What You Should Eat Before Exercising

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

The new year arrived and with it the dozens of goals and resolutions that we set ourselves. Of course, among the most popular are the goal of losing weight, eating healthier and returning to an exercise routine. Of course, from saying to fact, a long way. But meanwhile in the first weeks of the year it seems to be going very well. That's why for all those who have already started exercising whether in the gym, at home or outdoors, and not many know how to prepare before doing them. The most important? Of course the desire and also the food.

We spoke to Cristie Besu, a successful businesswoman, nutritionist, and creator of the Eat Me Guilt Free brand, who shared some of the best food advice you should have before some of the most popular exercise routines. Read below her incredible tips.

1- Cardio of resistance: the ideal is to eat a combination of carbohydrates and low glycemic index fats more than an hour before training. Including them the night before can also be beneficial. This helps you not get tired so quickly. An example of this would be, eating 2 slices of toasted Ezekiel bread topped with a generous amount of almond butter or guacamole.

2- HIIT workouts: these workouts are short and intense. They require fast and powerful movements. Including a mixture of high and low glycemic index carbohydrates approximately one hour before or more before. An example of this would be, eat a Greek yogurt covered with raw oatmeal, berries and a little honey.

3- Strength / weights: a complete meal 2-3 hours before it consists of protein, carbohydrates and fats would be the ideal fuel for this workout. Keep in mind that the closer you are to your workout, the smaller the portion should be. For example, a meal 2-3 hours earlier would be 4 oz. Of lean animal protein, a medium potato, a generous amount of vegetables, and half an avocado. If it's to be eaten an hour before training, it could be a protein shake and a banana.

4- All these types of workouts require adequate hydration. With that said, make sure your water intake is adequate. Being well hydrated takes time and generally cannot be accomplished in a few hours. Therefore, hydrating well days before training is just as important.

5- A very common fatal mistake that people tend to do before exercising is eating just before it. This doesn't give you a chance to digest food, and your body is too busy concentrating on that process instead of giving you the energy you need.

6- If you are not an early riser, try this: morning workouts can be fueled by glycogen and fat reserves from the night before meal. Eat an energy-packed meal at dinner so you can get out of bed and still be fed and ready for a workout.