What do you eat before training? Protein, fats, carbs? Here's the 101 on what to eat before training.
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to pre-workout meals. There's lots to consider:
- what type of training are you going to do (power, endurance, strength)
- are you cutting, bulking or maintaining?
- what time of day are you training?
- how many meals have you already eaten today?
- do you do better on protein and fats, or protein and carbs?
- what did you eat in the previous 12-24 hours?
- how depleted/full are you?
You know your body best. Are you the type who feels super-energised on some steak, nuts and greens? Or do you need a bowl of oats with egg whites and protein powder mixed in before you can hit the gym? There's a lot of talk these days about the "red meat and nuts" approach to pre-workout nutrition, the thinking being that eating fats and protein before training helps the body utilise its own fat stores for energy. But some people like - and need - the direct energy from carbohydrates, and will need to fuel up on oats, rice or potato before hitting the gym.
Let's revisit the questions you need to explore before finding your perfect approach to pre-workout meals What type of training are you about to do?
Are you lifting weights for hypertrophy?
If so, is it a big body part day (legs, back) or a smaller body part? Or are you off to do cardio (if so, do you do it fasted)? Are you training for a sport, and if so is it an endurance sport like running or triathlon, or a power/strength sport like powerlifting or strongman? (power, endurance, strength)
Are you cutting, bulking or maintaining?
Obviously your body composition goals will have an effect not only on your pre-workout meal choice but on portion size and macronutrient balance. If you're restricted on carbs or fats for the day, you'll want to use them wisely.
What time of day are you training and how many meals have you already eaten today?
Morning training will demand a very different pre-workout meal to training after work or just before the gym closes. Take into account the calories, macros and volume of food you've already eaten, and be sure to leave enough in your daily macros to get a decent recovery meal in after training.
What did you eat in the previous 12-24 hours?
Not many people pay attention to this. The fact is, what you ate earlier in the day, or even last night, will have a massive effect on today's training. Think about the type and quality of foods you've eaten in the past 24 hours, the volume of food, the total amount of calories, and whether any of the foods will cause you digestive problems.
How do you feel?
Before you make a decision about your pre-workout meal, consider how you feel. Are you bloated or feeling hungry? Energised or sluggish? Do you have enough energy to complete your session? Using a pre-workout formula like a pre-workout drink or intra-workout energy drink is always an option, but your food should also leave you feeling energised and ready to train.
Whatever pre-workout meals you choose, be sure to hydrate and load up on electrolytes, amino acids and BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) so your cells are healthy and your system can shuttle the nutrients from your meal to where your body needs them most.
Here's some of our favourite pre-workout meals to give you some ideas!
- white rice with turkey mince or lean steak mince and green veggies (spinach works well)
- porridge oats with whey protein mixed in (try adding brewed coffee as well, ideal with vanilla or chocolate whey)
- white potato with skin removed (to avoid any digestive issues from the fibre) with chicken, turkey or white fish
- omelette made with 2 eggs and 5-6 additional egg whites (180g or so), stuffed with veggies including tomato, spinach, zucchini
- sweet potato hash made with grated sweet potato cooked off with egg whites and a whole egg
