Workout! But To Eat or Not?
If you follow me on social media or on the blog, you know by now that my philosophy remains consistent in that we are all different! We have different bodies, different needs, different sleep habits and stress levels, different cellular integrity…
The science behind our nutrition is not different, however.
The basics without getting too “scienc-y” are:
– Carbs give us energy.
– Proteins refuel and rebuild.
– Fats…have a variety of functions including cell integrity and vitamin absorption levels.
When it comes to eating PRE and POST workout, most important is that balance of carbs and protein to either FUEL your workouts or REFUEL your body after glucose has been used up and muscles are tired.
This blog post is focused on PRE workout. Here is what works for me. This is based on the fact that I eat dinner at about 6:30-7pm, I get up between 4:30-5am and most days I workout at 5:30am. I sleep well most nights, drink a lot of water and eat a balanced diet of complex carbs, lean proteins and lots of healthy fats.
I have days where I feel more energized and days where I feel depleted. Days when my nutrition is on-point and days when that is not the case. And the truth is, I can usually relate it to my nutrition.
Consistently, if I am working out in the morning at 5:30, the ONLY thing I have PRE-workout is my lemon/honey/ACV water. Somedays (depending on workout intensity) I will have 1/2 a serving of Ignite. But, no food PRE-workout for me that early in the morning.
Days that I need to be at work early and my workouts are in the afternoon, I will always have something to eat about 60-90 minutes PRE-workout. I have found in the past that if I do not eat, about 30 minutes into my workout I experience a drop in blood sugar and that IS NOT a good feeling.
My PRE-workout snack is usually 1/2 of a banana and 1-2 tbsps of almond butter (depending on how hungry I feel). This is a perfect balance of quick digesting carbohydrate, protein and fat. Occasionally, I will sprinkle some raw cacao nibs on top.
Questions about PRE and POST workout nutrition? Post them in comments or send me an email. I would love to hear from you!