What to eat before you work out

Personal trainers, fitness magazines and websites have different opinions on what is the best pre-workout meal. Your personal trainer may suggest eating protein to build muscle, but your marathon runner friend may tell you to eat carbohydrates for energy. Other people think that working out on an empty stomach is the best way to burn fat stores; however, this approach will only be successful if you are working out at a low intensity, such as walking, for less than 30 minutes. If you are planning to perform high-intensity aerobic activity or weight train for more than 45 minutes, you may consider eating a high carbohydrate, low fat, low fiber meal with some protein.

All these opinions can be confusing, so I gathered some tips from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association and Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

Tips for Pre-Workout Meals/Snacks

Choose high carbohydrate, low fiber foods, such as wheat bread, pitas, brown rice, pasta, yams or baked potato to facilitate emptying, prevent gastric distress and maximize glycogen stores.

Consume only a moderate amount of protein.

Avoid high-fat foods, such as regular cheese, fried foods, ice cream or hamburgers/hot dogs.

Aim for 200-300 kcal for a pre-workout meal.

Allow for adequate digestion before starting to exercise.

Consume adequate amount of fluid (about 2 cups) approximately 2 hours before exercise.

Maintain a healthy, balanced diet throughout the day.

Aim for wholesome foods as opposed to relying on bars and nutritional shakes.

Ideas for Pre-Workout Meals/Snacks

1 cup of unsweetened cereal with low fat milk

Low fat yogurt with a small piece of fruit

Banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

Raw vegetables with 2 tablespoons of hummus

Chicken or vegetable noodle soup

½ bagel with any nut butter

1 cup of old fashioned oatmeal with low fat milk, cinnamon and sweetener

½ turkey sandwich with mustard, lettuce, and tomato

Remember that age, race, gastric emptying, allergies and intolerances, genetic factors and type of activity contribute to how well a pre-workout meal is tolerated. It may be beneficial to try a few different pre-workout snacks/meals to find out what works best for you. For more information on sports nutrition, visit the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness practice group of the American Dietetic Association's website.