Should I eat before a workout?

Length of workout

Many believe that if your goal is to lose weight then you should skip out on eating beforehand. One study found that men who hadn’t eaten breakfast and then walked briskly for an hour burned more fat than those who didn’t skip breakfast.¹ However, the type of exercise carried out in the study was an hour of relatively low intensity. 

Exercising regularly on an empty stomach can actually cause muscle loss. This happens because, when we’re hungry, our body goes into survival mode and takes protein from our muscles instead of from our kidneys and liver, and, as a result, we lose muscle mass. Working out on an empty stomach can increase fat oxidation but using more fat doesn’t necessarily mean fat loss, it can often mean using the fat from our muscles.

But, this doesn’t mean we should scratch the idea of skipping breakfast before a workout entirely. Generally if you exercise – whether it be running, cycling, or walking – for an hour or under at moderate or relatively low intensity you will be fine without eating beforehand. And, as the study above confirmed, this can actually be beneficial for weight loss!

On the other hand, if you plan on exercising over a longer period of time, or at a higher intensity, then fuelling up is a must! This will not only help give you more energy throughout your workout, but it will also help prevent your body from using up the glycogen from your muscles. If you want to take part in a long distance run or cycle it is important that you have enough energy (received from the food that you eat) to make it through to the end.

Intensity of workout

While you might manage a brisk walk or taking part in gentle exercise such as yoga without eating beforehand, embarking on a 5K without some sort of fuel is sure to cause some trouble! Taking part in an extremely intense exercise session without eating beforehand can leave you feeling faint and not able to get the most out of your workout due to depleted energy levels.

Timing

Now, it’s all very well coming to the decision that you are going to eat before a workout, but you’re now faced with your next dilemma – how long should you leave it? Generally it is best to wait 2 to 3 hours after a meal and 1 hour after eating a snack before exercising. This will give your body enough time to let the food settle and will help you to avoid cramps.

What foods are best to eat to get the most out of a workout?

 Opt for easily digestible foods that are rich in minerals because we lose a lot of minerals through our sweat when we exercise. Try to include carbohydrates too as carbohydrates are stored in muscles as the main energy source for high intensity exercise.

A small amount of pre-workout protein helps to counteract the breakdown of glycogen in your muscles. For a killer combination I’d suggest having both carbohydrates and protein before a workout. This will give you a slow release of energy throughout the workout as well as a bit of protein to protect the breakdown of muscle glycogen. 

It can be tricky to know what the best foods to eat before working out are so below I’ve listed 6 of my favourites.

1) Wholegrain bread

Wholegrain bread is a good source of complex carbohydrates that help to slowly release energy throughout a longer workout – great for long distance runs or cycles! Try to eat complex carbohydrates 2 to 3 hours before you plan to workout to get the best effects. Not a fan of whole grain bread? Alternatives such as brown rice or sweet potatoes also do the job!

2) Salmon

Whether you work out or not, salmon is extremely good for you! It is one of the only dietary sources of vitamin D. It contains a whopping 25 grams of protein per 100 gram serving and is packed full of amino acids which help to increase muscle. Salmon is loaded with other heart-healthy nutrients such as monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to decrease inflammation and lubricate the joints to allow them to move more freely.²

3) Beets

Move over avocados, beetroot is in town! Lowering blood pressure, enhancing sports performance and improving haemoglobin levels, this little vegetable just does it all! Beetroot is a great food to eat before exercising, particularly if you take part in endurance sports like cycling or running, because it is able to dilate your blood vessels which can then increase your oxygen availability. 

One study carried out on professional cyclists found that consuming 70ml of beetroot juice before exercising significantly improved their oxygen utilisation and sports performance.⁴

If eating a plate of beetroot doesn’t seem too appealing why not try a quick and easy beetroot drink? I’d recommend Biotta’s which is 100% organic and naturally vegan and gluten free. If you want to learn more about the awesome benefits of beetroots check out our blog on Beetroot juice, heart health and periods – what’s the link?

4) Go bananas for bananas!

Bananas are rich in glucose, a highly digestible sugar, which provides quick energy. When we exercise we lose important electrolytes through our sweat. The high potassium content of bananas helps to replace the potassium lost through sweat, making bananas a good post-workout food too! Potassium is essential for our muscle function and it can help to prevent muscle cramping during your workout. 

Its low glycemic index means carbs are slowly released into your body preventing sugar crashes and spurring the process of muscle recovery. For that killer protein-carbohydrate combination why not have wholegrain toast with bananas and nut butter?

5) Watercress

Perhaps a more surprising addition to this list is watercress. Consuming watercress before exercising can help prevent damage caused by putting our body under a strenuous workout. Containing iron, manganese and vitamin A, this little leaf is packed with nutritional value!

When we exercise we need to produce more oxygen, however too much oxygen as a result of intense exercise causes a build-up of free radicals which can damage our DNA. A study, carried out by Edinburgh University found that watercress consumption before exercise helps to reduce this free-radical damage.³

6) Balance Mineral Drink

As I have already mentioned, when we exercise we sweat, and when we sweat we lose valuable electrolytes. It is important to make sure that we have plenty of electrolytes from the get-go, because low levels of electrolytes are one cause of muscle cramping, so having plenty stocked up prior to your workout can go a long way in preventing those pesky cramps! Containing magnesium, zinc and calcium our Balance Mineral Drink is an easy way to keep your electrolytes balanced – plus it’s super handy and can be used on the go; simply open a sachet, shake it in some water and you’re ready to go!

What should I eat after a workout?

It is really important to replenish your depleted energy after exercising. Studies have shown that eating 30 minutes after exercising is the maximum time to recover and replenish the energy stores of the body. Check out our blog to find out the top 5 foods to help you recover from your workout. 

¹ http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/ajpendo/early/2017/03/08/ajpendo.00006.2017.full.pdf
² http://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/meal-plans/4-superfoods-fight-inflammation
³ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-17839495
⁴ Muggeridge, D.J., et al. A single dose of beetroot juice enhances cycling performance in stimulated altitude. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2013, DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182a1dc51