You have decided to resume a sports activity to lose weight or build muscle. As you know, nutrition is important before training. You must absorb enough calories and opt for easily assimilated foods… Do you want some advice on how to adopt the right reflexes? This article is made for you! Find out how to eat well before a workout.
Eating before sport: The right reflexes
It’s decided, you’re going to restart a physical activity. You will go to the gym every evening to take control of your health. You have taken out a subscription, and you have prepared your outfit and all your accessories to take advantage of your session. In a nutshell, you are ready, but not quite… There is still an important point to address: nutrition. Here’s how to create a suitable meal plan.
1. Set clear goals
Want to know how to eat before a workout? In fact, it depends on the physical exercise you are going to practice, but also on your expectations. The nutritional requirements are not the same when trying to gain muscle or lose weight. Similarly, you won’t need the same calorie count if you’re doing beginner yoga or running a marathon.
2. Eat before each session
Whatever your goals, you should remember this absolute rule: you must eat before each workout, because training on an empty stomach is bad for your health. If you practice a brutal or intensive activity on an empty stomach, you risk suffering from hypoglycemia, premature fatigue or encountering difficulties in recovery.
Wondering how much food to eat? In fact, it’s all about moderation. You must determine the perfect threshold between well-being and discomfort.
3. Drink water regularly
As you know, nutritionists recommend drinking water during and after exercise. That’s not all! You should also remember to hydrate yourself the night before if you train in the morning and all day if you exercise in the evening.
4. Consume carbohydrates
As you know, you have to watch the amount of sugar you eat every day. However, carbohydrates are not our enemies. They are necessary for the functioning of muscles and the brain, for example. They are also beneficial when practising sports.
Want to find out what type of carbs to eat before a workout? Opt for carbohydrates with a low glycemic impact such as pasta and brown rice, sweet potato, wholemeal bread or certain cereals.
WHAT FOODS TO EAT BEFORE A WORKOUT?
You know some basic rules for eating well before a workout. You have understood the importance of hydration and you know that carbohydrates are your allies. We will now see what foods to ingest before a sports session.
1. The importance of breakfast
Have you decided to go to the gym in the morning? In this case, you must eat a suitable breakfast. In principle, this includes an easy-to-digest dairy product such as cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, plain Swiss cheese or cottage cheese. You can sweeten these with a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.
Also bite into some almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts. Finish your breakfast with a slice of wholemeal bread and a little vegetable butter.
In any case, you should avoid tea and coffee. You should also avoid fruit juices, compotes or smoothies.
Can’t do without a hot drink in the morning? Prepare yourself a cup of hot water in which you will add the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon. This beverage will provide you with vitamin C to start the day off right.
2. The ideal meal before sports practice
If you go to the gym in the afternoon or evening, prepare a balanced meal by respecting the following points:
- Your meal will be low in fibre and fat.
- It will be high in protein and carbohydrates.
Do you want to know more? We’ll give you some ideas. You can, if you wish, prepare a portion of wholemeal pasta with an easy-to-digest sauce. You can also opt for white rice if you prefer. Do you like potatoes? Steam some potatoes and serve them with a piece of butter. Of course, remember to stay hydrated!
Are you still hungry after your meal? In this case, eat a slice of wholemeal bread with a little vegetable butter.
Certain foods should be avoided before training. These are, for example, sources of proteins that are difficult to digest such as meat, fish, dairy products or eggs. That’s not all! Also flee lipids in all their forms, the fast sugars contained in sweets, sugary drinks, chocolate, and cookies. Finally, you will refrain from eating raw vegetables, green vegetables or whole grain cereals before sports training.
3. Choose the right snack
Before starting physical training, you can have a snack. This habit will allow you to have optimal performance and limit pump strokes.
Want to know what kind of snack to eat? Prefer foods that are easy to digest such as apples, bananas, pears, oranges, clementines or kiwis. Do you like dried fruits? Bite into some almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts.
You now know the list of recommended foods before exercise. You also know which ones to avoid. We wish you good practice.
IMPORTANT :
Remember to hydrate before and after the session and give yourself a post-workout snack by consuming a yogurt, fruit juice or a handful of dried fruit during the recovery phase.