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Pre-Workout Meal

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A snack prior to a lift can provide some energy if fasting before training doesn’t provide you with the boost your system needs.

As you know, if you’ve been browsing the last week of posts, I’ve been conducting two new practices:

  1. Training at 5:45am
  2. Lifting on an empty stomach

The former has been great; the latter has been hit or miss. I’ve been scrambling without some of the energy I’m accustomed to with my normal, balanced eating habits pre-workout. I believe in trial and error, so I won’t be over adjusting with my experimentation by going all the way back to a large meal before my workouts. Instead, I’ll try an egg and an apple followed by my training session. Then, I’ll return home to 5 eggs, mushrooms and a few cups of black coffee. That pre workout “snack” might be the ticket to enhanced energy. Particularly, the glucose in the fruit may be the key. From sportsmedicine.about.com:

Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest.

While I could certainly opt for foods with a higher carb count, my aim is to hunt my sugar in the form of fruits and veggies both pre- and post-training. I don’t mess with supplements, and I’m not about to eat processed foods like breads and pastas. That leaves me with getting my energy from a natural carb source, and I’m thrilled with that outcome. From sfgate.com:

One apple, banana, orange, peach and pear, one-quarter of a cantaloupe, and 21 sweet cherries provide 12 to 34 grams total carbohydrates. Pears, sweet cherries, bananas and apples have the most carbohydrates. They range from 26 grams in pears and cherries to 34 grams of total carbohydrates in an apple. The other fruits have 12 to 19 grams of total carbohydrates.

I’ll give my egg + apple a try to optimize for energy and report back.

What’s your pre workout meal?

Kap

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  • Chester

    Trying not to be repetitive, but when I do the ultra-early a.m. workouts (more likely in spring/summer) my own experimentation finds:
    [1] Without
    eating prior to — results may depend on meal the night before. Generally, however, working out on empty stomach, about 2/3 of the way through the workout, I feel like I am sorta running out of juice.
    [2] A bit of fuel — half or
    whole apple, maybe part/whole energy bar. Some days just a quarter
    lemon squeezed into a glass of water wakes this body up; sometimes coffee helps. I have tried eggs prior to — a bit more time-consuming however. Usually, I find that having a bit of fruit pre-early workout is the best fuel.

    Best to remain flexible on this — basically listening to the body is worthwhile.

  • Tony

    keep us posted Kap. I do a 5:30 am 35 minute bootcamp/circuit training style work out 5 days a week. I generally do not eat before the workout. I have done this to convert my body to burning fat for energy. Ive dropped about 20lbs over the last 6 months, but I am finding that my energy in the work out is lacking some mornings. The workout routines can be pretty intense so I worry that if I eat beforehand I’ll yak in the gym!

    Tony

  • bill

    I don’t like to eat much before a workout, so I have 1/2 a banana with some almond butter. Oatmeal and blueberries when I get home.

  • Bruce

    I usually make a shake consisting of half a banana, kale or spinach, coconut oil, all natural PB, coconut milk and protein powder (sorry). I’ll drink about half of it prior to the workout, and finish the rest afterwards.

    I definitely have made the mistake of over eating before a workout and found that to be even worse than going on no food.

  • Steve

    I trained yesterday morning while fasted. Felt great to be up early, I was energized, the pump was real, but….the strength numbers in lbs were in the shitter.

    My pre-workout meal varies depending what time of day I am training. Aside from actual food I always make sure I have a good source of caffeine and 1 scoop of Karbolyn. I know Kap is not a fan of supplements, but Karbolyn is incredible (yet, pricey). It is a patented carbohydrate supplement that loads up glycogen stores and sustains them for up to 2 hours, allowing you to get the most out of your training. You can feel the difference, I promise. See for yourself!

    Brb, it’s leg demolition day.

    #massUp

    #ThoughtsBecomeThings

  • http://www.Kelebekfusion.com Kelebek Beyaz

    I have some home made oatmeal and a piece of fruit (usually an apple) so as to not upset my hypoglycemia. That works for me. I start my workout at 5:30. I have coffee with my post workout breakfast.
    Kelebek

  • Josh

    Breakfast bowl is my morning choice.
    1/2 cup oat bran
    1/4 cup blueberries
    1/2 cup strawberries
    1 tablespoon Flax seed
    1/4 cup raisins
    Dash of cinnamon

    Boil 1/2 cup water and add oat bran. Mix in the rest until desired consistency. yum!

    • Josh

      That will feed 1-2 people btw

  • Msquared

    Great info.
    I struggle with this and often find myself hungry at times that I plan to exercise.
    I like the apple idea…

  • Mary

    Cool ideas for a pre-workout meal. Thanks much! Personal training in Lafayette LA keeps me healthy and fit.

  • Kyle G

    If I don’t just eat a full meal before I lift it will be something simple like an apple and a protein bar.