What to Eat 30 Minutes Before your Workout | PRE-WORKOUT DIET


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What is the Pre-Workout Diet? 


It is the routine food intake that we need to take before we get ready for our exercise or any other potential sports activity. In order to perform your best at your 'on-schedule workout' for an hour or more, your body needs a sufficient amount of energy that will help you train longer with high intensity. 

You might have experienced a feeling of getting exhausted too soon during a workout followed by tardiness the next time you try to cope up again. This is one possible outcome, if you fail to provide an adequate amount of Pre-Workout Nutrition to your body, it may also cause delays in muscle recovery and possible injury which is never a part of your plan. 

There are great advantages to get when you add & follow up on this healthy snacky meal, that includes -

  • Improved physical performance
  • Improved Metabolism 
  • Reduced premature fatigue
  • Minimized muscle breakdown

    


The Right Time to Pre-Workout Diet?


To be honest, it differs from person to person depending upon the daily habits and body tendency to digest the food that we consume at a time. A good metabolic rate is required to breakdown the food in a shorter time period which depends on the frequency of our daily activity. Research studies recommend it to be 2-3 hours of gap when you choose the food that is heavier to digest.

However, as mentioned in the title, it can be more, but should never be less than 30 minutes when you must choose the food that is easier to digest. It usually doesn't have to be a 'half an hour gap schedule' for every day but when you are running a little out of time with your busy lifestyle, that moment when you've still got covered with alternatives to follow.  



What to eat in a Pre-Workout Diet? 


To understand more in-depth about the food we need to choose before our exercise, let us see the possible nutrition supplements that our body requires for a particular time.


Carbohydrates

They are the primary source is the energy that we need to consume. It combines dietary fiber, starch, and sugar providing glucose to fuel our muscles in the form of glycogen. For an hour of intense body training, an adult person needs around 1 gm of carbohydrate per kg of body weight which for example, will be around 75 grams of carbs for a 75 kg person. Examples include:

  • 2 to 3 Bananas
  • 2 to 4 Sweet potatoes
  • Beans
  • Oats/cereal meals
  • Milk products


Protein 

Protein has got all the benefits in terms of muscle building and diet planning. Combining protein along with carbohydrates has been proved effective to increase protein synthesis increasing our muscle performance. Some lean sources of protein include:

  • 'Egg whites'(Quantity: 2 to 4 )
  • Fish (80 to 100 grams)
  • Peanuts, Almond mixed with Bengal Grams (Chickpea) 
  • Chicken (around 100 grams)
  • pulses 
  • Broccoli


Fat

Fat is the source of food for longer and moderate to low-intensity workouts because the body digests fats more slowly than carbohydrates. Healthy fats must be our priority when it comes to nutrition for our workout. For example: 

  • Peanuts or Peanut butter with brown bread
  • Olive oil cooked breakfast
  • Whole Eggs (2 to 4 Egg white + Egg yolk)  
  • Fatty fish
  • Avocados
  • Cheese
  • Chia Seeds


Caffeine 

The caffeine present in your cup of coffee or dark chocolate can be an effective pre-workout energy boost to set you up. According to a study published in 2012, consuming a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine improves muscular endurance and delay fatigue. It also enhances the fat burning process, if taken in a moderation for pre-workout diet. A few caffeine-containing diets may include :  

  • Coffee Beans
  • Green tea & black tea
  • Dark chocolate
  • Energy drink 
  • Cocoa Beans

 


Taking a summary

To maximize the performance in your workout, you need to take the right food in the right proportion with all the required nutrition.

Carbohydrates, mostly use of glycogen, is required for high-intensity workouts, while followed by Protein consumption which increases muscle protein synthesis.

Fats fuel our body for moderate to low-intensity workouts for a longer duration. Learn more about healthy fats at Not all Kinds of Fat are Bad For Your Health

Caffeine is another energy-boosting supplement that enhances the durability of your workout.

The amount of intake can be increased by increasing the duration between your workout and the meal. Avoid drinking water after taking your pre-workout meal as you will need plenty of them during training to keep yourself hydrated.

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