How important is a pre-workout meal?
Generally, it is highly recommended to take a pre-workout meal if you are planning to undertake high intensity training / exercises so as to ensure that your body’s energy levels are well maintained and you don’t feel exhausted or drained out. However, a lot also depends on one’s fitness goals, dietary preferences and exercise regime. For example, it may be fine skipping a pre-workout meal if you are doing cardio only, provided you are well hydrated, whereas a pre-workout meal is ideally essential for strength training and high-intensity interval trainings (HIIT) wherein the body requires a good supply of energy.
What are the risks involved in exercising without a proper pre-workout meal?
Some key risks involved in skipping a pre-workout meal include:
- Lack of energy: Simple and complex carbohydrates form the source of energy levels in our body. While simple carbohydrates provide short bursts of energy, complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest, provide long-lasting source of energy to our bodies. Without a proper pre-workout meal, your body may not be able to replenish (simple as well as complex) carbohydrates during high intensity workouts, which could result in fatigue and weakness.
- Muscle breakdown: Skipping pre-workout foods, and as result lack of replenishment of carbohydrates in the body, may result in your body breaking down muscle protein for using as an alternate source of energy. This may result in slowing muscle growth and reducing muscle mass.
- Reduced workout performance: Skipping pre-workout foods may lead to lack of strength and endurance during exercise which can adversely impact your workout performance.
- Low Blood Sugar: Exercising, especially, high intensity workouts, without having a pre-workout meal may lead to low blood sugar and nausea or even fainting during the exercise.
- Slower post-workout recovery: Non-replenishment of carbohydrates in the body on account of exercising without having a proper pre-workout meal may impact the post-workout recovery process in the body leading to longer duration of fatigue and weakness.
- Cognitive functioning: Skipping pre-workout meals may also impact the cognitive functions of the body, making it harder to focus on your exercise regime leading to lower performance during workouts as well as increasing the risk of exercise.
Which are some best Pre-Workout food?
The best pre-workout foods offer a combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats so as to ensure supply of long-lasting energy in our bodies, promote muscle function and performance during workout. Some examples of best pre-workout meals include:
- Banana with Almond butter
While bananas are a good source of carbohydrates and help in replenishing energy levels in the body, almond butter provide healthy fats and proteins. - Protein shakes, spinach and berries
Protein shakes and smoothies are easy to digest and provide instant carbohydrates while spinach is a good source of vitamins and minerals. - Avocado with whole grain toast
While avocados are a good source of fats and fibre, whole grain toasts provide complex carbohydrates. - Chicken and Brown Rice
Chicken is a good source of lean protein for muscle preservation and brown rice offers complex carbohydrates for lasting energy. - Oats with fruits
Oats are a good source of complex carbohydrates which provide sustained energy while fruits are a good source fast-digesting sugars. - Eggs with whole grain bread
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats while whole-grain bread offer carbohydrates. - Cottage Cheese and Pineapple
Cottage cheese is a good source of protein while Pineapple offer quick-digesting carbohydrates. - Apple slices with Peanut butter
Apple with peanut butter is a very good pre-workout food, as apples are a good source of carbohydrates and peanut butter provide healthy fats and proteins. - Energy bars
Energy bars are also a good source of pre-workout meals. It is advisable to choose energy bars which offer a combination of carbohydrates and protein. - Rice Cakes with Hummus
Rice cakes are a good low-calorie source of carbohydrates while hummus provides plant-based proteins and healthy fats. - Nuts, Seeds and dried fruits
A combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruits is a good source of healthy fats, proteins and quick-digesting carbohydrates.
What should you avoid eating before workouts?
While your pre-workout meal menu may depend on your individual tastes and preferences, it is generally advisable to avoid the following food items before exercising:
- Carbonated and high-Caffeine drinks: Carbonated drinks may lead to bloating and increase in sugar levels while high-caffeine drinks may result in dehydration.
- High-fat foods: High-fat foods are slow to digest and makes you feel non-active during exercise.
- High-fibre food: While high-fibre foods are generally good for health, they are slow to digest and may make you feel lethargic and non-active during workouts.
Where to buy pre-workout supplements from?
Pre-workout supplements, which offer a combination of carbohydrates, healthy fats and proteins, can be bought from a variety of online sources as well as from physical stores. Some common places to purchase pre-workout foods include online retailers (such as Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, etc.), Supermarkets, health stores, etc., as well as directly from supplement brands.
It is however important to ensure that you purchase good quality pre-workout supplements only from well-known and reputable brands. For example, MuscleTech, a global leader in sports nutrition, fitness and health supplements and offers excellent pre-workout supplements, which can be bought from retail stores or online from the company website or via. e-commerce channels.
FAQs
What should be the ideal time-gap between a pre-workout meal and exercise?
Your pre-workout meal menu depends on how much time-gap you have between your meal and exercise or workout:
- You have 3-4 hours before your workout: Your pre-workout meal can be a combination or balance of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats.
- You have 1-2 hours before your workout: Your pre-workout meal may include higher carbohydrates and some protein (e.g. peanut butter and banana, hummus, etc.)
- About to start your workout: The closer you are to your exercise time, it is advisable to consume ‘easy to digest’ food which is rich in carbohydrates, such as bananas, oatmeal, etc.
What should be the ideal dosage of Pre-workout foods?
The ideal or recommended dosage of pre-workout meals depends on a number of factors, including the type of exercise regime, intensity of workout, nutritional needs, dietary preferences as well as the timing of the meal. Generally, the ideal dosage of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in pre-workout meals includes: 1-4 grams of carbohydrates per kg of body weight, 0.15-0.25 grams of protein per kg of body weight and less than 10-15 grams of fat.
Are there any precautions that I should take while consuming Pre-workout meals?
It is advisable to follow certain guidelines when consuming pre-workout meals so as to avoid digestive problems, lower energy levels and sub-optimal exercise performance. Ideally larger or heavy pre-workout meals should be consumed atleast 2-3 hours before exercising while smaller meals can be consumed half an hour before the workout. It is also advisable to avoid high-fibre foods, unhealthy fats and sugary foods before exercising. Further, one should ensure that the body remains well hydrated during exercise.
It is also important to be aware of any health conditions or dietary restrictions that you may have and, in such cases, it is recommended to consult a health professional before deciding on your pre-workout meals.
