Jacqueline is a former member of the Canadian National swim team with over 10 years experience as a fitness professional. She holds a graduate degree in Health Sciences and is also a nutrition expert. Jacqueline is the co-owner of Move to Heal, a sport injury, Yoga, and Pilates clinic located in the heart of downtown Toronto in the Thompson Hotel Residences.
As a trainer, a lot of people ask me what they should and shouldn’t eat before and after workouts. This is a tough question, because ultimately everyone’s body is different and what your body needs and wants before you workout may not necessarily be the same thing as what someone else needs and wants. Pre and post workout foods are also in direct relation to your fitness goals. What are you looking to do? Build muscle? Lean out? Burn fat? Get healthy? Enhance sport performance? These are all things you must examine when looking at your pre and post workout diet. However, the good news is, for the average person who just wants to feel good at the gym, there are simple nutritional rules to follow…
The bottom line is you should want to eat something that will give you energy but won’t make you nauseated. The best bet is to consume complex carbs before a workout for energy instead of high fat or high protein foods, which could weigh you down and might not give you the energy you need.
So, what’s a complex carb? Fruits and vegetables! My pre workout complex carb of choice is a banana with a small amount of protein in the form of a spoon of raw almond butter (homemade in the food processor), which is something I have stuck with pre workout since I was 10 years-old. Adding a small amount of protein before a workout (like a tablespoon of almond butter) is also a good idea. A bad idea? Refined carbs (a white bagel), heavy fats (cream cheese), and heavy proteins (a lot of smoked salmon).
You need energy to workout and energy comes from the proper type of carbohydrates. Herein lies the kicker: You must be careful about what type of carbs you choose to eat. They should be healthy, not junk or simple carbohydrates (like Wonder bread, cookies, or a white bagel) as these will spike your blood insulin levels and then you will crash during the workout. (Not to mention, they don’t aid your body in any nutritional way whatsoever.) You can look up food charts with the glycemic index of most foods out there and figure out which are the best ones for you.
You will find that refined carbs also tend to be too heavy on the stomach, leaving you feeling full, bloated, and nauseated. No one wants to do sprints, let alone any cardio, with a belly full of doughnuts. Remember to also keep the pre workout meals small, so even if you choose to eat chicken two hours pre workout make sure it doesn’t exceed around 300 to 400 calories.
Post workout is even more important. After you workout your muscles get broken down (so that they can re-build and get stronger) and in order to support that process you need protein. I recommend a protein supplement like a low carb, no sugar, no sweetener, protein shake. This will help with building muscles, burning fat, and increasing your metabolism. However, protein shakes aren’t the only protein source out there, and this is also when you can eat meat, fish, eggs, and other protein substitutes. I love working out in the morning, so I usually follow my sweat session with a protein shake, or some egg whites and a big spoon of raw almond butter (healthy fats!).
My favorite healthy foods of all time are lean chicken, shrimp, spinach, kale, bananas, and blueberries. I could live off these foods. (And I do!)
Here is an easy chart to follow for pre workout meal eats and don’t eats…
Time | Food Ideas | Foods to Avoid |
2 hours before | Meal containing carbs, small amounts protein, and some healthy fats:
| Tons of fibrous veggies:
High-fat foods that are hard to digest:
|
Time | Food Ideas | Foods to Avoid |
1 hour before | Easily digestible carbs and a little protein:
|
|
Time | Food Ideas | Foods to Avoid |
15 to 30 minutes before | Small serving of easily digestible complex carbs:
| Large servings of protein and carbs, processed foods, and high-saturated fat and high-sugar foods:
|
What are some of your go-to pre and post workout snacks? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.