by It’s important to cool down before warming up and eating food to work out is a great excuse to eat your favorite snack before hitting the gym. As David Wiener, nutrition and training specialist at fitness app Freeletics points out: “If you exercise on an empty stomach, your body will not have enough energy to perform at its best.”
But – and this is an important but – What what you eat is also vital. Unfortunately, as much as we would love to load up on Pringles and pepperoni pizza, there are certain foods that should be avoided before a workout. Why? According to the expert, if you choose certain snacks, “all your energy will probably go towards digesting that food”, he explains, instead of powering your workout.
So it pays to plan ahead when you need a pick-up before a training session. Here are 11 types of food and drink Wiener recommends avoiding pre-workout, along with his recommendations for snack swaps:
1. Foods filled with fibre
In general, fiber-rich foods such as whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta and oats are good for you and can help keep you feeling fuller for longer and regulate the digestive system. However, before the workout these foods should be without going, says Wiener, as they take longer for the body to digest and can result in gastrointestinal distress. “This distress can lead to bloating, nausea, gas and stomach cramps that can hinder a workout, which means you should avoid them before working out.”
Instead, he recommends opting for “vegetables that are easier to digest, such as asparagus and potatoes.”
2. Energy drinks
“Many gym goers assume that they will need an energy drink before their workout to get them through their session. However, energy drinks can be filled with unnecessary sugars and caffeine which will spike your sugar levels blood, which will make you jittery and raise your blood pressure,” according to the pro. “All of these reactions are counterproductive to good exercise, and make your body work even harder to burn the sugar you just consumed, rather than burning body fat.”
He says: “Instead, opt for more natural ways to increase energy levels, which could be as simple as getting enough sleep. If you feel too tired to exercise, it’s your body a way to tell you to relax, and prevent injury.”
3. Nuts
“Although healthy fats are an important part of our entire diet, eating high-fat meals or snacks like nuts before exercising can compromise your workout,” says Wiener. “This is because fat is a nutrient that slows down digestion, and the more fat in a meal or snack, the longer it takes to digest that meal or snack.”
Pre-training, the purpose of nutrition is to prime the body, and to do that the food must be fully digested and ready to be used as fuel, he explains. “If you want to include fat in your pre-workout, make sure you allow 1½ to 2 hours before exercise.” Or, Wiener suggests saving your healthy snack for after your workout.
4. Cruciferous vegetables
“Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are important vegetables to include in your diet, but they will harm you when you exercise,” says Wiener. This is because these vegetables are high in raffinose, an indigestibnle carbohydrate that can stimulate abdominal bloating and excessive gas. Instead, the expert recommends enjoying spinach, lettuce and carrots before your workout.
5. Refined sugar
“Insufficient amounts of sugars and carbohydrates in your system before a workout can lead to lethargy and fatigue, especially when you exercise,” says Wiener. “But you need to pay attention to the source of the sugar, and as always do your best to avoid refined sugar found in many manufactured products.”
Instead, her tip is to choose glucose found in carbohydrate- or fructose-rich foods (think: fruits and vegetables), as your body uses these types of sugar much more efficiently and effectively.
6. Ready meals
Wiener claims: “Pre-prepared meals and processed foods in general should be avoided before a workout, and if you’re trying to lose weight, avoid them altogether. These ready meals contain many artificial ingredients that increase the shelf life of the product. , but this also means they have minimal nutritional value and won’t give you enough fuel for the workout ahead.”
The alternative? “Choose your meals that you made yourself at home, where you know exactly what you are putting on the plate,” he says. “I would recommend making meals for the week ahead, so you always have something you can eat, and not making excuses for ready meals.”
7. Dairy
“Milk, cheese and yoghurt should always be eaten after training session. This is because of their high fat content which can make you feel lethargic and increase the acid content of your stomach during exercise,” says the pro. Some people find it extremely difficult dairy should also be digested, and if this is the case, eating dairy before exercise may lead to stomach upset and bloating.”
8. Fried foods
Wiener advises: “If you are eating fried food before a workout, you may be eating too many saturated fats that are difficult to digest. Again, this could be the result of being too bloated to exercise, and suffer severe cramping that does not let you move properly.”
Plus, he says, greasy, fried food can also have an emotional impact on your workout. “These types of foods will make you feel terrible and affect your attitude towards exercise. Going into exercise with a healthy, happy stomach and mind is what will help you excel.”
9. sparkling drinks
“It’s well known that fizzy drinks are nutritionally void and more often than not loaded with sugar, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that they’re a bad choice for a pre-workout drink,” says Wiener.
“Their high content of sugar and carbonation can make you feel bloated, and not only result in a sugar crash, but also stomach ages and nausea during your workout,” explains the pro. As you’ve probably heard before, you should choose water instead. Remember, it’s important to stay hydrated before, during, and after your workout.
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10. Spicy foods
“Although spicy foods may satisfy your taste buds, they should be avoided before exercise for a few reasons,” informs the expert. “In the first place, spicy food can lead to indigestion or heartburn, which makes you feel pain and you have to leave exercise. ‘they can put in.’
If you’re looking for something with a punch, you can always choose strong flavors, like garlic, turmeric, and pepper, when you choose your pre-workout fuel, adds Wiener.
11. Avocados
“Avocados should be avoided before the workout because of their high fat content (although avocados are filled with good monounsaturated fat). In addition, avocados are rich in fiber, and this combination takes the body longer to digest, which can lead to stomach cramps,” says Wiener.
So what should we eat if we’re hungry before work out?
“Nutrition is important when it comes to exercise. It’s important to refuel our body and it can help with recovery,” explains Olly Banks, personal trainer with Fitness First.
“Before exercising, it is important to eat something that contains both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of your exercise. The carbohydrates are fuel for your working muscles and the protein helps to build and repair.
“However, it is important to find a snack and time that is right for you and your body.”
The following are some examples suggested by the banks:
● Banana with peanut butter, or other fruit
● Protein bars
● Smoothies
Here’s one more reminder that it’s important to fuel properly before hitting the gym – the foods above are not the best choices.
As Wiener puts it: “Although there are various different foods that you should try to avoid before you work out, there is nothing so bad as eating. mentally and physically It is important to prepare yourself nutritionally before exercise to be strong, efficient and reach your fitness goals.
“The option of rejection is to eat no less than 60-90 minutes before your workout as well, to find the best balance between eating too early or too late.”
