Should I eat before training?
Why you might be compromising your training performance and what to do about IT
What you do or do not eat before training can have a huge influence on your performance during training and what you get out of each session. Not correctly fuelling your body for training, will not only leave you feeling fatigued from inadequate energy stores, but also put added stress on your body which over time can weaken your immune system and lead to injury and/or illness.
Knowing what to eat to prime your body for training can be confusing. Not only is everybody different with different needs, what your training session is geared towards; weather it be endurance, strength or adaptations in body composition may all benefit from slightly different pre-training nutrition.
Here are five of my top considerations to make before choosing your pre-training fuel:
Consider the timing before training - How soon before training you eat will change depending on what your goals are for that session. If you are training for less than 1 hour and are looking to see adaption in your body composition, training on a fasted stomach, or having something more than 2 hours before training may be beneficial for you. On the other hand, if you are doing a high intensity training session, strength building session or a training session exceeding 60 minutes, it would be most beneficial to consume something within 1-2 hours prior to training.
Focus on carbohydrates first - We know that carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for our bodies and help provide our muscle cells with glucose to maximise our exercise capacity. The type of carbohydrate will depend on what type of training you are doing. If you are training for under 60 minutes at a higher intensity, a source of quick acting or high GI carbohydrates will be best for your body to easily access. On the other hand if your training exceeds >90min at a steady state, consuming a more complex or low GI carbohydrates will be better as it will allow you to released this fuel over a longer period of time, helping sustain steady energy levels and avoid spikes in your blood glucose levels.
Include some Protein - During training, especially strength training, our muscle fibres tear and require additional protein to help them repair and grow. Including protein in your pre-training snack is important, especially on days of strength training. Protein can also help keep us feel satiated and avoid hunger pangs throughout the day.
Avoid highly fatty foods - Although healthy fats such as avocado, nuts and olive oil are an important part of our overall diet, fats slow down digestion leaving your pre-training snack sitting undigested in your stomach during training which may compromise your performance and in some cases cause gastrointestinal discomfort such as nausea, abdominal cramps and vomiting.
Keep yourself hydrated - Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day and continue to replace what is lost during training. Water is most often enough when paired with good nutrition.
So what is the best snack to have before training?
It is important to remember that there is no one perfect snack, everybody will have different needs and preferences. What is important is to choose foods that you enjoy and are easy for you to digest.
Here are a few of my go-to options:
Greek or natural yogurt with fruit or untoasted muesli
Smoothie with fruit and yogurt/milk
Rice cakes with peanut butter, banana and honey
Vita-weats with cottage cheese
Sushi roll with tuna or salmon
