Are You Eating The Best Food To Get The Most Of Your Workout?
Nova Health Club • March 26, 2019
Have you wondered to yourself "What's the ideal pre-workout meal to get the most out of my workout?"
It's a question we get asked very often.
For the answer we look to "The effect of quantity and quality of pre-exercise carbohydrate meals on central fatigue."
Khong et al. 2018.
They compared exercise performance in those who had a low vs high carbohydrate meal prior to exercise and then compared central fatigue and exercise performance in these athletes. It was found that those with a low intake of carbohydrates before a workout had increased serotonin levels, which they postulated led to decreased muscular force output. Secondly, tryptophan levels were higher in these participants leading to increased fatigue.
On the other hand, the participants who ate a higher carbohydrate meal prior to a workout had increased energy output and increased performance. They believe due to the increased availability of glucose to be converted to muscular energy.
In layman's terms: Carbs helped performance and a better workout can lead to increased muscular gains and calorie burning.
Generally speaking, an ideal pre-workout meal consists of a balance of carbohydrates and protein. It is ideal to avoid fat because fat both slows the absorption of the carbohydrates and can lead to upset stomach and bowels. The timing of intake can also play a role and ideally is consumed 45 to 60 minutes prior to the workout to allow your body time to digest and absorb the food.
Great examples of pre-workout meals include:
- A protein smoothie with almond milk and fruit
- A banana or apple and a hard-boiled egg
- Half a chicken breast with 1/2 cup of rice
- Low-fat greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese with fresh fruit on top
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