Your guide to when and what to eat to get the most out of your workout.
The timing of your pre-workout meal is as important as is the amount and type of food. Digestion takes a lot of energy (and blood) and you don't want this interfered with by diverting resources away from your gut and into your muscles. This is a sure fire way to encounter gut issues such as stitches or diarrhoea.
Match your food intake to the exercise you'll be doing - if you're off for a gentle afternoon 20 minute jog and had a bowl of soup and some bread for lunch, you probably don't need to eat again
Eat your pre-workout meal 2-4 hours before exercise then have a well chosen, easily digested snack if you need it
Include fresh fruit and/or vegetables - the antioxidants will help reduce exercise induced inflammation
Below are ideas to fuel your workout. We've included links to some recipes from external sites for you.
Pre-workout meal 2-4 hours before exercise
Overnight oats made with milk, flavoured with pineapple chunks (in juice not syrup), cinnamon and coconut flakes
Porridge made with milk, topped with berries, pumpkin seeds and honey or a chopped banana and peanut butter
Weetabix with milk and a chopped banana and blueberries
Scrambled egg and/or baked beans on 2 slices of wholegrain toast
Wholemeal sandwich/roll/bagel/wrap/pita filled with chicken and salad
Jacket potato with baked beans and cottage cheese
Roasted butternut squash with a poached egg
Wholemeal pasta with vegetable and tomato sauce
Grilled chicken with brown rice and steamed green vegetables
Wholemeal noodles stir-fried with tofu or prawns, broccoli, ginger and garlic
Chicken and mushroom casserole with new potatoes and peas
Grilled fish, brown rice and spinach
Pre-work out snack 1-2 hours before exercise
1 ripe banana
Dried fruit - dried apricot and figs are high in Iron for healthy blood cells
Fruit and veg smoothie - banana, frozen berries and a handful of spinach or kale topped up with water
Crumpet with peanut butter and sliced fresh strawberries
Toast and honey
Malt loaf
Need to talk something through? Book a free 15 minute Discovery Call by emailing rayne@360fitfood.co.uk
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