Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat and What to Avoid for Maximum Performance

Have you ever asked yourself why some exercise sessions are all right while others leave you exhausted? It is mostly governed by what one takes into his/her stomach before exercising or snapping at the gym. The food you eat before the workout determines whether you make or break it, your energy, and how you recover afterward. 

Why Proper Pre-Workout Nutrition is Important:

The human body is compared to the engine of a car and food to fuel that car needs to run. Whether you are performing the upper body exercise by lifting weights or engaging in sports such as sprinting, or cycling which involves endurance rides, the macronutrients that you take before the exercise determine your energy, strength, and even muscle power during the activity. It is also very significant to know that you can prevent muscle fatigue, enhance your ability to work out for a long time, and even enhance your strength if you feed on the right foods. Conversely, you end up with some pre-workout foods that make you sore and groggy or even uncomfortable enough to hamper your performance to the optimum level.

What to Take Before a Workout:

The best time to eat before a workout is between 30 minutes to an hour and pre-workout meals and snacks should contain both carbohydrates and protein, a little fat. This way you ensure your body gets its immediate energy source in the form of carbs, middle extended energy that comes with proteins, and a little bit of fat that will not make you feel heavy.

1. Complex Carbohydrates- Main Energy Source:

Carbohydrates are the ideal nutrient choice during activities like exercise that require energy. Not all carb foods are the same: complex carbs would include oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, or any bread from whole grains.

• Oatmeal: 

For breakfast, just a small bowl of oatmeal with some fruits is suitable if you have planned to take a morning exercise.

• Bananas: 

Promote good digestive health, bananas are packed with potassium and fast-digesting carbs to keep muscles from cramping up and to pick up energy.

2. Lean Protein- Muscle Support and Recovery:

Pre-workout protein isn’t only meant for men pumping iron in the gyms. It assists in the repair and growth of tissues specifically muscles and this is important for people who do weight training and aerobics.

• Greek Yogurt with Berries: 

This combination brings protein through the yogurt with a little boost of energy from the sugar content of the berries.

• Grilled Chicken and Quinoa: 

If you can have a full meal a couple of hours before training then this dish provides premier-quality protein along with dense carbohydrates for endurance.

3. Healthy Fats- Energy That Lasts:

Fats are also harder to break down and therefore it is advisable not to integrate too much fat into your diet before an exercise. 

• Avocado Toast: 

A little avocado on whole grain toast provides adequate fats into your body without feeling tired on the chair.

• Nuts and Seeds: 

While it is good to take dates, almonds, or chia seeds to work, you can mix a few into a pre-workout shake to help you remain active during the workout session.

Foods to Avoid Before a Workout:

Before getting down to a workout, it is recommended that vendors avoid the following foods;

However, before engaging in the exercises it is advisable to eat so that you don’t have an empty tank and at the same time some foods will drag your performance down.

1. Sugary Snacks and Drinks

However, you can tell that eating foods high in sugar and drinking beverages containing it will at least make you feel a little better – for a few moments before you start to feel worse again. That candy bar or soda may look delicious after work or school, but it will have sucked all your energy halfway through your workouts.

2. Fatty and Fried Foods

Food such as burgers, fries, and pizza that are known to contain fats and oils are likely to make feel more tired and bulky. Your body expends enormous energy just to digest such foods, this energy is channeled from the muscles to the stomach. Sometimes you may feel sick especially when exercising, this is probably because of the meal you ate earlier.

3. Too Much Fiber

Although fiber is good for one’s health, high-fiber diets such as beans, cauliflower, or broccoli, before a workout may lead to bloating, gassiness, and uneasiness. It is better to save such for after a workout.

Titan Tonics- Fueling Your Workouts with Quality:

Titan Tonics Inc. is a company that deals with supplements that have been scientifically proven to have different functions in an athlete’s body. They have embraced the culture of innovation where they only make use of quality raw materials in optimizing energy, concentration, and recovery systems. If you require an energy kick before a workout or herbal remedies for muscle soreness, you will find all the products that Titan Tonics offers inclusive of a solution to your needs. By consuming Titan Tonics you are getting ready for the changes and at the same time increasing your workout efficiency.

Final Thoughts

It is therefore important that one makes the correct food choices when planning for a certain workout since this will determine the kind of workout one is going to have whether a poor kind or an excellent one. So make sure to fill your diet with carbs such as quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and proteins like turkey and breast while staying away from sugar, fried, and fiber-rich foods and products to ensure that you are sharp at all times.