No energy during workouts, no problem! This little tweak in your routine might just be the simple fix that you need. It may be as basic as ACTUALLY eating or changing WHAT you are eating before a workout. Our bodies are like machines in the sense that they need fuel to perform, and some fuel helps it perform better than others. Take a car, for example – a car cannot run on an empty tank of gas and neither can your body. Even further, a luxury vehicle can operate on standard unleaded gas, but what can it do when you fuel it with the premium gas? What we put into our bodies is the same concept. Ingesting calories (energy) before a workout is going to give you some energy, but if you have the right composition of macronutrients before a workout, prepare to have an energy surge that may actually make you enjoy your workout and it feel a lot easier.
When people tell me that they dread going to the gym or working out. An alarm immediately sounds in my mind and begs me to ask 2 key questions:
1. Are you eating before a workout?
2. What are you eating before you workout?
Let’s address the first topic – eating before a workout. I’m sure you have heard of “fasted cardio” and talked to people that don’t eat before doing any type of workout. It has been viewed as a way to burn more fat and calories. People also want to save up their calories and focus on their post-workout meal/snack, because that’s how you make gains, right?! Yes and no. Yes, post-workout is important! However, research has actually shown that the pre-workout snack may just be the QUEEN and the post-workout meal/snack the PRINCESS of fitness gains. What do I mean by that? I mean that research has shown that “fasted cardio” and working out (any kind- endurance or weight training) on an empty tank does NOT burn more fat and/or calories and may even burn LESS calories at each workout sesh. Mind blowing, I know! If you really think about it though, it is common sense. You don’t physically have as much energy to give to that workout when your tank is empty. You may think you are giving just as much effort, but have a snack before, and then re-assess. I can guarantee that you will come back with a different answer!
Although, like many may be thinking, “I don’t want to workout on a full stomach so when and how much should I eat for this pre-workout snack”? 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to working out seems to be best. Endurance activities fair better waiting a little longer while weight training may benefit from a shorter lag time. The other important piece is that this is not a huge meal. It is a SNACK anywhere from 150-300 calories. The calories are dependent on your size, the length and intensity of your workout and whether you are in a deficit or surplus of calories. Larger individuals and more intense workouts will need the higher end, while smaller individuals and lighter workouts will need the lower end. However, if you are cutting calories and in a deficit, you typically have less energy. Therefore, saving a good amount calories, (closer to the higher end of the calorie spectrum) and putting them around your workout will help give you that energy boost you so desperately need AND even make your workout a little less daunting.
Now you know to “fuel the tank” before workouts but with what??? This may come as a shock, but the best pre-workout snacks are the foods society deem as “bad” and “off-limits”… CARBS!.. And not just any carbs…WHITE FLOUR carbs! White flour foods have very little, if any, fiber and protein which is what will help give you that quick energy boost. An ideal pre-workout snack should fit the following criteria:
*Higher carbs (20-50g)
*Moderate protein (5-15g)
*Lower fat (<10g)
*Lower fiber (<5g)
Snacks with higher fiber, fat and protein take longer to get into your bloodstream because they are slower to digest. Therefore, you may just finish your entire workout before you actually feel that intended energy burst. So you see, the composition of the snack is almost as important as the habit of just eating something before a workout.
To help this all make sense, I compiled a list of 10 tried and true pre-workout snacks to help your body perform like the luxury vehicle it was meant to be!
TOP TEN Pre-workout Snacks (150-300 cals, 20-50g carbs, <10g fat, 5-15g protein, <5g fiber)
½-1 Bagel with 1-2 Tbs light cream cheese or 1 Tbs jelly *** (I love Dave’s bagels with reduced fat Chive and Onion cream cheese)
1 packet oatmeal + 1 slice light or regular bread w/ 1 Tbs Pbfit or reg PB ***(I love Better Oats packets of oatmeal- especially the 100 calorie packets for a lighter option)
Slim PB & J – 2 slices light or regular bread + 1 Tbs peanut butter + 1 tsp jelly ***(I use 2 Tbs Pbfit instead of PB if I want less fat/cals and more PB)
1 container flavored Greek yogurt + 1 slice light or reg bread w/ 1 Tbs cream cheese ***(I love Chobani less sugar greek yogurt w/mix ins)
Belvita Breakfast biscuits (1/2 – 1 package)
English muffin + 2 Tbs cream cheese or 1 tsp jelly ***(Basic white or white flour flavored ones like berry or cinnamon raisin are best)
½ serving of overnight oats
1/2 – 1 serving pretzels + 1 cheese stick + 1 small nectarine or 1/2 banana
Banana or apple + 1 Tbs peanut butter
Toaster waffle or toast topped with 1 Tbs Pbfit and ½ banana ***(I love Kodiak Buttermilk and Vanilla frozen toaster waffles)