Undoubtedly, your body needs fuel before a workout. If you exercise on an empty stomach, you'll suffer from a number of consequences, including not lacking the energy to meet your goals and missing out on getting a new personal record. You might even find yourself running to the refrigerator for a post-workout snack to curb those hunger pangs since your body will want to replenish the calories that it just burned off.
On the other hand, overeating before a workout can lead to stomach pains, cramps, nausea, vomiting, and an inability to meet your exercise goals, let alone finish your workout. Instead, you need to find the right balance and the best time to eat — 30 minutes before your workout is scheduled to begin.
Why Should You Eat 30 Minutes Before Your Workout?
When it comes to pre-workout meal times, there are a few things that you want to focus on. If you plan on doing some more extreme exercises, such as HIIT cardio or weight lifting, you'll need the right amount of fuel. Eating a couple of hours before your planned session is a good idea.
Try to stay within the two to three hour range before exercising, and choose a meal that consists of all of the important macros to give your body the fuel it needs to propel you through your workout.
Even if you have afull meal several hours before your planned exercise session, you still need to eat a snack around half an hour before your workout. Nutrient timing really is everything. Although some people, such as those who run distances or swim, tend to eschew eating because they burn more calories on an empty stomach, dietitians say this isn't a good idea for everyone. To remain healthy and get through your workout, you'll need some sort of snack beforehand.
The 30-minute limit gives your body a chance to digest what you've eaten to use it as a source of energy. If you eat and then get moving too soon, you'll feel sick. If you exercise, having eaten that full meal several hours prior, you may not have the energy to complete your workout.
Thirty minutes is soon enough to give your body some fuel, yet far enough out to prevent you from vomiting in the middle of your exercise session.
With that said, you shouldn't eat just anything before exercising. You need to be careful when choosing your snack.
The Best Foods To Eat Pre-Workout
While you want to make sure that you eat 30 minutes before your workout begins, you don't want to eat foods that will hamper your progress. The goal is to fuel your workout, not eat more empty calories that you'll need to burn off or boost your sugar levels to get going quickly but flame out on the track just as fast.
Instead, you need to focus on eating foods from three specific macros: protein, carbs, and fat.
The Role of Protein, Carbs, and Fat
You're probably aware of thethree main macros that should be the building blocks of your diet: protein, carbs or carbohydrates, and healthy fats. All three provide you with the energy that you need to get through your exercise session and your entire day.
- Protein – Protein provides your muscles with the fuel that they need. With the right amount of protein in your diet, you'll be able to run faster, build stronger muscles, and even get that new personal record. High-protein snacks can also help you recover more quickly post-workout.
- Carbs – Carbohydrates are perhaps the best-known form of fuel for the body. Your digestive system turns carbs into glucose, which is then used by the muscles to build them up and make them stronger. For those who do a lot of high-intensity exercises over a short period, a few extra grams of carbohydrates provide the amount of energy that your muscles need.
- Fats – If you plan on doing lengthy workouts, such as running several miles, you’ll need to include some healthy fats in your pre-workout meals. Unlike other forms of food-based energy, fats are slow-burning, so they'll provide you with plenty of fuel over a longer period of time. Eating the right fats can boost your performance and your endurance at the same time.
Pre-Workout Snack Suggestions
Now that you know which macros should be included in your pre-workout snacks, it's time to go over a few options. While there are plenty of options with enough protein, carbs, and fats, it's important not to go overboard. You’re looking for a small snack, not an entire meal. Here are a few ideas for the best pre-workout snacks:
Fruit
Fresh fruit contains plenty of carbohydrates, giving your system the glucose needed to help build muscle and power through a high-intensity workout. Plus, a piece of fruit is tasty, and it contains many vitamins and minerals designed to keep you healthy. The water content will also help you maintain your hydration levels.
If you're looking for the right amount of fruit to eat, consider grabbing a banana or an apple. You can even toss some sliced berries into a container and snack on them before your workout.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of those foods that take a while to digest. it moves through your digestive system rather slowly, providing your body with plenty of fuel in the process.
While instant oatmeal isn't always good for you, standard overnight oats will do the trick nicely.
Whole Grain Toast or Crackers
Both toast and crackers are full of carbohydrates — just be sure to choose the whole grain versions. These complex carbs (which differ from simple carbs, like refined white bread) can fuel an entire workout, keeping you from getting hungry.
Like oatmeal, these whole grain bread options are slowly digested, giving you a solid amount of energy for a sustained period of time. If you prefer 40-minute high-intensity workouts, then this is the bestsmall meal to reach for.
Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are easy to make, can be stored for days at a time in the refrigerator, and have the right balance of lean protein and fats to make a great pre-workout snack. A few extra grams of protein can go a long way in boosting your training session.
All you'll need is one egg. You can even combine it with a single piece of toast to give your body what it needs to build endurance and muscle mass.
Protein Shakes or Fruit Smoothies
There's nothing wrong with a good protein shake or a smoothie. You can even add protein powder to the smoothie to give your body an extra boost. Filled with all of the macros and plenty of other nutrients, a smoothie or protein shake can easily help you get your workout started and provide you with the energy required to power through it entirely.
Plus, they taste good! You can include ingredients like Greek yogurt, peanut butter or almond butter, and even veggies like spinach to get the maximum benefits.
What Not To Reach for Before a Workout
Although the right foods can help you out 30 minutes before your workout, there are also some things that you need to avoid. For example, bread and crackers made with white flour can hurt more than they help. Your body will break them down into glucose very quickly, leading to a crash instead of a sustained amount of energy.
You also don't want to eat anything with a lot of added sugar. Yes, cookies, candy bars, and snack cakes are easy to cart around and simple to eat on the go. However, they don’t have the nutrients you'll need to properlyfuel your workout. Even sweetened granola bars might cause you some trouble.
While occasionally, high-fat options like avocado and egg make good pre-workout snacks, especially if you’ll be doing strength training, low-fat options like fruit are even better.
One More Thing to Remember
On top of focusing on eating whole and healthy foods that will provide the right balance of carbs, protein, and fats to fuel your workouts, you also need to remember one additional thing: don't eat too much.
You might be tempted to eat your fill of whole grain crackers, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh or dried fruit, but overeating before a workout can lead to cramps and nausea. Instead, make sure to eat a propersnack-sized serving, such as a piece of toast, one single egg, or even four or five crackers.
Sources:
What Should I Eat 30 Minutes Before a Workout? | MedicineNet
Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before a Workout | Healthline