What to eat before a workout in the morning is the most confusing question, as different people have a different perspective which might not lead you anywhere.
Thus, instead of asking different people what they take as their pre-workout, you must ask the experts!
To make it a little easier for you we went through various experts’ ideas and perspectives to build a perfect guide for your pre-workout!
In our following blog, we present you with the A to Z of pre-workout routines including some major Pre-workout breakfasts and snacks.
Usually, the best foods to eat before exercising depend on your goals and the type of workout you are going to perform.
For example, Pre Workout Meal For Muscle Gain includes a diet rich in proteins that will help you build better muscles and help you out with resistance training.
What is also important is to maintain the right balance of macronutrients.
In case you don’t know what macronutrients are, they are the essential nutrients that your body needs in bulk.
The three major macronutrients are:
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
These macronutrients are rich sources of energy but work differently in a pre-workout meal.
Let us look into the importance of these components deeply in the following sections.
Macronutrients for Pre-Workout In Mornings
Here are the macronutrients that you must have in your pre-workout meals to help you achieve your goals smoothly.
#1. Proteins
Proteins are rich sources of amino acids and are essential for many functions of your body like building, repairing, and maintenance of muscle fibers.
Adding a significant amount of proteins to your pre-workout will help enhance your performance.
Why is protein a good pre-workout food?
Proteins have an active role in enhancing your muscle gains from resistance workouts.
When you perform intense workouts, your muscles undergo a lot of damage, but with proteins present in your body, the number of amino acids shoots up.
These amino acids reduce deterioration, synthesize muscle proteins and boost growth.
Thus, with consumption of 20-30 grams of protein before your workout will help in a better rate of muscle synthesis which would last longer.
So now you know what to Eat Before a Workout to Build Muscle is a diet rich in protein!
Here is a list of high protein content foods which you can try out.
High – Protein Foods
Here are some examples of food that will give you enough proteins for your intense workouts:
- Fishes like salmon or tuna
- Poultry such as chicken and turkey
- Nuts
- Beans
- Lentils
- Eggs
- Soy
Thus, people who are into bodybuilding and planning for huge muscle gains must rely on a good amount of proteins daily.
Moreover, researchers suggest that the consumption of proteins between 1.6 to 1.8 grams is enough for building a great number of muscles.
However, don’t overconsume protein as it will lead you nowhere.
Next, we talk about the importance of carbohydrates in your diet.
#2. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are essential for energy!
Consumption of an adequate amount of carbohydrates in your diet makes sure that you have enough energy to perform exercises.
These exercises include cardiovascular, resistance, and all other kinds of exercises.
But there are different types of carbohydrates that have a different impact on your workout:
- Simple carbs – these carbs are sugars that provide you with an instant rise in energy levels. You can easily get them from white bread.
- Complex carbs – these carbs include fiber or starch. They will provide you with a slower, but long-term source of energy. You can easily get these nutrients from whole-grain foods.
Now the question is which carbohydrate will be better for your Pre-workout snacks for muscle gain or weight loss whichever your goal is!
Let us answer that!
Which carbohydrate serves well for workouts?
Complex carbohydrates have more benefits as compared to simpler ones.
Some of their advantages include:
Complex Carbs Over Simple Carbs for energy:
Simple carbs provide you with instant but short-term energy. This energy will not be enough to fuel your long duration of workouts.
If your meals contain a good amount of simple carbohydrates you might even feel a sudden drop of energy before you complete your workout.
On the other hand, complex carbohydrate provides you with long term energy which will last even after you finish your workout.
Nutrients
Complex carbohydrates are richer in nutrients than simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates have very less or no nutritional value.
Apart from this, your body will find it easy to digest complex carbohydrates over simpler ones.
Thus, to increase your energy levels ahead of your workout session, make sure you consume complex carbohydrates 2 to 3 hours before your workout.
You can also take simple carbohydrates if you want to, but make sure to have it 30 to 60 minutes before the workout.
Here is the list of foods you can try out to gain a good amount of complex carbohydrates:
- Broccoli, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables
- Whole-grain pasta
- Beans
- Lentils
- Brown rice
- Oats
For simple carbohydrates, many fruits offer you a good amount of simple carbohydrates.
Bananas are a good option if you want to go for simple carbs.
Next, we discuss fats.
#3. Fats
Fats are a rich source of energy.
However, medical experts suggest staying away from any extra consumption of fats before exercises as our body tends to digest fats slowly.
Thus, your body might not be able to digest fat before your workout begins.
Not the question is can fats be helpful in a workout?
Let’s find out!
Can fats be useful for workouts?
According to sources, it is better to eat a pre-workout meal rich in protein and carbohydrates than relying upon fats.
However, it is also important to include healthy fats in your diet.
But not all fats are healthy.
There are certain facts that could be harmful more than being beneficial.
Here are few healthy fats that you can introduce into your diet.
Healthy fats to include in your diet
Unsaturated fats are relatively healthy than other types of fat.
Here are some foods which you can try for getting healthy amounts of unsaturated fats:
- Avocados
- Nuts and seeds
- Olive oil
With this being said, let us now give you some healthy ideas of Pre Workout Breakfast which will provide you with the essential macronutrients in the right amount.
What to Eat before a Morning Workout for Bodybuilding or Weight Loss!
Here are a few breakfast meals which you can try as your pre-workout for an intense amount of energy and power to perform your workout smoothly.
#1. Berry fruit and yogurt granola parfait
You might wonder that the meal will take you a lot of time to prepare as parfait sounds pretty fancy. But you will be surprised to know that it only takes you 3 minutes to prepare it.
All you got to do is couple up berries, yogurt, and granola.
#2. Hard-boiled egg and avo toast
When you have a pretty nice appetite, try the avocado toast with a hard-boiled egg on top for more proteins.
This classic combo will give you all the nutrients that you will need for your workout.
#3. Strawberry Parfait with Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese will give the parfait a creamy texture and will also add little healthy fats to your diet which will keep you full for a longer duration.
#4. Peanut butter and banana chia seed toast
Peanut butter and toast are just what you need for a healthy workout. In case you are in for a longer workout, spread both the slices of whole wheat bread with peanut butter.
Sprinkle a little amount of chia for extra nutrition and crunch.
#5. Strawberry banana oatmeal greek yogurt waffles
You might need a little time for preparing this meal. It might appeal to you as a fancy snack, but it is loaded with many nutrients that you need.
This will fuel your entire workout.
All you need to do is have one and a half of the waffle before your workout.
#6. Banana nut breakfast parfait
This meal has been inspired by the banana bread, but not as complicated as baking the banana bread. You can just make many parfaits and store them in the freezer for a ready-to-go meal on busy days.
With the breakfast sorted, let us also help you with some Pre-workout vegan snacks.
Pre – Workout Vegan Meals
Here are some of the vegan snacks that you can carry out as your pre-workout meals.
#1. Apple Peanut butter energy bites
The apple and peanut butter combo are never old and here we are modernizing it by adding raisins and chia seeds.
However, if you are late you can just grab apples with peanut butter.
#2. Almond coconut mocha smoothie
Smoothies that too with coffee are something no one can ignore! This recipe will give you a taste of smoothie as well as coffee.
It’s just the right pre-workout snack that is fit for early-morning gym-goers.
#3. Protein Peanut butter energy balls
You can make these balls and store them for your busy days. All you need to do is grab your favorite protein bars cut them into pieces and then roll them into balls.
#4. Mocha protein shake
When you add a protein shake with coffee and chocolate it becomes not only healthy but also tasty.
This recipe might want you to add some extra sugar, but we want you to skip it for a healthier drink.
#5. Apricot and almond energy bars
This recipe needs time as you will have to mix up the DIY energy bars. You can even store the extras for later.
All you need for the recipe are a food processor and few ingredients.
You can even go to stores and stock up your high-quality energy bars if you don’t want to spend time making these protein bars.
With the pre-workout meals pretty sorted, how about getting into the post-workout meals?
Considering this, here we have a brief guide on what you can do for your post-workout routine.
What To Eat Post Workout for healthy results of workout?
After workouts, your body is drained of energy and it needs fuel for getting ready to perform other daily activities.
Post-workout meals usually depend on the exercises, you perform at the gym!
For example, if your workout was strength-based you can eat meals that will help your muscles rebuild and repair.
Experts suggest that going for a combo of 20 to 60 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of protein, and a bit of fat would be helpful as your post-workout meals.
So what is the best time to have your Post-workout meals?
It depends on the type of exercises you have, for example, if your workout was short and moderate you must wait for your next meal.
However, if your workout session was longer than 2 hours and you have your next workout session within one day, it will be best for you to have a meal rich in carbohydrates within 3 hours of workout.
Here are a few healthy options that you can try as your post-workout meals.
Post-Workout Breakfast
- Microwave egg and vegetable breakfast sandwich
- Green Smoothie
- Easy spinach and egg white omelet
- Tropical avocado parfait
- Peanut butter protein pancakes
These post-workout breakfasts are enough to refuel you with energy for the next day.
Next, we talk about some of the Post-workout snacks for muscle gain.
Post-Workout snacks for gaining muscles
Here are a few protein-rich meals which you can try for gaining muscles.
- Chicken pasta with butternut squash with caramelized onions
- Avocado tuna salad
- Sweet potato protein bars
- Post-workout banana bites
- Apple cheese crackers
Next, we have a list of lip-smacking snacks for people with sweet-tooth.
Post-workout sweet snacks
Here are a few snacks that you can try out if you are a sweet lover. It will provide your sweet tooth soothing effects and also help you get proteins.
- Trail mix
- Sweet potato pie protein shake
- Peanut butter chocolate protein shake
- Banana vanilla orange smoothie
- Peanut and caramel protein bar
Conclusion | What To Eat Before Workout
Pre-workout and post-workout meals are as important as the workouts you perform daily. If you did have the right blend of workout meals in your daily routine, your workouts might go in vain.
However, when you consult your friends or relatives regarding the same, there might come a mix of opinions.
We ask you not to believe any of them, as the best suggestion comes from the experts!
Considering this, we have come up with the above blog that focuses on the A to Z of pre-workout meals.
Taking care of your post-workout need, our blog also focuses on a brief discussion over when and what should be your post-workout routine.
FAQs | What To Eat Before Workout
What To Eat Before Workout To Lose Weight?
There are various ore-workout meals that you can prefer when you are planning to lose weight.
When doing so, make sure that you have a gap between the meal and your exercise session which could anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes.
You can have simple carbohydrates instead of complex ones. To introduce simple carbohydrates in your diet you can have a fruit that uses 200gm or dates which offers 50 grams of carbs.
You can also, take on some probiotics and 10 soaked and peeled almonds.
Is it good to workout on an empty stomach to lose weight?
It is considered that for losing weight one must workout early in the morning on an empty stomach. This is known as the fasting state.
However, working out after having a meal will help you have better energy levels and have better performance in your workout.
This will help you get better with every workout and lose more weight than you will actually do while working out in the fasted state.
What is the best time to workout?
According to studies, the best time to work out is at 7 a.m, as compared to afternoon or evening, as this time helps one get quality sleep which enhances one’s performance.
Apart from this, the trend of fasted workout is also doing rounds, but we suggest you to not to go for it.
Is it okay if I exercise daily?
Regular exercises and physical activities are good for your muscle strength as well as your endurance.
Exercise helps enhance the blood circulation in your body which delivers more oxygen to your different tissues.
With better oxygen supply and blood circulation, your heart, as well as lungs, functions better.
Thus, it is good to exercise daily.
How long does it take to get back in shape?
This depends on what your body is going through and what shape it is in.
Usually, with daily exercises and proper diet, you can witness the changes within 6-8 weeks. However, it requires dedication and the right diet as well as exercise.
If you say strict with your diet then only the exercises will show any sort of effect on your body.
Apart from this, it needs patience as results are not sudden rather it takes time to show up.