What is the best to eat before exercise?

It's no secret that nutrition has a huge impact on exercise performance. Therefore, many novice athletes often ask themselves when and what is better to eat before training. You can choose the right diet only individually, taking into account the constitutional characteristics of a person and why he goes to the gym. After all, the diet of those who want to lose those extra pounds should be noticeably different from the menu of those who are trying to gain weight. However, there are general guidelines to be followed by both.

Quality composition

When choosing foods for a pre-workout meal, you need to carefully make sure that they are practically free of fat. This is due to the fact that it reduces the rate of digestion of the obtained substances. Consequently, it is more likely that the athlete's stomach will not have time to empty before the start of training. And physically loading the body in such a situation is not recommended, so as not to provoke nausea, colic and belching.

Protein and carbohydrates will help increase the efficiency of your workout. The former will become a source of amino acids necessary for full muscle function. And the latter will play the role of "fuel tanks" filled with glycogen, which provides energy to the athlete's brain and muscles. In this case, it is required to observe such a ratio in a portion: 1/3 of proteins and 2/3 of slow carbohydrates.

Sample menu

What foods should you eat before going to workout? Sources of protein are:

  • lean meats and poultry (veal, chicken, turkey, beef);
  • fish (trout and salmon);
  • dairy products (cheese, cottage cheese, milk);
  • egg whites.

It is better to boil or steam fish and meat, as the fat content in fried foods will exceed the maximum allowed.

As a carbohydrate component of the diet, you can choose:

  • bread made from wholemeal flour (wheat, rye);
  • rice;
  • legumes (beans, peas);
  • oat and corn flakes;
  • vegetables (potatoes, beets);
  • sweet curd snacks;
  • fruits (apples, pears, berries, grapes);
  • freshly squeezed juices.

Of course, you can choose your own foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and proteins.

In addition to juices, it is recommended to consume regular drinking water or green tea before training. This will help make up for the upcoming moisture loss. This means that it will prevent dehydration, which can cause not only a decrease in the effectiveness of the exercises performed, but also a deterioration in overall well-being.

When and how much to eat?

You shouldn't artificially increase the calorie content of your pre-workout portion. It is best to leave it at the usual level. If there is a need to build muscle mass, you can add protein shakes and other sports supplements to the diet. It is only recommended to do this by consulting a doctor or a competent trainer.

But those who want to lose weight should even create a controlled feeling of hunger by cutting the portion by about 30-50%. But giving up food is not at all recommended. This will lead to a deterioration in health - dizziness, nausea, weakness. In addition, such a load, on the contrary, will become a signal for the body to store, and therefore, increase the body fat at every opportunity.

The amount of food should not be too large, so as not to overload the stomach. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the amount of food: "lush" dishes, for example, salads, are best eaten 2.5-3 hours before the start of classes. More dense foods - cereals, curds - can be consumed 1 hour before training. About half an hour before exercise, it is recommended to have a snack with some large fruit with a low glycemic index: an apple, a pear, etc. At the same time, you can drink tea, cocktail or milk.

If your workout is scheduled for early morning, it is advisable to enrich your evening meal with a lot of slow carbohydrates. This will help to stock up on energy fuel in advance. Then in the morning it will be enough to "wake up" the body with a glass of milk or green tea and an apple.

Fruit can be replaced with cereal or muesli, but then you will need to withstand at least half an hour between breakfast and classes. Instead of tea, it is permissible to drink strong coffee without sugar and cream. However, in this case, you should significantly increase your water intake during exercise, since caffeine not only increases the secretion of epinephrine, but is also a diuretic that can cause dehydration.

During and after exercise

During exercise, you can only drink water. In this case, you should not wait for the onset of a feeling of thirst, signaling a lack of moisture in the body. It is wiser to regularly take a few sips between exercises, replenishing the reserves that melt due to perspiration.

After training, you should eat for 1 hour. In this case, preference should be given to foods with a high protein content. After all, it is he who at such a moment becomes the main building material for the muscles, "repairing" and increasing them.

Despite such advice, what and when to eat before training, you need to decide on your own, focusing on the characteristics of your own body. Some, for example, find it more convenient to work out on an empty stomach because hunger triggers an adrenaline rush, allowing for better results. Others, on the contrary, are not able to perform even the most elementary exercises without receiving additional energy from food. Therefore, only an individual approach will become the key to increasing the effectiveness of physical activity.

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