Working out is important. It helps us stay healthy, it makes us stronger, and it can help us lose weight. However, if you don’t eat the right foods before you work out, you might not see the results that you want. There are a lot of different opinions about what the best pre-workout nutrition is. Some people say that you should eat a big meal before working out, while others say that you should avoid eating anything at all. So what’s the truth? What are the best foods to eat before a workout?
Contents
Bananas
Bananas are very healthy, and they also give you a good amount of energy. They’re full of potassium, which helps with muscle strength. This is great for working out because when you lift weights or do anything else that causes your muscles to contract, your muscles use up a lot of the body’s stored energy. So if you have less potassium in your system, it means that your muscles will have less available energy. Eating bananas before working out can help boost the amount of power your muscles have to work with and therefore increase the number of reps that you can do.
A banana also gives you about 30 to 40 grams of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are a great source of energy, and they’re crucial for working out. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, which your brain, nerves, and muscles need to function. If you don’t eat enough carbs before a workout, your body will have to convert protein into glucose instead. This uses up a ton of your body’s resources and can sometimes actually make you weaker during the workout.
Greek Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the best foods that you can eat before a workout because it contains calcium and vitamin D. Calcium helps with muscle recovery after your workout, so having it before you work out can help your muscles repair themselves faster. The vitamin D in greek yogurt is essential for the immune system. When you exercise, you lower your body’s resistance to disease because you use up a lot of the nutrients that are supposed to keep your immune system strong. Eating yogurt can give your body what it needs to prevent infection and stay healthy while working out.
Another benefit of Greek Yogurt is that it has high protein content. This is great because, during any type of strength training or cardio, you are breaking down muscle fibers. Protein helps rebuild those fibers, and if there isn’t enough protein around, then they will be replaced with fat instead.
Eggs
Eggs are another food you can eat before a workout because they contain both protein and fat. The protein helps your muscles rebuild like Greek Yogurt does, however it also contains leucine. which is an amino acid that stimulates muscle production. Eggs are high in cholesterol, which is bad for some people, but great for others. If you have healthy cholesterol levels, then eating eggs regularly can actually lower your body’s cholesterol levels by preventing LDL from attaching to the walls of your arteries. This will keep them clear, so blood flows properly throughout your entire body.
The fat found in eggs is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Eating this type of fat regularly can help prevent metabolic syndrome. Which is a disorder that causes bad cholesterol levels, blood glucose problems, and high blood pressure.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is great because it contains carbs and fiber, making it very nutritious. Although, it’s especially beneficial before a workout because of all the fiber. Fiber helps you feel full and satisfied, so if you eat oatmeal for breakfast before working out, that will help keep your strength up throughout the entire exercise. It also contains calcium, which can increase muscle strength and allow you to do more work in your workouts.
Oats also have a lot of iron in them. Iron is another nutrient that helps muscles repair themselves faster after a strenuous workout. So having oats before working out gives your body what it needs to recover quickly from each session so you can go back and do an even harder one next time.
Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is one of the best foods that you can eat before a workout. It contains protein and also some fat. The protein helps build muscle tissue, which is essential for strength training. Since your muscles are the ones doing all the work. If they aren’t strong enough to lift heavy weights, then it won’t matter how much you do; your body won’t see any results. But having grilled chicken before working out gives your muscles what they need to get stronger.
The fat found in this food gives you energy throughout your workout, so eating grilled chicken regularly will help keep your endurance up even when you feel like quitting. However, this may not give you an initial boost of energy but will keep you feeling full for long. So a good tip would be to pair your grilled chicken with some healthy carbs before working out to keep yourself energized all the way until your workout is done.
Conclusion
Eating these foods before a workout will provide your body with everything it needs to do both aerobic and anaerobic exercises without getting tired or feeling like quitting. All of these foods contain nutrients that help muscles repair themselves faster after a strenuous activity. So you can always go back for more the next time you work out. These foods combined with a nutritious post-workout meal will give your body exactly what it needs to improve muscle strength and endurance over time!
