Whether or not to eat before exercise is a common question for many people trying to maximize their workouts. Eating the right foods prior to exercise can provide energy, help you power through your routine, and aid muscle growth and recovery. But eating the wrong foods or too much can lead to indigestion, cramping, or other issues.
Ultimately, what and when you eat before a workout depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise, your personal preferences, digestion, and fitness goals. Here’s a detailed look at the pros and cons of eating calories before a workout.
Key Points
- Eating before exercise provides energy and helps maximize workout performance.
- Carbs help replenish glycogen stores for high intensity workouts, while protein aids muscle building.
- Eating too much right before a workout can cause indigestion, cramps, nausea.
- Lighter snacks are recommended 30-90 mins pre-workout. Heavier meals 2-3 hours before.
- Hydration is key – drink water before, during, and after exercise.
- Listen to your body and adjust your pre-workout fuel as needed.
Benefits of Eating Before Exercise
Here are some of the top benefits of fueling up before a workout:
Boosts Energy
Consuming food prior to exercise provides your body with energy in the form of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. This helps fuel your workout so you can exercise longer and more intensely.
When you eat carbs before a workout, your body breaks them down into glucose. Glucose is the preferred energy source for working muscles. It gets taken up by your muscles and liver and stored as glycogen.
Glycogen provides readily accessible energy during intense training. The more glycogen stored in your muscles, the longer and harder you can workout. Eating carbs pre-workout helps maximize glycogen stores.
Enhances Performance
Studies show that eating before exercise can improve athletic performance compared to exercising while fasted. Consuming carbs, protein, and some fat 2-4 hours before cardio or resistance training allows you to workout at a higher intensity for longer.
More stored glycogen from carb-rich meals keeps energy levels elevated. And eating protein pre-workout helps minimize muscle damage and accelerate repair. Fueling up helps power you through high intensity interval training, endurance sports, and heavy weight lifting.
Supports Muscle Growth
Eating protein before strength training stimulates muscle protein synthesis, supporting muscle growth and adaptation. Consuming whey, casein, or other protein sources along with carbs triggers an insulin response. This, in turn, sends amino acids to your muscles to aid hypertrophy.
Research suggests 20-40g of protein consumed 30-60 minutes pre-workout significantly boosts protein synthesis. Whether your goal is building mass or maintaining muscle while losing fat, pre-workout protein is highly beneficial.
Replenishes Glycogen
One of the main reasons to eat before exercising is to replenish glycogen stores. Glycogen provides quick energy for intense training but gets depleted during long or high intensity workouts.
Consuming carbs within the 1-2 hour window after a tough training session helps restore depleted glycogen. This maximizes recovery so you can hit the gym or field hard again in your next workout.
Prevents Overeating Afterwards
Starting a workout fueled up helps prevent overeating when your session ends. intense exercise increases ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”, while decreasing leptin, which signals fullness. This can make you ravenous after an intense sweat session.
Eating a balanced meal 1-3 hours pre-workout controls hunger and cravings post-exercise. You’ll be less likely to overeat or binge on unhealthy foods.
May Aid Weight Loss
While research is mixed, some studies suggest exercising in a fasted state temporarily increases metabolism and fat burning. However, this only applies to low to moderate intensity aerobic workouts under 1 hour.
For higher intensity training, eating before workouts provides energy to push harder, burn more calories, and build metabolically active muscle. This can support greater fat loss over time compared to working out fasted.
Just be sure pre-workout meals are lower in fat, higher in carbs and protein, and contain adequate fiber. This provides quality fuel without excessive calories.
Potential Drawbacks of Pre-Workout Eating
While eating before exercise has benefits, there are some potential downsides to consider:
Indigestion and Cramping
Consuming a large meal too close to exercise can lead to cramping, nausea, diarrhea and other GI issues. Food takes time to digest and empty from your stomach. Exercising vigorously on a full stomach causes food to move through your system more slowly. This can cause discomfort and make it harder to maintain intensity.
To minimize indigestion, aim to finish eating 1-3 hours before working out. Be cautious with high fiber foods which take longer to digest. And limit high fat, fried, or spicy foods which can aggravate the stomach.
Reduced Fat Burning
Eating carbs and insulin-spiking foods before aerobic workouts may blunt the increase in fat burning. Your body preferentially burns glucose from carbs over fat when it’s available.
However, this effect only occurs temporarily during low to moderate intensity training under 1 hour. For higher intensity exercise, carbs are needed to fuel performance.
Hypoglycemia
Consuming high glycemic carbs too close before exercise may trigger reactive or postprandial hypoglycemia. This can lead to drops in blood sugar, dizziness, fatigue, and poor performance.
To prevent hypoglycemia, avoid simple carbs. Eat low glycemic, high fiber carbs that provide a slow, steady stream of glucose.
Dehydration
Eating food requires fluids to digest and absorb nutrients. If you don’t drink enough pre-workout, dehydration can set in earlier and more severely.
Be sure to drink plenty of non-diuretic fluids like water before, during and after exercise to stay hydrated.
Weight Gain
While properly fueling workouts aids fat loss, eating too many calories pre-exercise promotes weight gain. Excess carbs and calories not burned off during your session get stored as fat.
Carefully manage your calorie intake before and after training based on your goals. Fuel workouts without overeating.
What to Eat Before Exercise
Choosing the right foods and snacks to eat before exercise will provide energy, hydrate, and prevent GI issues. Here are some of the top pre-workout meal and snack options:
Oatmeal
Oatmeal contains slow-burning carbs to fuel workouts and fiber to promote satiety. Add fruit, nut butter, protein powder or Greek yogurt to increase protein, fat and nutrient content. Avoid added sugar.
Whole grain toast with peanut butter
Choose whole grains like sprouted grain or rye bread. Pair with natural peanut or nut butter for filling protein and fat.
Greek yogurt parfait
Combine Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit, nuts, seeds, and bran cereal. The protein and probiotics aid digestion.
Fruit and nut bars
Look for bars with primarily whole food ingredients like nuts, seeds, oats, and dried fruit for fiber and sustained energy.
Trail mix or granola
Homemade trail mixes with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit provide carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats without excess added sugars.
Cottage cheese and fruit
Cottage cheese mixed with pineapple, berries, melon, or banana gives you protein, carbs, and antioxidants.
Turkey or veggie sandwich
Opt for whole grain bread filled with lean turkey, tuna, or roasted veggies like eggplant or mushrooms.
Protein smoothie
Blend Greek yogurt or milk with frozen fruit and protein powder for a nutrition-packed beverage.
Beans on toast
Fiber-rich beans provide sustained energy. Combine with whole grain toast or brown rice cakes.
Omelet with sweet potato
Cook eggs with veggies and cheese. Pair with baked sweet or white potato.
Lean meats with quinoa
Choose chicken, turkey, or fish with protein-rich quinoa or brown rice. Add veggies for a balanced meal.
Salmon and greens
Pan-seared or baked salmon with sautéed spinach, kale or other greens. Excellent protein and carbs.
Chicken rice bowl
Shredded chicken over brown rice with sauteed or steamed veggies for a well-rounded meal before exercise.
Tofu veggie stir-fry
Saute tofu and mixed vegetables in coconut oil or sesame oil for plant-based protein and fats. Serve over quinoa or rice.
Protein pancakes
Make pancakes with bananas, eggs, oats, Greek yogurt, and protein powder. Top with peanut butter for energy and nutrition.
When to Eat Before Exercise
Along with nutrient composition, timing is vital when eating before workouts. Allow enough time for your body to digest and absorb pre-workout fuel. Here are general guidelines on meal timing based on the size of your pre-exercise snack or meal:
Light Snack
30-90 minutes pre-workout
Aim to finish a smaller 200-300 calorie snack about 30-90 minutes before starting your exercise session. This gives your body time to digest while supplying energy to fuel activity soon after eating.
Good light pre-workout snacks include a protein bar, oatmeal, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, toast with nut butter, or fruit and nuts. Drink water as you snack to aid digestion.
Medium-sized Meal
2-3 hours pre-workout
For a more substantial 400-600 calorie meal, allow 2-3 hours for digestion before higher intensity training. Fuel up after lunch for an evening workout or have breakfast a few hours before a morning fitness session.
Meals like a turkey sandwich with veggies, beans and rice, or salmon with sweet potatoes provide quality carbs, protein, and fat without overfilling your stomach. Continue to sip water with your food.
Large Meal
3-4 hours pre-workout
Allow 3-4 hours to fully digest a larger 800+ calorie pre-exercise meal. This prevents indigestion, cramping and other GI issues during physical exertion.
A sizable meal before a workout might include several pieces of whole grain toast with eggs and fruit or a big bowl of oatmeal topped with nuts and nut butter. Drink plenty of fluids with your food.
Sample Meal Schedule
Here is an example pre-workout meal schedule for workouts throughout the day:
Morning Workout
Meal: Oatmeal, Greek yogurt parfait, or peanut butter toast
When: 90 mins – 2 hours before workout
Afternoon Workout
Meal: Turkey sandwich with veggies, salad with chicken or tuna
When: 2-3 hours before workout
Evening Workout
Meal: Salmon with sweet potato and greens, chicken fried rice
When: 3-4 hours before workout
Listen to your body and adjust this schedule according to your digestive patterns and comfort eating before different sessions. Fuel up at times that allow food to settle and provide energy.
Pre-Workout Supplements
Beyond whole foods, certain supplements can provide workout fuel and benefits:
Whey Protein
Whey protein consumed 30-60 minutes pre-workout boosts muscle protein synthesis. Go for 20-40g of whey protein isolate or hydrolysate.
BCAAs
Branched chain amino acid supplements help preserve muscle glycogen stores during intense training. Take 5-10g about 60 minutes before exercise.
Creatine
Creatine supports strength, power, muscle gains, and energy production. Take 3-5g with a pre-workout meal or snack.
Caffeine
A cup of coffee or caffeine supplement 30-90 minutes before a workout can enhance endurance and alertness. Limit to 1-2mg per kg of bodyweight.
Carb Powder
Carb supplements like maltodextrin can be added to a pre-workout shake. Aim for about 30-60g 1-2 hours before exercise.
Nitrate Powder
Beet root juice powder and other nitrate supplements boost blood flow and exercise performance. Use as directed before workouts.
Hydration is Key
Proper hydration is just as important as nutrition when fueling exercise. Drink plenty of non-diuretic fluids before, during and after workouts to:
- Prevent dehydration and overheating
- Enhance exercise performance
- Speed absorption of pre-workout nutrients
- Reduce muscle cramps and discomfort
- Aid muscle recovery
Drink about 16-24 oz (500-750ml) of water 2-3 hours before your workout. Then another 8-16 oz (250-500ml) within the hour before you start. Sip water periodically during and after training as well. Sports drinks can provide electrolytes lost in sweat.
Aim to consume fluids equal to any water weight lost through exercise. Urine color is a simple way to gauge hydration. Pale yellow is well hydrated while dark yellow signals dehydration.
Listen to Your Body
While evidence shows properly fueling before exercise has benefits, there are some individual factors to consider:
Fitness Goals
If purely trying to burn fat, working out fasted forces your body to tap into fat stores. However, eating first better fuels training for building muscle and strength.
Digestion
Those prone to GI distress should allow more time between eating and exercise. Avoid food entirely before intense activity.
Training Type
High intensity training requires fuel while light cardio can be performed fasted. Fuel up appropriately for your specific workout.
Personal Preference
Some people simply prefer not to eat before exercise or feel better working out fasted. Do what feels right for your body.
Pay attention to your energy, hunger levels, digestion, and performance eating different ways. This will help determine your optimal pre-workout meal timing and choices.
The Bottom Line
Consuming carbs, protein, and healthy fats 1-3 hours before higher intensity exercise generally provides energy, enhances performance, speeds recovery, and supports muscle growth compared to working out fasted. Benefits depend on the meal size, timing, and your body’s response.
Aim to finish eating:
- 30-90 minutes before exercise for light snacks
- 2-3 hours before exercise for medium-sized meals
- 3-4+ hours before exercise for larger meals
Drink plenty of non-diuretic fluids before, during, and after workouts. Pay attention to how your body feels fueled differently and adjust your pre-workout meal schedule and content accordingly.
