Fueling for Your Workouts

Fueling for your workouts: the power of the Pre-workout Snack Pre-workout snacks are as important as how you fuel your body post exercise (next blog). It took a lot of trial and error for me to figure out my perfect pre-workout snacks, which I will share below. But first, here are a few examples of how you should be picking out your pre-workout meal or snack. 2-5 hours before a workout: Complex carbohydrates are key! Complex carbohydrates contain glucose and glucose helps to fuel workouts. Combine the complex carbohydrate with a protein and a healthy fat. Examples of Complex Carbs: 1. Brown rice 2. Quinoa 3. Sweet potato Examples of fat/protein combos for 2-5 before exercise: 1. Almonds 2. Salmon 3. Olive oil/flaxseed oil 4. Avocado 5. Chicken breast 1-2 hours before a workout: This is the time to eat a snack that is high in simple or complex carbohydrates. Examples of simple/complex snacks 1-2 hours before exercise: 1. Granola 2. Banana 3. Rice Cake It can be daunting to decide when to eat and what to eat before an exercise. Remember to be mindful of how long your training session is going to be for. If you are working out for over an hour, you need more fuel than if you are working out for 25 mins. But, every type of exercise routine, regardless of the duration, needs fuel. Examples of great 1 hour pre-workout snack combinations: 1. Bowl of cereal with almond milk 2. Rice cake with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter and 10-12 raisins 3. Banana with 6-10 almonds *Things to Remember* Very fatty and heavy foods can cause dehydration and indigestion during a workout. Tend to stay away from candy, fried foods, and very rich foods 2-6 hours before your workout. Fuel up and train hard. By feeding your body properly before a workout, you will definitely feel the difference when training, in a positive way! On Instagram straight flexin', KC