It's also important to drink plenty of fluids before and during a workout, especially in hot and humid conditions when more fluid is lost in sweat. You need to structure your eating plan based on the intensity, duration, and type of workout you intend to do. This is especially important if you are competing in an all-day event, such as a marathon , track meets, or team sporting event.

Some activities burn energy rapidly, while others require a slow and steady fuel supply to keeping you going for the long haul. To this end, it is important to know how much energy you will likely expend during the activity:.

Eating before exercise is something only the athlete can determine based on experience, but, as a general guideline:. To prepare for your workout, you need to replenish your glycogen stores upon waking since you will be in a fasted state.

You should do so well enough in advance of the activity so that you don't work out on a full stomach. Depending on how much food you eat, allow yourself anywhere from one to four hours to properly digest the pre-exercise meal. If you plan to workout intensely for more than an hour, a combination of carbohydrate and protein beforehand can be helpful.

A meta-analysis showed that endurance athletes had slower time-to-exhaustion and faster time-trial performance when they ate a combination of carbohydrates and proteins before exercise compared to carbs only. The most common ratio of carbs to protein in the studies was If you have an early morning event, it is best to get up as early as possible to start your eating plan.

If you are unable to do so, eat or drink an easily digestible carb source like a banana no more than 20 to 30 minutes before the event. Clearly, the closer you are to the start of the event, the less you should eat.

If you fail to fuel up at all, you risk compromising your performance, especially if you haven't conditioned yourself to exercise without a pre-snack or pre-meal. Within hours of completing a long or high-intensity workout, consume high-quality protein sources or, if time is short, a protein shake.

Some studies have shown that consuming 25g of protein in this window is beneficial. You will also need to consume 0. This will replenish your glycogen stores as well as promote muscle protein synthesis.

Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbs and easy to digest, such as pasta, fruit, bread, energy bars, and energy drinks.

The type of carb you choose also matters. If you're attending an endurance event, go with a carb with a low glycemic index GI. Low-GI carbs don't raise the blood sugar quickly but rather maintain glucose levels at a steady state for a longer period of time.

If your activity is short but intense, skip the whole grains and go instead for high-GI refined grains that raise the blood sugar quickly and give you a burst of energy off the starting blocks.

Here are just some of the foods to consider prior to the start of an event. Foods with a lot of fat or fiber can be difficult to digest and tend to remain in the stomach for a long time. What this means is the blood meant to deliver oxygen to the muscles will instead get diverted to the stomach.

As a rule, avoid foods like doughnuts, fries, potato chips, candy bars, or red meat. While beans, dried fruit, coleslaw, and dairy may fit the bill nutrition-wise, you may want to skip them and other potentially gassy foods prior to exercise if you are prone to bloating.

Before a workout, skip any foods that are difficult to digest high fiber or high-fat foods or low in nutrient value, such as fried foods and candy. It's important to plan out the timing of your workouts and meals each day to avoid eating too much or too little beforehand and to pack snacks that will give you the fuel you need.

Common pitfalls include:. It can be helpful to establish a pre-exercise eating routine that you know works for you. It may take some experimentation to find which pre-exercise foods work best to sustain your workouts.

Although sugary food like candy cookies can give a short burst of energy, they don't offer nutrition your body needs. Choose snacks that fit into an overall healthy eating plan. For example, opt for fresh fruit and bread with nut butter instead. It can be helpful to keep some pre-exercise snacks with you so that if your schedule changes, you'll still have them available before a workout.

Even when you have a routine, plan to adjust it as needed. For example, if you know you will going out for a heavy lunch and usually workout in the middle of the day, try to plan your workout in the morning or wait at least four hours to allow some time for digestion.

Planning out your pre-exercise foods will help you feel energized not depleted and may help you reach your fitness goals. Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing.

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Kloby Nielsen LL, Tandrup Lambert MN, Jeppesen PB. The effect of ingesting carbohydrate and proteins on athletic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Ormsbee MJ, Bach CW, Baur DA. Pre-exercise nutrition: the role of macronutrients, modified starches and supplements on metabolism and endurance performance. Published Apr Yalçın T, Al A, Rakıcıoğlu N. The effects of meal glycemic load on blood glucose levels of adults with different body mass indexes.

Indian J Endocrinol Metab. Grundy MM, Edwards CH, Mackie AR, Gidley MJ, Butterworth PJ, Ellis PR. Re-evaluation of the mechanisms of dietary fibre and implications for macronutrient bioaccessibility, digestion and postprandial metabolism.

Br J Nutr. Kanter, M. High-Quality Carbohydrates and Physical Performance: Expert Panel Report. Nutr Today. Each macronutrient has a specific role before a workout.

However, the ratio in which you need to consume them varies by the individual and type of exercise 1. Your muscles use the glucose from carbs for fuel. But for longer exercises, the degree to which carbs are used depends on several factors.

These include the intensity, type of training, and your overall diet 1. As these stores become depleted, your output and intensity diminish 1. Studies have consistently shown that carbs can increase glycogen stores and utilization while boosting carb oxidation during exercise 2.

Carb loading , which involves consuming a high carb diet for 1—7 days, is a well-known method to maximize glycogen stores 3 , 4. Many studies have documented the potential of pre-workout protein consumption to improve athletic performance. Eating protein alone or with carbs prior to exercise has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis 5.

One small study found that consuming 25 grams g of whey protein before exercise enhanced whole body anabolism, or muscle growth, compared to a placebo 6. Other benefits of eating protein before exercise include 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 :.

While glycogen is used for short and high intensity bouts of exercise, fat is the source of fuel for longer and moderate-to-low intensity exercise Some studies have investigated the effects of fat intake on athletic performance. However, these studies looked at high fat diets over a long period, rather than prior to exercise For example, one review found that following a low carb, high fat diet could improve body composition and increase maximal oxygen uptake when paired with high intensity interval training HIIT Carbs help maximize glycogen stores for high intensity exercise, while fat helps fuel your body for longer, less intense workouts.

Meanwhile, protein improves muscle protein synthesis and aids recovery. The timing of your meal is also an important aspect of pre-exercise nutrition. To maximize the results of your training, try to eat a complete meal containing carbs, protein, and fat 2—3 hours before you exercise.

In that case, then you can still eat a decent pre-workout meal. However, keep in mind that the sooner you eat before your workout, the smaller and simpler the meal should be.

If you eat 45—60 minutes prior to your workout, choose foods that are simple to digest and contain mainly carbs and some protein. For meals eaten closer to your workout, choose simpler carbs and some protein.

A good rule of thumb is to eat a mixture of carbs and protein prior to exercise 1. A combination of carbs and protein is recommended for pre-workout meals. Which foods and how much you should eat can vary based on the type, duration, and intensity of your workout.

Supplement use is common in sports. These products may enhance performance, improve strength, increase lean body mass, and reduce fatigue. Creatine is probably the most commonly used sports supplement.

It has been shown to increase muscle mass, muscle fiber size, muscle strength, and power, all while delaying fatigue 15 , Taking 3—5 g of creatine monohydrate per day is effective Among many other benefits, caffeine has been shown to improve performance, increase strength and power, help reduce feelings of fatigue, and stimulate fat burning 18 , Caffeine can be consumed in coffee, tea, and energy drinks, but it can also be found in pre-workout supplements and pills.

However, it has been shown to be effective even when ingested 15—60 minutes prior to exercise Studies have shown that taking BCAAs before workouts helps decrease muscle damage and increase muscle protein synthesis 20 , Most benefits of BCAAs have been observed in doses of at least 91 milligrams mg per pound lb.

of body weight, or mg per kilogram kg For a person that weighs lbs. Beta-alanine is an amino acid that increases your muscle stores of carnosine. It has been shown to be most effective for short and high intensity exercises.

It does this by increasing exercise capacity and muscle endurance while reducing fatigue 23 , The recommended daily dose is 4—6 g, which should be taken for at least 2—4 weeks The combination of these ingredients may have synergistic effects and improve performance significantly Caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, branched-chain amino acids, arginine, and B vitamins are among the most commonly used ingredients in these products 25 , These pre-workout supplements have been shown to increase work output, strength, endurance, anaerobic power, reaction time, focus, and alertness 25 , Creatine, caffeine, BCAAs, and beta-alanine are often recommended before a workout.

Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements combine many different ingredients for optimal benefits. Your body needs water to function. Good hydration has been shown to sustain and even enhance performance, while dehydration has been linked to significant decreases in performance 27 , This will improve fluid balance 29 , The American College of Sports Medicine ACSM recommends drinking beverages slowly at least 4 hours before exercise.

Additionally, they recommend consuming a beverage or snack that contains sodium to help retain fluids Water is important for performance.

Eating protein helps improve muscle protein synthesis, prevent muscle damage, and promote recovery. Pre-workout meals can be eaten 3 hours to 30 minutes before a workout. However, choose foods that are easy to digest, especially if your workout starts in 1 hour or less. This will help you avoid stomach discomfort.

At the end of the day, simple pre-workout nutrition practices can go a long way in helping you perform better and recover faster. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Eating the right foods after workouts is important for muscle gain, recovery, and performance.

Here is a guide to optimal post-workout nutrition. Exercise burns calories, but many people claim it doesn't help you lose weight. This article explores whether exercise really helps with weight loss.

When it comes to eating foods to fuel your exercise performance, it's not as simple as choosing vegetables over doughnuts.