Good Pre-Workout Meals

There is no denying the fact that good nutrition goes a long way to help fitness enthusiasts gain solid muscle mass and recover faster after workouts. In this guide on good pre-workout meals, we will read about some of the most sought-after meals before a workout.

Fueling your body with the right set of nutrients before a workout gives you the strength and energy to handle intense workout sessions with complete ease and authority. For instance, your muscles utilize the glucose from carbohydrates for fuel. Glycogen stores are the primary source of energy for your muscles as far as short- and high-intensity exercises are concerned. On the other hand, preworkouts protein consumption can elevate your athletic performance. It facilitates an improved anabolic response (or muscle growth), increased muscle performance, increased lean body mass and strength, and improved muscle recovery. Similarly, fat helps in increasing endurance running times in healthy, trained runners.

In order to maximize training results, you need to consume a complete meal including carbohydrates, fat, and protein 2-3 hours before a workout. If you have a meal 45-60 minutes before your workout, you should prefer foods that are simple to digest and primarily contain carbs and some protein.

What To Add To Your Pre-Workout Diet?

Ideally, your pre-workout diet should be balanced as well as full of nutrients. These include:

Oats

Oats are loaded with fiber and other rich nutrients. They are known to gradually release carbohydrates so that it is easy for you to maintain high energy levels throughout your workouts. They are also a rich source of vitamin B that converts carbs into energy. It is best to consume unprocessed oats for better results.

Bananas

A natural source of energy, bananas are loaded with potassium and carbohydrates that support the normal functioning of muscles and nerves. They improve your workout efficiency and helps in mobilizing the fat content in the body. Bananas enhance the process of digestion and help you get more value out of your workout sessions.

Plain Greek Yogurt with Berries and Granola

Granola and berries offer quick-digesting carbohydrates that act as high-octane fuel and the Greek Yogurt offers ample protein to prevent muscle breakdown. It is best to opt for a granola that includes seeds, nuts, and wholesome carbs (such as quinoa, amaranth, oats, and millet). You should ideally find carb sources that are sweetened with dried figs, coconut oil, and/or vanilla and it is always a good choice to stick to plain yogurt instead of fruit flavors.

Whole-fruit Smoothie

Fruits offer easy-to-digest simple sugars and are the preferred source of energy of your body for high-intensity workouts. You can whirl together oats, flaxseeds, bananas, peanut butter, and almond milk. Alternatively, you can try out bananas, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and half an avocado.

High-protein Oatmeal and Blueberries

If you need quick energy, you can try whipping up blueberry-almond overnight oats. Chia seeds, oats, and almond butter provide sustained energy for longer workouts.

You can add plain Greek yogurt and protein powder (vanilla or unflavored) to add amino acids to help your muscles that are breaking down.

Banana with Peanut Butter and Honey

Bananas are the power bars of mother nature. Loaded with simple carbs and potassium, bananas help with optimal nerve and muscle function. You can top one off with a serving of delicious peanut butter (or any nut butter) and drizzle a bit of honey to add a little sweetness. It will release slow and steady levels of glucose into the bloodstream, which makes it an excellent choice for intense workouts.

Apple with Almond Butter and Raisins

Dried fruits such as raisins are a rich source of natural simple sugar. The amount of fiber in raisins and apples along with monosaturated fats in the almond butter help in curbing your hunger without filling you up.

Low-fat Cottage Cheese and Dried Apricots

A power-packed breakfast or snack, cottage cheese includes healthy amounts of casein and whey protein. A slow-digesting protein, casein fuels the muscles for countless hours and help them grow and recover fully and quickly. On the other hand, whey can be described as a bodybuilding essential that bulks muscles and burns fat. You can add dried apricots to a serving of delicious cottage cheese. The combination of carbs and protein is low in fiber and fat that can at times case belly bloat.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

This all-American pre-workout snack is affordable, easy, and a portable source of carbs and protein. It is best to opt for whole-wheat bread and natural nut butter.

Coffee

Loaded with fat-burning properties, coffee is best consumed before going to the gym. It helps in the conversion of fat cells into a source of energy to reduce weight. It is best to try black coffee and avoid sugar and milk.

A carb and protein-rich diet can significantly enhance your gym & athletic performance. They fuel up your body with the right set of nutrients so you can easily conquer your health, fitness, bodybuilding, and overall wellness goals. Ideally, you should have a gap of about 2-3 hours between a meal and a workout session. In case this gap is not possible, you can take pre-workout meals (with easily digestible food items) 30 minutes before.

We hope that this informative piece of information was helpful to you in gaining a clear and complete understanding of good pre-workout meals to fuel your intense workouts, cardio sessions, and strength training sessions.