Best Time to Eat Before a Workout to Fuel Your Body
It’s no secret that a lot of your fitness goals are achieved not thru hard training, but proper diet.
Eating right is crucial to effectively train your body and getting in the shape you desire. This means having a good diet is a must!
Not only that, it’s also important to keep in mind what you eat before working out. More so, how long before the workout you should be having your last meal.
Contents
Why is eating before workout important?
Simply because you need your body to have energy that allows for a proper workout without you feeling tired too early. Especially when doing intense workouts. This leads to having a bad feeling during the workout and the results just won’t be there because you are harming your body.
On the other hand. You don’t want to get into the workout with your belly full. It will simply ruin the workout as you will feel a heavy feeling in your stomach and you might even get sick.
That is why you need to make sure that your body takes in an optimal amount of nutrient in order to keep your performance at its best and also minimize the chance of damaging your body.
You asked: how long should I wait to work out after eating?
The time you have to take between eating and going into a workout depends on the kind of food you eat.
Time it right for larger meals
The optimal time, to eat a complete meal that contains some fat, protein and carbs, is 2 to 3 hours before the workout. This will maximize your results due to the fact that your body will have the necessary energy to exercise at its best.
This, however, means you have to plan it beforehand. If a meal 2 to 3 hours before working out is not possible, you can eat sooner before the exercise. What you need to keep in mind here is that the meal should be easier to digest therefore a lot simpler.
Choose a foot that mainly contains some protein and mainly carbs if you eat 40 to 60 minutes before going into exercise.
If you eat and there is even less time left until the workout, you should take a really small meal and only concentrate on what provides your body with energy. Anything that takes a longer time to digest will most likely leave you with discomfort in your stomach during the workout.
Best foods to eat before workout
So what are the best foods that you can eat before a workout to avoid feeling discomfort in your stomach when working out? There are of course many options which include different modern mixes that you can take in, in the form of shakes, smoothies etc,
But when it comes to keeping it all natural its best to choose options that are proved to be most effective.
Fruit and yogurt
Keep in mind, we are talking about Greek yogurt here, which is full of quality protein. And of course, it goes together perfectly with some fresh fruits.
And fruits are something you shouldn’t try to avoid as many might try to tell you to do. Fruit that is packed with carbs is a great pre-workout meal. These carbs break down fast enough to become the fuel you need for a good workout. The protein from Greek yogurt will be used after the workout to prevent any muscle damage.
Oats
This must be one of those foods you have seen at least one of your fitness addicted friends use on regular basis.
The reason for that?
Oats are packed with fiber which provides for a constant release of carbohydrates. Once they enter your bloodstream it becomes a steady stream of energy that keeps you going at maximum output thru-out the whole workout.
An arguably perfect source of energy fuel for those who take on HIIT workouts, as you have no time to stop and rest your body to get back some of that power you need.
Bananas
Have you ever seen anyone eat a banana right before a workout, a game or even before a fight? Almost all professional and non-professional sportsman use bananas as a natural source of power.
Not only are bananas packed with carbohydrates that are your bodies fuel, but also loaded with potassium.
Potassium? What does that do?
It helps with maintaining functionality of your muscle and nerve system. So, yes, highly important!
And because the human body does not store potassium for too long, a banana is recommended short time before going into the workout.
Eat right and time it right.
This all means that you have to take your time to plan out your workout schedule and adjust your eating to it. This will allow you to eat right at the right times, in order to give your body what it needs before each workout.
If there are some foods that your body does not handle very well, there are more options to choose from.
The one thing you have to keep in mind is eating right, at the right times.