Pre-gym nutrition is one of the best ways to keep your energy up during any type of workout. It enhances your performance, reduces the chances of muscle injury, and accelerates the healing of muscle problems.
If you feel a sharp pain in your stomach when you pass out, become breathless quickly, or experience muscle soreness the next morning – consider what you are eating (or eating at all!) before a workout. It is necessary to pay attention.
Today we are going to tell you what food will be necessary and beneficial for you before workout.
essential nutrients to eat before gym
The main macros that your body uses are carbs, fats, and proteins. Apart from unhealthy carbs and fats, all are good for you.
Fat: Not all types of fat are unhealthy. You need healthy fats to speed up your body's functions and maintain cell integrity and skin texture.
Fat is the main source of fuel when you exercise for a long time in the gym. Endurance athletes burn more fat, and moreover, when you push yourself to do another set of lunges/push-ups, you're actually trying to recruit carbs (or glucose) as a source of fuel. Instead start burning fat.
Carbs: Carbs are used when you do high intensity and short time workouts. The first sources of fuel in your body are carbs in the form of glucose.
Glucose is transported through the blood to the muscles and liver and stored as glycogen. Glycogen is broken down into glucose whenever the body needs fuel. When you don't consume good carbs, your muscles or liver won't have enough glycogen to convert to glucose.
And hence, you will start feeling weak and get tired quickly. Therefore, consuming carbs as pre-workout nutrition is essential.
Protein: Proteins help the muscles to recover and prevent muscle injury. Therefore, when you consume protein as part of your pre-workout nutrition, you will recover faster and become toned.
Protein synthesis is upregulated by the consumption of carbs and fats. Depleted levels of either of these can often hinder protein synthesis.
In addition, when you consume protein before exercise, muscle strength increases.
How much nutrition is needed before gym?
Whether it's endurance exercise or high-intensity exercise, you need to maintain the number of carbs, protein and fat you consume for optimal functioning of your bones, muscles and brain.
You need carbs for this, and fat to boost muscle strength and protein to repair them.
But you should maintain only a percentage or a balanced amount of each macronutrient. Scientists have found that depending on the type of exercise (endurance or high intensity), 30% carbs, 30% fat, 20% protein, and 20% distributed across the remaining three macros can help improve exercise performance.
What to eat before gym?
Eat a diet containing all macro (carbs, fat and protein) 2-3 hours before workout.
You can consume carb rich and protein rich food within 2 hours before workout.
Any fruit or yogurt 45-60 minutes before workout.
The less time left in your workout, the less simple food you should take.
You can have any carb and protein rich drink available in the market 30 minutes before workout.
Let us now tell you about some diets.
If you have 1 hour or less left in the gym
1 banana/orange/apple
1 cup Greek yogurt and peaches
Black coffee and multigrain biscuits
If you have 2 hours left in gym
Oatmeal by adding banana or apple pieces and papaya in a medium sized bowl
A slice of bread with 1 tbsp sunflower/almond butter
Protein Powder with Milk and Berry
If you have 2-3 hours left in the gym
Grilled Rice with Lean Protein, Cauliflower Rice and Roasted Nuts
Mushroom soup with vegetables
A whole wheat flatbread, chickpea curry, and chopped/steamed vegetables
List of food to eat before gym
1. Eating eggs before the gym
Egg white omelet is high in protein and low in cholesterol and calories.
Add some onions, tomatoes and capsicum before your workout for a protein and good carb rich meal. You can eat it within two-three hours or within a couple of hours.
2. Before Gym Banana
Bananas are a great way to refuel your energy stores if you miss a couple of hours or so of pre-workout nutrition.
They're full of good carbs and potassium, low in calories and provide a quick energy boost. However, avoid eating bananas before working out.
3. Before Gym Protein Shake
If you do not have time to eat a high protein diet, you can go for a protein shake. Add milk, banana, berries, avocado and nuts to make a substitute 2-3 hours before workout. But if there is 1 hour left, then add only milk and a handful of nuts.
4. Before the Gym Greek Yogurt and Fruits
A quick working pre-workout meal is Greek yogurt and fruit. It can be taken one hour before you start your workout.
All you have to do is add some dried fruits along with some berries/peach/plum/oranges/apple/banana and yogurt. Mix well and consume it.
5. Oatmeal and Berry
It is a meal replacement. If you don't have chicken or vegetables in your kitchen and other lean protein sources aren't available, just grab a bowl of oatmeal and berries. You can take it within two to three hours.
6. Smoothie
Smoothies are a great way to get ready for a high intensity or high endurance exercise. It is also a meal replacement option, and you can take it within two to three hours of exercising.
Or if you only have an hour, don't go for heavy smoothies. You can make a quick smoothie by mixing bananas, milk, berries, dark cocoa or spinach, avocado, and coconut water.
7. Flour Bread, Avocado and Ricotta Cheese
Take it 2-3 hours before starting your workout. Flour bread is a good source of carbs, avocado contains healthy fats and ricotta cheese is a source of protein.
You can also make whole wheat bread, almond butter, banana slices, and some melon seeds.
8. Brown Rice / Boiled Sweet Potato and Lean Protein
Consume it 2-3 hours before your workout. Brown rice is a low GI grain and is full of dietary fiber.
Always consume boiled sweet potatoes as compared to baked or grilled sweet potatoes as it has a lower GI and is a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Lean proteins like tofu, mushrooms, fish, and chicken breast help your muscles recover more quickly and prevent muscle injury.
9. Homemade Low Sugar Protein Bars
Do not use low-calorie protein bars available in the market as they are high in sugar. But if you have a habit of taking protein bar before workout, then make it at home.
You can make a low-sugar protein bar by combining muesli, oats, nutmeg, seeds, honey, almond butter, milk, and coconut flour. Mix them, shape them, and bake or freeze them.
10. Steamed / Grilled Vegetables or Chicken
If you are trying to lose weight then this is the right diet for you.
Boiled or grilled skinless chicken breast is a good source of lean protein, and the vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
You only need to add a good source of fat such as avocado, nuts, or olive oil. Consume it 2-3 hours before starting the workout.
Supplement before gym
1. Caffeine
Coffee, tea, energy drinks and pre-workout supplements are the main sources of caffeine. Its effect will be visible after 15-60 minutes of taking it.
2. creatinine
Creatinine helps improve muscle strength, strength and endurance. And it works by generating more energy molecules (ATP) in your body.
You can take 2-5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily. However, consult your trainer/ dietitian before taking it as high doses can be fatal.
3. Amino Acids
It addresses three amino acids including leucine, isoleucine and valine. Taking it before a workout prevents muscle damage.
4. Beta Alanine
This supplement helps with both high intensity and endurance exercise. This helps reduce muscle weakness and pain and allows for an improvement in performance.
5. GymWater
Apart from this, it is necessary to keep your body hydrated during workout.
You should drink 1-2 liters of water 3-4 hours before a workout or 8 ounces of water 15 minutes before.
Dehydration can have a bad effect on your routine, so try to drink enough water.