Pre-workout snacks
For your body to be able to perform to the best of its ability during exercise, it requires a sufficient level of energy. This is why pre-workout nutrition is so important. It should comprise of two of the main macronutrients: carbohydrates and protein, and a pre-workout snack should be eaten around 30 minutes to 1 hour before your exercise begins. This gives your body time to digest the food in time for your workout.
Carbohydrates and protein both play their own role in aiding your workout. Simple carbohydrates should be consumed pre-workout as they can be digested quickly and used for energy during your workout. Protein, like meat and fish, contain creatine and BCAAs which can also help support your training goals. Creatine stores deplete rapidly during high intensity training sessions, so it’s important that creatine stores are saturated – especially because 3g/d creatine has been shown to increase physical performance during short-term, high intensity exercise.
You will want to make every rep count when training, and the right pre-workout snack will help you reach optimum performance throughout your whole workout. Here are a few examples:
- Apple with peanut butter
- Greek yoghurt with berries and granola
- Rice cakes with peanut butter
- Granola bar
- 1 hardboiled egg
Hydration
You should think about drinking plenty of water well before your workout. Of course, you need to continue to drink plenty of water during exercise, but it’s important to have your hydration levels high before you even start to exercise. You can become dehydrated rapidly when working out because you lose so much water through sweat. So, don’t forget to drink plenty of water with your pre-workout snack.
