The Do's and Don'ts of Pre-Workout Nutrition

The million dollar question- what do I eat before I workout?? This is something that a lot of people struggle with and honestly, sometimes take a little bit of trial and error before we figure out what our body needs to be fueled for our workout. But, to make it easier on you, we will give you some of the do's and don'ts about pre-workout nutrition. The way our digestive system works, there are certain foods/ drinks that settle and digest differently than others. 

With digestion and exercise combined, foods have reactions in our body that are sometimes not pleasant. So, before working out, we want to make sure that we consume foods that are easy on our systems and will not cause stomach issues while working out.

• Avoid High Amounts of Caffeine; but include moderate amounts: not only can too much caffeine effect your athletic or workout performance, but it can also effect your long term adrenal health. Too much caffeine can cause dizziness, headaches, insomnia, and gastrointestinal distress, which all effect your workout performance. Consuming as little as 75mg of caffeine can give you the boost you need, without negatively effecting your performance. 
• Don't Include High Amounts of Fiber: while fiber is good for you, it is a food group that slows gastric emptying, so consuming before a workout is not the best idea. Working out after eating fiber feels like a gut full of undigested food. This includes things such as fruit smoothies, proteins powders and bars that are fiber heavy. Se sure to check ingredient labels on these types of items.
• Don't Include Artificial Sweeteners: this includes sugar alcohols including sucralose which is commonly found in sports nutrition supplements.This ingredient can kill the good bacteria in your GI tract and can also cause brain fog and dizziness.
• Do Easy-to-Digest Fats and Proteins: fatty foods that are easy to digest, such as eggs, yogurt and coconut oil bypass most of the normal digestion process and go directly to your liver where they can be metabolized into a quick source of energy. In similar fashion, some proteins are good for longer duration activity due to the break down of amino acids. 

So, what are the recommendations for a pre-workout meal?

Easy to digest, quickly absorbed carbohydrates, proteins and fats. If caffeine or fructose is the main ingredient, then avoid it before a workout. If there are a high amount of fruit based compounds, sugar alcohols and chocolates, avoid that as well.

Have more questions? Contact our MOG staff for help!