The meal before exercise is one of the most important factors for the success of your share and your athletic performance, as there is a close link between what you eat, when you eat and when you exercise, in addition to the health benefits that accrue to your body by eating specific foods before exercise. That is why in this article we discuss the importance of a pre-workout meal and what is the best pre-workout meal?
The importance of a pre-workout meal
- Maintains fiber and muscle mass in the body.
- It helps speed muscle recovery after exercise.
- Moisturizing the muscles and keeping the body from drying out.
- Contribute to obtaining energy, and then performing and making a greater effort to do successful exercise
- Reduces the feeling of muscle fatigue and lethargy during exercise.
- Reduces the incidence of low blood circulation, because the body maintains its sugar levels by digesting food during exercise.
Ingredients for eating before exercise
1) Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy, thus ensuring that you get the energy needed to perform your exercises. It is preferable to choose sources that contain complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, broccoli, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils and oats.
2) Protein:
Protein includes amino acids that build and restore muscle , speed up muscle mass recovery, and destroy intense muscle attacks.
There are foods rich in protein useful to eat before exercising, including fish, especially salmon, tuna, nuts, beans, eggs, soy and lentils.
3) fat:
Fats help improve athletic performance along with carbohydrates and protein, but doctors recommend including healthy fats only, and fats contribute to the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, which are vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin K.
Examples of foods that you should include in your pre-workout meal include: avocado, olive oil, nuts, and full-fat dairy.
What is the best pre-workout meal?
You should determine the appropriate time to eat before exercise and determine your portion of it at the beginning. It is preferable to eat 30 to 60 minutes before exercise, and the meal should be carbohydrates equivalent to one banana with a small amount of protein.
1) Banana:
Bananas contain potassium needed to provide the body with energy during exercise, and it is an important carbohydrate, so it contributes to maintaining muscles and nerves, and it also contains glucose, and you can add a spoonful of peanut butter to a banana before exercise.
2) Oats:
Oats are whole grains, belonging to complex carbohydrates, and therefore help reduce cholesterol in the blood, reduce the risk of heart attacks, regulate digestion, and are an important source of energy that improves athletic performance.
You can eat oats by mixing it with a glass of milk and eating it at least an hour before exercise.
3) Scrambled eggs:
Eggs contain amino acids and are a powerful source of protein, which is why you can eat scrambled eggs with avocado alongside vegetables, as it promotes muscle building and recovery, while avocado gives you this healthy fat repair, and nutrient-rich vegetables.
4) Natural juices:
You should prepare natural juices home to make sure that they are completely free of sugar or additives, and juices before exercise are important because they provide the body with energy and hydration.
One of the best pre-workout drinks is coffee without sugar, along with orange juice, carrot juice, and guava juice, and you can just drink enough water.
5) Protein shake:
A protein shake works to provide the body with energy during athletic performance, and this came according to a group of international research and studies, as consuming a protein drink (in water or low-fat milk) immediately before exercising can increase muscle protein synthesis and is the best morning meal before exercise .
6) Nuts:
Nuts contain a range of nutritional benefits before exercise, but you should pay attention to the amount of nuts you eat, and you can eat nuts such as almonds with a maximum of only 100 calories, and you can add a fruit such as apples.
7) Yogurt and fresh fruits:
You can eat this meal half an hour before your workout, and this can be a good source of carbohydrates and some fluids and nutrients as well, making it the best pre-workout morning meal.
It is preferable to have yogurt and fruit without sugar in order to get the most benefit from it.
8) Brown rice with chicken:
Brown rice with chicken is a good option before going to the gym. Brown rice is absorbed slowly and is a good source of fiber and carbohydrates, while chicken is an ideal form of lean meat and protein, so it is a complete meal of nutrients.
And you have to eat 30 grams of brown rice with two pieces of skinless chicken, so the meal contains 200 to 300 calories.
9) Dried fruits:
Dried fruits belong to simple carbohydrates that provide the body with energy throughout the day, and are suitable for eating before exercising, such as dried apricots, berries, figs and pineapple.
10) Hummus:
Chickpeas are rich in vegetable protein and nutrients such as iron and folic acid, and they are high in fiber. You can eat ¼ cup of chickpeas.
It gets you 10 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbohydrates, and about 9 grams of fiber.
You can also use the previous meals in the process of losing weight with exercises by following the food rations for each meal and calculating the calories that they contain.
Tips for taking advantage of exercise
1) Eat a healthy breakfast:
If you exercise in the morning, be sure to get enough nutrition to exercise an hour before its performance, in addition to focusing on carbohydrates more because they provide the body with energy for the longest time, and you can have a cup of coffee without sugar.
You can switch between breakfast options, choosing between breakfast cereals, whole-grain bread, low-fat milk, juice, a banana, and yogurt.
2) Watch your portion size:
You should not exaggerate the size of the meal before exercise. If the meal is large and full of nutrients that the body needs a longer time to absorb and break down; It should be taken at least 3-4 hours before exercise.
But if the meal is simple, it can be eaten an hour or more before exercise, and you have to take into account that eating fatty or spicy foods during exercise increases the feeling of lethargy and does not provide you with energy.
3) Drink plenty of fluids:
Your body requires drinking a lot of fluids, especially drinking plenty of water before and after and during exercise, in order to prevent dehydration or depression, so it is preferable to drink 2-3 cups of water 2-3 hours before exercise, and 1-2-1 cup of Water within 15-20 minutes during exercise, and 2-3 cups of water after exercise.