Quite often, we hear talk about what you should eat after a workout, but what about before? Rumor has it that you shouldn’t eat before a workout for fear of getting sick, but sometimes you just need an energy boost before you can imagine hitting a cardio routine. Keep reading to see our best tips on what to eat before working out.
Keep Hydrated
In the 1-2 hours before a workout, try to drink about two 8 ounce glasses of water, and not too much more or less. Drinking more water than that can upset your stomach and throw your system off balance, but drinking less can leave you dehydrated and light-headed. Finding the amount of water that works for you is a key to workout success.
Understand Your Motivation
If you’re hungry before a workout, it’s not because your body has no energy. Msot of the energy used during your workout time comes from carbohydrates stored in your fat and muscle cells. So then why do you have a craving to eat before burning this energy? If you’re sensitive to the levels of glucose (or sugar) in your blood, then you may need a boost so that you have more mental energy and motivation to work out.
Eat Something Suitable
If you decide that a snack is the right move before a workout, eat it about 30 minutes to an hour before you begin activity. Try to stick to foods your body can digest quickly, such as fresh fruit chunks, juices, and smoothies, and dry snacks like pretzels. You can also try energy bars with a low amount of fat, which will give you a boost without weighing you down.