Find Out What To Eat Before Training

You need to eat before training to make sure your muscles are working at their best. In this regard, it is important to choose appropriate sources of carbohydrates and proteins.
Find out what to eat before training

Monitoring what you eat before, during and after your workout is very important to improve the quality of your workouts as well as your body composition. If you exercise, this article will interest you, because you will discover what to eat before training.

Remember that along with rest, food is essential to ensure recovery. It will allow you to maximize your performance and reduce the risk of muscle injury. You should not neglect this important aspect if you are thinking of moving.

What to eat before training

Whether or not to eat before training depends a lot on your goals, how long it has been since the last meal and what you have eaten before. For example, if your main goal is to burn fat and engage in moderate-intensity physical activity, it is best not to serve anything pre-workout. On the other hand, if your goal is to increase your muscle mass, training on an empty stomach will not help you at all.

To avoid possible gastric and intestinal problems that can affect your performance and that endanger the ability to practice a sport, specialists recommend avoiding very fatty foods before training.

Pre-workout meals do the following:

  • They increase the hepatic and muscular glycogen and the level of glucose circulating in the blood. Glucose is the main energy substrate in bodybuilding training sessions.
  • It releases amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, into the bloodstream. Thus, they will be available during training and will reduce muscle catabolism.
  • Prevent insulin resistance and inflammation during the post-workout recovery phase.
  • Optimizes post-workout recovery. According to a study published in the journal Nutrients , protein intake is essential to repair damaged tissue after playing a sport.

Carbohydrate intake

Person eating pasta
You need to be careful what types of carbs you consume before training.

You need to prioritize your carbohydrate intake before training. During physical activity, glycogen stores are so important that low levels, below 1 g / 100 g muscle mass, significantly reduce athletic performance.

But you have to be careful what types of carbohydrates you eat. In fact, some sources require a long digestion process because:

  • They have a low glycemic index
  • They contain lipids
  • They contain resistant starch
  • They contain high amounts of fiber
  • They are consumed immediately after training

So, consuming these sources can negatively affect your performance, because you will start training when you are still digesting the foods you have just eaten. This means that they will not be available as a source of energy while you are moving.

For this reason, the most recommended sources of carbohydrates are pre-digested hydrolyzed disaccharides or polysaccharides. For example, you can satisfy this need by consuming 20-30 g of carbohydrates, such as a banana, flour prepared from a hydrolyzed cereal or maltodextrin from rice, corn or potatoes.

By consuming a lot of carbohydrates throughout the day, your needs will decrease. If there is an energy restriction, this input is more relevant.

According to a study published in the journal Nutrients , you can consume carbohydrates during training through drinks. This facilitates the recovery of lost glycogen stores.

Eat protein before training

Eating protein before training is a way to release amino acids into the bloodstream to increase the synthesis of muscle proteins and prevent their breakdown.

If the pre-workout meal is a main one, ie breakfast, lunch, a snack or dinner, you can opt for a proportional intake of protein from the total amount you should eat per day. For example, at an average of 100 g of protein per day, dividing this amount by four, you will consume 25 g at a meal.

If you want to prepare an exclusive pre-workout meal, you can consume 30 g of protein. You can use whey protein or simply eat protein-rich foods.

Specialists have shown that ensuring an adequate intake of protein significantly facilitates recovery and muscle hypertrophy.

Woman drinking a protein shake

Greases

It is important to reduce your fat intake before training, as it delays gastric emptying. In other words, they slow down digestion. So avoid fatty foods or sauces. If you eat 30 minutes before training, make sure you do not consume more than 3-4 g of fat.

Supplements

You can take many supplements before training, but the most useful in terms of increasing performance is caffeine. Specialists recommend consuming 3-9 mg / kg of body weight 60 minutes before training. The best options are capsules or powders. You need to adjust the dose because each person has a specific sensitivity to caffeine.

It is very important to eat before training

You need to eat before training. It is not forbidden or contraindicated. What the specialists recommend is to prepare the meal wisely to make sure that it does not negatively affect your ability to exercise.

You need to be careful with the carbohydrate sources you choose and buy protein that helps your muscles work. It is advisable to avoid fats. If you want to opt for a pre-workout supplement, caffeine is a great option.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Back to top button