat consumption before working out can make you feel yucky in the stomach.
With that being said, fat is an essential nutrient for optimal health, and we need it to function at our best. Just save it for a different time other than before your workout.
When to eat before working out
Timing is important in eating before you work out. I’m always scrambling to eat something before I work out and don’t have it all planned hours in advance. If that sounds like you, keep in mind that the closer you eat to your workout time, the simpler your food should be.
My final advice on eating before working out and I’ll note again that this is what I personally do, and have no certification in nutrition other than what I learned for my PT exam:
If you have 1-2 hours before your workout, try a mix of mainly carbs and a small amount of protein. If you’re going to skip one, skip the protein and make sure you get it in after.
Final thoughts on what to eat before working out
I’m a big believer that there is never any one “right” answer when it comes to fitness and nutrition because everybody’s BODY is physiologically and anatomically different.
What works great for one person might not work for someone else. But in general, I think including carbs in your pre-workout meal and following your workout with protein makes the most sense for most people.
Try to keep it light and simple if you’ll be working out within an hour of your meal. I try to stick with a banana, a slice of whole wheat toast, or an apple.
If you’re a granola bar lover, make sure you’re choosing one with minimal ingredients and watch the sugar. Some of them are as bad as a candy bar! I’ll leave you with some of the best and worst granola bars according to “Eat This, Not That!”