What to eat before going to the gym

People often ask, ‘What should I eat before and after a workout?’ The answer is not as simple as it seems, because what works for one person doesn’t always do for someone else.

Whether you work up a sweat in the morning or evening, a snack before you work out gives you energy to go the distance. As a general rule, pre-exercise snacks should be 150-300 calories (more for men or those doing high intensity exercise for more than 30 minutes) and rich in carbohydrates, such as whole grain cereals and breads, low-fat milk or yoghurt, and fruit.

What you eat after workout matters, too. A post-workout snack isn’t necessary after short and low-intensity workout or when you’re trying to lose weight. But if performance is what you’re after, and you work out hard or for longer than an hour, you’ll want to eat 1–1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram (0.5-0.7 g carbohydrate per lb) body weight and 15-20 grams of lean protein.

The carbohydrates will allow for maximum replenishment of glycogen stores — the primary fuel used during moderate-to-high-intensity exercise, while the protein will help build and repair damaged muscle tissue and stimulate muscle growth.

Your nutrition workout will help you determine what works and what doesn’t. How many calories you can tolerate, liquid versus solid, and what makes you feel energetic and fast as opposed to lethargic and slow. Some simple guidelines to follow are:
Focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins as much as possible, as they contain hundreds—if not thousands—of bioactive compounds that provide health benefits.
Use sports nutrition products (drinks, bars, gels, blocks, etc) for their convenience factor but don’t rely on them for daily nutrition.
No food is necessary during training unless you are working out longer than 90 minutes (but it’s still important to hydrate).

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