For a better workout session, you need to have an adequate amount of energy present in your body. If you want to train hard and get the best results from your workout then you need to make sure you have a good amount of energy to do the workout.
The food you eat before your workout greatly dictates the amount of energy you will have to perform the workout.
To increase your energy level there are two main things that you can do.
First is to choose the right food that can be easily digestible and gives you an energy boost before the workout. And the second factor to gaining energy before a workout is to eating the right food at the right time so that you get the required energy just before the workout.
In this post, I will talk about what to eat before workout for energy and what are the best foods that you can eat before a workout to get the most energy.
Let’s start.
When should I eat for energy before a workout?
To get an adequate amount of energy before a workout you must consume the right pre-workout meals. However, the time at which you consume those pre-workout meals also plays a crucial role when it comes to getting the most energy out of your pre-workout meals for the workout.
Not all food takes the same amount of time to digest and to get energy from them. Simple foods like fruit smoothies and whole fruits take less time to give you energy, whereas more complex food takes more time to break down and provide your body with the required energy.
Thus depending on the type of pre-workout meal, you need to adjust your eating time to get the best results.
Consuming a pre-workout meal a few hours before a workout which is easy to digest will give you energy way earlier than when you actually began to workout. This can lead to wasting those energies while doing other things and in reality, you may end up working out with less energy.
On the other hand, if you eat a pre-workout meal which takes time to digest just before the workout then you won’t get the energy during the workout.
So, it’s very important to look at the time you are eating your pre-workout meal and adjust your timing of eating depending on what type of food you are having. This will make sure you get the energy boost just before the workout when you need them to have an intense workout session.
What should I eat before a workout for energy?
To give you a general idea, here are some foods and when you should have them to get the most energy just before you begin to exercise.
| Food | Timing |
|---|---|
| One or two bananas | 30-40 minutes before the workout. |
| Apple | 30 minutes before the workout. |
| Greek yoghurt | 30 minutes before the workout. |
| Nutrition bar with protein | 30 minutes before the workout. |
| A glass of milk and a handful of dried fruits | 30-40 minutes before the workout. |
| Fruit smoothies with protein powder and milk | 2 hours before the workout. |
| Oatmeal with banana slices | 2 hours before the workout. |
| Egg omelette with whole-grain bread | 2 hours before the workout. |
| A small portion of roasted chicken with some rice and potatoes | 2.5 hours before the workout. |
What to eat 30 minutes before workout
Most people want to have a good amount of energy before they workout – they want to have their pre-workout meal 30 minutes before the workout. Here is some food that you can eat 30 minutes before your workout to get energy.
1. Fruit smoothies with protein powder
If you want to have an energetic body within 30 minutes then there’s nothing better than to have one or two glasses of fruit smoothies. Another advantage of having fruit smoothies is you can use fresh seasonal fruits as the ingredients for your smoothies.
Also, it takes little time to prepare fruit smoothies and tests great as well.
For the main ingredient in your fruit smoothies, you can take your favourite fruits or keep it simple and use bananas.
The advantage of using bananas in your fruit smoothies is it can help you get some quick energy if you drink a smoothie made up of bananas and other fruits.
But if you want to use milk in your smoothies then you should drink your smoothie 1-2 hours before the workout.
2. Whole fruits and nuts
If you have just 5 minutes to eat your pre-workout meal and you can’t decide what to eat then simply pick any whole fruit. It can be something seasonal or eat an apple, banana or orange with a handful of nuts.
Eating whole fruits is healthy and can provide you with an adequate amount of energy within 30 minutes.
3. Yoghurt with dried fruits
Not all people are good at cooking. That’s why pre-workout meals that are ready to eat and takes less time to serve are the one that makes up for a great pre-workout meal.
If you want to have a pre-workout meal 30 minutes before the workout then you can eat one or two cups of yoghurt with dried fruits and dates.
These are some simple ingredients that you can use to make an energetic pre-workout meal.
The best pre-workout meal is the one that you can prepare daily and takes less time to prepare. Also, you need to like the test of it.
Best pre-workout meal
The best pre-workout meals must provide you with ample amount of energy that you need to complete your workout. And it should also have the key nutrients that will help your body to recover from the workout.
In the beginning, you have already read a detailed list of some of the best pre-workout meals. But in any case, if you have missed it I will repeat it once again.
- Sandwich prepared with whole grain bread.
- Egg omelette with two to three slices of bread.
- Whole fruits.
- Fruit smoothies with milk and protein powder.
- Dry fruits and dates.
- Yoghurt.
- Bananas.
- A small portion of roasted chicken with one or two spoons of rice and sweet potatoes.
- Brown rice and roasted vegetables.
- Whole-grain cereal and milk.
- Milk and a bowl of oatmeal with fruit toppings.
- Bread with peanut butter or jam.
- Nutrition bars with protein.
Conclusion
If you can’t decide what to eat before workout for energy then there are many pre-workout meals that you can eat. If you are in a hurry then eat some whole fruits 30 minutes before your workout to get an energy boost.
Among fruits, bananas make a great pre-workout meal.
When you need some quick energy – go for fruit smoothies or whole fruits.
But for extended workout sessions, you need to have some foods that can provide your body with carbs and protein. For a long workout session, you need to eat some pre-workout meals like an egg omelette with bread, roasted vegetables with some rice or a small portion of roasted chicken with rice and sweet potatoes.
To get the best results, it’s important that you not only focus on eating the right food but also on the time you are eating it. For simple easy-to-digest foods, you can eat them 30-40 minutes before a workout and for complex meals that have egg or milk in them you should eat them one or two hours before your workout.
If you follow the tips mentioned in this article, then you will find you are much more energetic during the workout than before.
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