I always get questions on the difficult subject on which foods are best to eat before exercise.
Studies have shown that consuming foods with a slower sugar release (porridge, potatoes etc) will work far better than foods with a fast release of sugar (chocolate, sugary snacks of all kinds).
This wise choice will keep your blood sugar levels much more long lasting especially during longer training sessions.
Latest studies have also shown that slow release energy based meals eaten around 3 hours before exercise have burnt more fat than those people who ate sugary snacks 3 hours before the same workout, and the same amount of carbs.
This is not to say that a small amount of sugary product cannot be beneficial before exercise, but having too much sugar can cause dizziness and make you feel faint, especially if you overdo it before intense exercise.
Some ideas for pre-exercise meals
Sandwich/roll/bagel/wrap filled with chicken, fish, cheese, egg or peanut butter
Jacket potato with beans, cheese, tuna, or chicken
Pasta with tomato based pasta sauce, vegetables and cheese
Lighter macaroni cheese with salad
Rice with chicken or fish and veg
Porridge made with milk
Wholegrain cereal such a weetabix, shredded wheat, no salt no sugar muesli.
Noodles with stir-fried prawns or tofu and veg
Pre-workout snack ideas
2-3 portions of fruit, eg grapes, apples, peaches, apricots
1-2 bananas
Approx 40g raisins, dried apricots or sultanas
One 300ml smoothie home made preferably
1 or 2 pots of natural fruit yoghurt
1 all natural cereal bar, not the more or less pure sugar type!
1 large glass fruit juice
3 rice cakes, thinly spread with all natural peanut butter
See how you get on with these!
