What to Eat Before & After a Workout

What to Eat Before & After a Workout

No matter your fitness or weight loss goal, diet is a big part of seeing results at the gym.

Generally speaking, it’s important to have a diet that reflects a healthy and active lifestyle. Your body needs fuel to stay energized, so this should be of little surprise.

But in addition to maintaining energy, it’s also important to provide your body with the right nutrients. Your muscles, for example, require protein in order to recover and grow. On the other hand, cardiovascular exercise depletes your body of important vitamins and nutrients. You can see how these things are all connected!

When it comes to working out, there’s a lot of confusion out there about what you should and should not eat. I’m going to clear up some of the confusion and give you some great options for what to eat before and after a workout. If you can get this right, you’ll see amazing improvements in your weight loss and fitness efforts!

Let’s take a look at how you can reach your goals faster by eating right!

Part 1. What to Eat Before a Workout

The main focus of your pre-workout meals should be protein and complex carbohydrates. These are the basic nutrients your body needs to stay fueled and energized throughout your workout. Even if you work out relatively early in the morning, you need to eat for adequate nutritional support.

My first recommendation is to have a protein shake within an hour before hitting the gym. A time-released protein powder like Optimum 100% Casein Protein or Combat Powder may be the most effective for sustaining your energy expenditure. Add to these some almond milk, some frozen fruit, and the super food NOW Spirulina Powder, and you’ll be ready to hit it hard!

As for carbs, remember that fruits and veggies count. But if you need something a little more substantial, a whole wheat cracker with peanut butter will do the trick, or a protein bar like Promax Protein Bars.

Another super healthy, protein-packed option is fat-free Greek yogurt with a little honey and some of these Nutiva Organic Chia Seeds. They’re another great energy-enhancing super food and make sure to have plenty of water within this 1hr period before your workouts.

Now 30 minutes before hand it’s time to catapult your motivation and energy into overdrive and both men and women alike can get tons of benefits from a smart pre-workout complex drink like Essential Amino Energy or the number one product in the industry Muscle Pharm Assault. The combination of vitamins and minerals together will no doubt get you through even the most rigorous workout like it was a breeze.

Part 2. What to Eat After a Workout

The first hour following your workout is the most important for refueling and replenishing your resources. First, this is a good time for another protein shake. A satisfying whey protein like Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion (Delicious Vanilla flavor) is my personal preference after a long hard workout.

Add to your post-workout shake an amino acid supplement like Optimum Glutamine, and your tired muscles will come back bigger and stronger.

Your body also needs more carbs at this time to get your energy level back up, and also to aid in the digestion of your protein. Some great post-workout meal options include eggs or egg whites with whole grain whole what toast, fat-free Greek yogurt with berries, or oatmeal topped with a banana and some chopped nuts, like these NOW Almonds.

Other great additions to post-workout meals include Amazing Grass Green SuperFood Powder, NOW Chlorella, and NOW Astragalus. All are great options for giving your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs to effectively recover especially if you find that you are one of those people who is sore all the time and it is getting in the way of your training.

What to Eat Before & After a Workout – Conclusion

No matter what you eat before and after a workout, it’s important to keep your blood sugar levels as consistent and balanced as possible. This means avoiding processed foods and foods high in sugar and bad fat. Keep it healthy, and keep your body fuelled!

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