Exercise and movement are an important part of a healthy lifestyle and should be a regular part of your day. But eating is just as important as exercising. With the right foods, for example, you can make sure you lose weight healthily or build muscle. In today's blog post, we'll show you why the right pre-workout meal is important for your ideal diet and what food you should eat before your workout.
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There are three things you should pay attention to before training
Eating before exercise is often difficult for many people. You don't want to be full when you train and, above all, you don't want to feel that your full stomach is restricting your training progress. This happens quite often, but this phenomenon is usually due to eating the wrong food. The pre-workout meal should be an integral part of your training.
Many people believe that you can lose weight faster if you go to the gym on an empty stomach. If you have nothing in your stomach, the body will attack the fat reserves faster. But this misconception is and remains one thing: a myth! Your body is more likely to take the energy from your muscles than from your fat stores when you are sober, because it can be used much faster. And regardless of whether you want to lose weight or build muscle, this would be fatal in any case!
In addition, the pre-workout meal determines how quickly you tire and whether you can perform at your best. That's why eating before a workout is absolutely essential. If you like to work out in the morning hours, you won't be able to avoid a nutritious and healthy breakfast. And as we know, breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day.
The right nutrition makes your training even more effective
A healthy diet is therefore at least as important as the training itself. That's why you should always make sure you're taking in the right nutrients.
It is especially important to get your body going and supply it with energy before training. Proteins and fast carbohydrates form the basis for a healthy pre-workout meal. As a general rule, the last solid meal should be eaten about 1-2 hours before your workout and the last liquid meal about 30 minutes before.
Porridge or muesli, for example, is an effective way to start your workout. Our products are particularly impressive for breakfast due to their high proportion of healthy nutrients and energy boosters. We have also developed a special product line for athletes that is tailored to your needs.
Pre-workout meal: not too much and not too greasy
The basic rule is already in the title. Not too much, not too greasy, not too fast. And you should stick to that to a large extent.
You should avoid fat as much as possible. So: Avoid nuts, avocados and various oils, for example, because the fats they contain take a long time to digest and make you slow and tired. They take up to 6 hours and are therefore heavy on the stomach. Even though the fats in nuts, avocados and oils are healthy fats, you should use them as sparingly as possible.
Also, be careful with too much fiber. This binds blood in the digestive tract that you could use better elsewhere.
You should definitely avoid too large meals before a workout, because it is harder to train on a full stomach. The larger the meal, the more time you should take before your workout.
Sufficient fluids are also part of a pre-workout meal
A sufficient amount of water should definitely be a large part of your pre-workout meal. Starting your workout well-hydrated is healthy and your body needs fluids. Especially if you sweat a lot, you should make sure to drink enough fluids.
In general, it is important to drink enough fluids. It's best to drink 1.5-2 liters throughout the day. During training, it is best to drink still water at room temperature so that your body can work with it quickly.
When should you eat before training?
Timing your food intake before training is an important part of your training success. If you eat a large meal shortly before your workout, you will quickly notice that you are sluggish and slow. The digestion process does not happen in a few minutes, but can take up to hours.
If possible, you should eat larger meals up to 3-4 hours before your workout. The last smaller, solid meal at least 1-2 hours before your workout. The last liquid meal 30 minutes before your workout.
It's really bad to start your workout with a growling stomach. This causes your body to attack your muscle reserves directly instead of your fat reserves, which means that you only break down muscle and not fat. And that should definitely not be the goal.
Pre-workout meal for muscle building
Muscle building is, of course, a big topic when it comes to workouts, because most people train for exactly this reason. So what should you eat to build muscle optimally?
Proteins are the key to success here. Protein reduces the release of cortisol, delays the depletion of glycogen stores and thus effectively protects against muscle breakdown! A high-protein snack before your workout is even good for building muscle because it ensures that there are enough amino acids that can slowly enter the bloodstream during your workout.
Carbohydrates are just as important in your pre-workout nutrition. They don't directly help you build muscle, but they do help you fill up your glycogen stores. They also protect you from hypoglycemia and increase your insulin levels, both of which protect against muscle loss. With the right amount of carbohydrates, ideally fast carbohydrates, you have the ideal energy for a long and hard workout!
Pre-workout meal for losing weight
The perfect pre-workout meal for losing weight is a special case. Carbohydrates should ideally be reduced. What is important is that you make sure you burn more calories than you consume – in other words, you need a calorie deficit! This is the most effective way to lose weight.
If you need help with healthy weight loss and find tedious calorie counting and calculating your basal metabolic rate too exhausting, we at Verival have developed a simple tool that can help you.
The Verival calorie calculator
The 10 best foods for your pre-workout meal
Since it does matter what food you eat before a workout, we have put together a list for you so you know what's best for you in the jungle of nutrients.
1. Bananas
Natural sugars, simple carbohydrates and potassium. It doesn't get much better than that! A banana is perfect in any porridge or cereal and is also just delicious. Top it off with peanut butter for an extra kick of protein.
2. Porridge and oats
With the complex carbohydrates that oats have to offer, you are perfectly prepared for your workout. An extra spoonful of protein powder or peanut butter adds the necessary proteins.
3. Chicken and vegetables
A classic among pre and post workout meals. Proteins and complex carbohydrates take your training to the next level.
4. Protein bars
Whether as a snack in between meals or as a small pre-workout meal, protein bars (preferably without added sugar) are a real source of energy.
5. Smoothies
Fructose, fructose, fructose! With their high calorie count, they almost count as a whole meal and give you just as fast glucose.
6. sweet potatoes and whole grain bread
Complex carbohydrates are also the be-all and end-all in these foods. 2-3 hours before training, wholegrain bread and sweet potatoes are perfect energy suppliers.
7. peanut butter
Peanut butter is not only extremely tasty, but also one of the best sources of protein around. 30 minutes before your workout is the perfect time to combine a snack with peanut butter.
8. Eggs
Eggs are arguably the purest form of protein you could wish for. In a balanced, healthy diet for athletes, they should not be missing under any circumstances.
9. Pasta
Pasta is also a great source of carbohydrates and, in moderation and with distance, provides the necessary energy for your workout.
10. Protein shakes
High-quality shakes can help you get the nutrients and minerals you need into your body. Simple carbohydrates, proteins and lots of minerals enable high performance when you reach for a shake about an hour before your workout.
The 3 best recipes for your pre-workout meal
It's particularly important to get the right nutrients at breakfast time, so we've put together three recipes to help you get the day off to a sporty start.
Protein muesli bar with almond and fig
A quick and easy recipe for healthy and delicious muesli bars that give you the right amount of energy and provide you with optimal protein – for breakfast, during sports or just for in between.
Preparation time 10 min.
Cook time 25 min.
Total time 35 min.
Servings: 15
Ingredients
- 180 g Verival Grain Free Sport Protein Muesli Almond-Fig
- 120 g low-fat quark
- 3 tbsp flaked linseed, as egg substitute
- 50 ml hot water
- 15 g almonds
- 30 g dried apricots
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (convection).
- Line a rectangular baking pan (approx. 32cm x 24cm) with baking paper.
- Prepare the egg substitute: To do this, mix the flaxseeds with 50 ml of hot water and let them soak for 5 minutes.
- Coarsely chop the almonds and apricots.
- Mix the protein muesli with the low-fat quark.
- Then add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the dough into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out.
- Then bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 15 pieces while still hot and allow to cool.
