In my college days, I would nonchalantly scarf down bag of M&Ms and go full throttle on the elliptical. More often than not, I’d crash before I could burn off anything – barely making the 12-minute mark required to negate the 73 calories of pure sugar! Oh my nutritional naivety. One of the most important lessons that I’ve learned since working at Oxygen is the importance of pre workout nutrition, particularly what to eat before engaging in certain types of exercise. Here’s a brief breakdown of what to feed yourself before a session of...
Weights + cardio = mostly carbs plus a hit of protein
Rev up your energy with a carb-rich snack within an hour before your sweat session. Protein doesn’t need to be a huge concern at this point because you will be refueling after your workout with a more protein-rick snack (ah, that famed “postworkout window of opportunity”; more on that in a future post). Preworkout snacks should be roughly 60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat.
Try:
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable soup + 3 small whole grain crackers + ½ cup applesauce (pictured above)
• 3 rye crisp crackers + ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese + 1 small piece of fruit
• ½ whole grain English muffin + 1 tbsp hummus + ½ cup fresh berries
• 1. 5 cup chicken noodle soup (this food is more effective at improving fluid balance than electrolyte-spike sports drinks, shows a study from the American College of Sports Medicine).
Yoga = light is right
According to Jason Lu, co-owner of Yoga Tree (my neighborhood studio where he teaches Yoga for Athletes), “It’s best to do yoga on an empty stomach or eat something really light that’s easy to digest such as a small salad or a smoothie. Having a heavy meal, like a steak or burger, prior to your yoga session requires more energy to break down and you need this energy for your practice. This is especially important in hot yoga to avoid getting really dizzy and nauseous.”
A 5K run = everyday clean eating
Gels, gummies, electrolyte replacement drinks are not necessary, says Jennifer Sygo, MSc, RD, a regular Oxygen contributor. “Rather than fixating on carbs, try to focus instead on good day-to-day eating habits, which is important for maintaining your energy as you train,” writes Sygo in her regular National Post column (read the full story here).For early evening runs, she suggests eating an afternoon snack 1-3 hours before.
Try: a moderate fiber cereal (no more than 5 grams per 30 gram serving) with a cup of milk or soy beverage (5 grams of protein per serving is enough).
I'm curious, what do you eat before your workouts?
Great post, Helen! Working at Oxygen has really taught me the importance of pre (and post) workout nutrition, too! And now I never lift a weight on an empty tank.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm a weights girl that also watches her carbs, I like a good dose of protein paired with a carb source that will give me the most bang for my buck. In other words, hearty, complex carbs that will energize my entire workout, without a seriously costly carb count.
A few of my pre-workout faves include:
- cooked steel cut oats + blueberries + 2 tablespoons of nonfat, Greek yogurt
-3 oz baked chicken + grilled sweet potato
-toasted ezekiel bread + low fat cottage cheese + tiny drizzle of honey
AWESOME POST!!
ReplyDeleteI like to make sure I get some complex carbs, of course, to give me the sustainable energy for my workouts whether I'm doing yoga, lifting, longer runs or HIIT so my preferred carb of choice here is 1/4 cup of oatmeal.
I also like to bring up my blood sugar a tad so I have 1/4 cup of fruit like berries. Apples are also perfect!!
Plus, getting protein in my body is important because my muscles will use it, so I'll do 1/2 - 1 scoop of powder mixed in with my oats.
And I'm a huge fan of caffeine before my workout for added intensity, so I also really like a cup of coffee.
thanks for the extra meal ideas guys!
ReplyDelete@ thegetinshapegirl: I hear ya on the coffee before a workout. I'm not a big coffee drinker but I find that it helps when going into a workout feeling a bit more fatigued than usual. That being said, it's interesting to note that many of my experts say that caffeine before a workout only appears to benefit occasional coffee drinkers. Habitual coffee drinkers, not so much.
Thought I'd share some extra java notes from my caffeine files for you (they're kind of sloppy, sorry!):
Positive effects in appropriate does have been established:
Mental alertness: consumption can prevent a decline in cognitive capacity especially when consumed with some glucose (sugar/carbohydrate).
Increased physical endurance- perhaps by breaking down fat stores and making them available for use preserving carbohydrate (more important for a marathon than a football game). Questionable about caffeine’s role in helping sprint work and lifting. There is a study that supports caffeine’s use for power work but the mechanism is unknown.
May help block pain receptors or alter mood receptors so you don’t mind the pain as much
Perceived exertion: FEELS like less effort—(but your body IS jazzed up and expending loads of energy- which can leave you drained).
NOTE: you may FEEL like you have a ton of energy but how is your PRECISION?
NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS of too much caffeine:
Doses of 250 mg to 300 mg have proven effective as a performance enhancer.
Doses higher than 300 mg PER DAY (not to mention what happens when you take it at once), has been associated with tachyarrhythmias (irregular heart beats).
Thanks Helen for that info!
ReplyDelete