The Top Pre Workout Nutrition Ideas

To get peak performance during a workout you need good nutrition. It is essential that you eat a pre workout meal so that you have energy and the nutrients needed to both repair and build muscles. You have to eat right before your workout if you want to get the most out of it. An energy bar may not be much better than stopping at the drive thru window, so you have to think before you eat.

What do your cells use for energy? Cells rely on glucose to produce their energy and on average blood glucose levels are between 80 and 120 mg/dL, which are milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood. Your body functions very well when levels are steady. When you eat, your glucose level can go to 140 or even 150 mg/dL. To process this extra glucose, your body will make extra insulin and the glucose will either be stored or used.

What To Eat Pre Workout?

When you are deciding what to eat before a workout, you have to remember that while the body uses glucose for energy, it’s used to having a level of about 10o mg/dL. Your blood glucose levels will jump as high as 180 mg/dL when you eat a meal with lots of simple sugars; it’s possible that it can jump even higher. Insulin is made to bring the level back to normal and the body is ready to burn extra energy and rid itself of the extra. The increase in your energy will only last for as long as there is extra glucose in the blood and the process of leveling the levels out happens quickly. Your energy level will return to normal once your glucose level is normal or below so that what glucose is left will be preserved. These highs and lows are called the valley and peaks of sugar ingestion. The increase in energy you get from sugar won’t help you make it through a workout unless you eat more sugar every three or five minutes.

So if sugars are bad before a workout, what should you eat? To get a more sustained level of energy, which will trigger your body to make its own glucose to use for energy, eat complex carbohydrates. The body is more efficient using its own glucose and then replacing with the carbs you eat. Beans, whole grain cereal, potatoes, rice, and veggies like radishes, squash, peas, beans, and carrots are all great things to eat before a workout. Eat avocadoes for both good carbohydrates and health fats that will give you energy for a long-term workout. Good carbs give you a great boost to start your workout, and you’ll even have energy left over for taking care of your after workout needs.

Protein Pre Workout

Protein is essential before any workout. Protein gives you vital amino acids your body needs after a workout. Proteins are processed during, before, and after workouts which releases amino acids. These amino acids are used to repair your damaged muscles and to build new muscle. Fish, egg whites (whole eggs if you can eat them,) chicken, and protein shakes are great to have before a workout. Seeds and nuts will add essential fats to your diet and these will give you energy throughout the workout while replacing what essential fats you may lose while working out.

An example of a good pre workout snack is two egg whites, half a baked potato, and half an avocado. You can alos add a good pre workout drink with your meal for an added boost. This will give you the energy you need to make it through a good workout, will replenish your energy stores, and will start to repair your muscles when you are through. Make your muscles happy when you hit the gym with a good pre workout meal.