I always feel better getting in some food before my workout whenI'm strength training. Have you ever been training and have felt a little light-headed throughout? Maybe you need to think about fueling a bit more beforehand. This can be a very individual thing, and you may have to do some experimenting to figure out what food feels best to have beforehand, but I like a good combination of most carbs with some protein. I'm not a huge fan of supplements when I know I can get in most of my nutrition through whole food.
Carbs are the fuel for your "engine." I don't count macros or calories, but if I were to guess, I would bet I'm usually consuming anywhere between 30-50 grams of carbs a half hour before a workout. Ideally,I'd eat 1-2 hours beforehand, but I wake up really early to get it in, and 30min. seems to work just fine.
The reasons for carbs beforehand are because they supply you w/the energy + stamina to get through a hard workout to potentially build more muscle.Carbs are FUEL. We need them for energy.
Eating protein before your workout is not as important as eating it after, but there is a lot of research showing that some pre-workout proteinWILL likely help to build more muscle because it spikes plasma amino acid levels (and thus protein building rates) before training. Although my body responds really well to mainly carbs before training, I'll sometimes do someGreek yogurt with berries or a Kodiak Cakes frozen waffle, hard-boiled eggs(love these over toast!), or get in some protein like that beforehand in food, if it's quickly available.
Below are some suggestions for pre-workout meals: carbs with some protein... these are often my go-to's in the morning and things that have worked well for me.
PRE WORKOUT IDEAS
-PB and banana toast: 30 g carbs, 4 g protein
-Overnight oats: 30 g carbs, 19 grams protein
-Large banana: 30 g carbs
-2 Protein/power bites: ~30 g carbs, 8 g protein
-Regular toast on 1 piece of Dave's Killer bread: 17 g carbs, 6 g protein
-1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt with berries
-Oatmeal with low-fat milk and fruit: ~30 g carbs, 5 g protein
-Half a protein bar: ~15 g carbs, ~ 11 g protein
-Apple slices and PB: 30 g carbs, 7 G protein
- Kodiak Cakes frozen waffles: 30 g carbs, 12 G protein
I hope this is helpful for you! Make sure you are organized for the week and take some time to create a plan. Write in your workouts, plan out some dinners, and let's get to work!
Xo Meg
Make sure you're following both my Instagram accounts @meg_miles + @wilma to stay in the loop and for extra motivation and fun!
