10 best pre workout meal
Eating Pre workout meal is similar to fuel our bodies, giving us everything we need to perform at our best. Pre workout meal can provide us more energy and help us perform and recover better. Whether it’s a pre-workout meal for muscle gain or a pre-exercise food for weight loss, selecting the correct ratio of nutrients is crucial.
Our body converts glycogen into glucose during working out, which is necessary for both high-intensity activity and muscular contraction. Fat provides energy for longer workouts. Protein enhance muscle repair, help to prevents muscular injury, and increases muscle protein synthesis. Proper hydration is essential for optimal exercise performance. When those are combined well, our performance can be enhanced while working out in home or gym.
Eating a proper, balanced meal 2 to 3 hours before a workout is beneficial because it allows time for digestion and provides energy during exercise. We should have a light, readily digestible meal if we have only one hour before our workout. It is not a good idea to have a large meal just before working out because blood flow changes during activity from the stomach to the working muscles. This might cause discomforts like bloating, acid reflux, and vomiting, which can prevent you from working out as prescribed and prolong the process of digestion.
Complex carbs should be a part of your pre-workout meal because they will fuel your exercise.
10 best pre workout meal
1. Banana-
Banana is a perfect choice for pre workout nutrition due to its numerous benefits. It is rich in carbohydrates, primarily in the form of natural sugar like glucose, fructose, and sucrose which provide quick energy. It is important for intense exercise.
Bananas are a good source of potassium that plays a vital role in preventing muscle cramps and fatigue during exercise. It is easy to digest. You can take it half an hour before. It has essential vitamins and minerals. Overall, bananas provide the necessary energy and nutrients to fuel your workouts and optimize performance.
2. Chicken, rice vegetables-
Chicken, rice, and vegetables are very classic pre-workout meals and should be taken two to three hours before exercising.
Chicken is a rich source of lean protein which is important for the growth and repair of muscle. Amino acid in it provides energy to your muscles while doing exercise.
Rice, a source of complex carbohydrates, is broken down into glucose and stored in the muscles as glycogen. Glycogen serves as the primary fuel source for high-intensity exercise, providing sustained energy to power through your workout.
Some vegetable like carrots, broccoli, and peppers in your pre workout meal has important vitamins, minerals, and fiber for overall health and performance.
3. Yogurt and fruits-
- they both are quick energy boosters. Yogurt has calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, B12, and essential fatty acids. You can take it half or one hour before exercise as a morning pre workout.
- Fruits have natural sugars that provide fast energy and many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support our body during exercise.
- Yogurt and fruits are easy to eat and can be customized to your taste.
4. Sprouts-
Adding sprouts to our pre workout meal is beneficial and can provide energy for the entire day. It is a good choice for before and after workouts. Sprouts contain-
- Essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Low calories
- fiber that helps to regulate digestion.
- complex carbs that provide a steady release of energy which helps to sustain in gym.
We can combine it with other foods like whole grain, lean protein, and healthy fats to add well-rounded meal.
5. Makhana-
Makkhana (fox nuts) are a very light food but have essential carbohydrates, protein, and minerals. It is very gentle on the stomach and a good option as a morning pre workout food.
6. Low fat paneer-
If you are on weight loss journey then it will be a good food before workout. It is best vegetarian source of protein which help our muscle to grow. It also has amino acid that support in making and repairing new tissues. It is slow digesting food that provide steady release of amino acid into blood which help sustain energy level and prevent muscle breakdown during workout.
Paneer can be easily incorporated into a variety of pre-workout meals and snacks. You can add it to salads, sandwiches, wraps, or smoothies for a convenient and protein-packed option.
7. High protein oat meal-
High protein oat meal is a easy to make and delicious food before workout. We can make it with nuts, seeds berries and banana to add more taste and nutrition. It has Complex carbohydrate, protein, and fibre. It can help you manage your weight by keeping you satisfied without eating too much.
8. Dates
Many fitness trainers suggest dates as pre workout meal because it contain carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and sugar like fructose, glucose, and sucrose which help you stay active and energized during your workout. It also contains polyphenols, which protect our body from coronary heart disease and inflammation.
Dates contain various vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6, which are important for muscle function, energy production, and overall health. We can pair dates with other sources of protein for a more balanced pre workout snack.But remember, having too many dates before a workout could cause discomfort or digestive problems.
9. Roasted channa
If someone has an active and busy lifestyle and needs a quick and easy-to-carry pre workout food then roasted chana with jaggary will be a good choice as a nutritious and energizing snack. Roasted chana has protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential nutrients.
10. Peanut butter with brown bread-
Peanut butter with multi-grain bread can be a good pre-workout snack. This combination can provide a nutrient-dense option that gives us sustained energy to workout and keep hunger away.
Pre-exercise food for weight loss-
If our goal is to lose weight while working out, then a proper diet is mandatory. Refined and processed food can create hurdles in the weight loss journey. Protein, fiber, healthy fats, and carbs play essential roles in the weight loss journey because they give energy and support in working out.
Oatmeal, Low fat paneer, Egg white, Fruit and vegetables, Yogurt, Banana with apple slices, seeds, avocado, dry fruit, black coffee, and green tea can be taken as pre exercise food for weight loss. It can improve metabolic health and reduce belly fat. Many doctors suggest that high-quality and unprocessed food, can control our hunger, increase metabolism and promote fat burn.
Things to keep in mind while choosing pre exercise food for weight loss-
- Avoid taking calories
- Intake high rich protein. It releases peptide YY that controls appetite and feels fullness and also increases metabolism.
- Avoid sugar as pre exercise food.
- Reduce carbs intake.
- Replace refined carbs with unprocessed carbs.
Pre workout meal for muscle gain-
High-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, and low-fat foods Is considered a good pre-workout meal for muscle gain. It does not affect muscle gain directly but plays a crucial role in muscle building by preventing catabolism (which occurs when the body uses muscle as an energy source instead of burning fat or carbohydrates).
So a pre-workout meal for muscle gain is very important. If we don’t take a pre-workout meal containing enough protein or calories, our body starts breaking down our muscles to gain energy.
Morning pre workout food-
Our blood sugar reduces after a long night of sleep, which can make us feel tired while working out. So if you take some snacks as morning pre workout food, it can increase our blood sugar level and give us energy to workout. Working out with an empty stomach in the morning can affect your performance in the gym if we do high-intensity exercise for a longer time.
Morning pre workout food can also cause stomach problems because the food has not been digested. It’s crucial to try different things and figure out what works best for you, because what works for one person might not work for another.
Morning pre workout food-
- Soaked almonds, chana and sprout
- peanut butter with brown bread
- Walnuts
- Fruits
- oatmeal
- Banana
Best Pre Workout drinks to boost energy-
Black coffee- Most trainer suggest black coffee before pre workout drinks to boost energy because it stimulates the central nervous system, increases heat-rate and metabolism which enhance performance.
Green tea- It contain-
- Caffeine and theanine that provide energy and mental focus
- Catechins such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) help to combat oxidative stress in the body caused by intense physical activity.
Coconut water- Coconut water as a pre-workout drink is great because:
- Hydration: It’s packed with electrolytes to keep you hydrated and prevent muscle cramps.
- Energy Boost: Natural sugars provide quick energy without too many calories.
- Easy on Stomach: It’s gentle on digestion, which is helpful if you’re sensitive.
- Nutrients: It contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for overall health.
- Low Calorie: It’s light and won’t weigh you down during your workout.
Smoothee- Smoothies are nutrient-packed and customizable, providing hydration, energy, and easy digestion for a pre-workout boost. Just watch portion sizes and choose ingredients wisely for your fitness goals.
Water- Staying hydrate during exercise is very important otherwise we can feel fatigue, cramping and poor performance. During workout, proper hydration
Click here to read article on exercises that increase testosterone level.