What should I eat before I exercise?

This is an age-old question to which there are many different answers. It usually boils down to an individual deciding what his or her goals are. Do you want to get bigger and gain more muscle? Is weight loss and toning your intention? Or are you going to compete in an Ironman competition or a long distance marathon like the LaSalle? Whatever your goal, you need to fuel up the right way or it can affect your overall performance.

When you determine what your goal is, you next have to decide what to eat and when to eat before exercising. This will take some experimentation on your part with both times and foods. It is also a good idea to discuss your ideas with your trainer so you can come up with an ideal plan and approach, which may lead to less time trying to figure out what works best for you.

1. Make sure your meal is out of your stomach before you begin your workout. If your meal is too heavy, too big, or you eat it too soon, you’re looking at some unwanted side affects like cramping, nausea, fatigue, and possible vomiting.
2. At the same time, if your meal is high in a sugar that is easily digested, it could raise your blood sugar high enough to spike your insulin. This will result in a sudden crash of blood sugar, which in turn can also lead to some of the affects mentioned earlier.
3. Your food choices should provide you with enough fuel for your workout as well as firing up your metabolism. This will help keep your energy level up for your workout, as well as maximizing the benefits from your workout.

The following are short lists of foods to try and the times you may want to try to eat them. Remember it may take some time to figure things out, so be patient but vigilant in your pursuit of a better, more efficient workout because you made the correct choices in fuel for your next exercise session.

Below is a list of foods that optimally should be eaten 90 to 120 minutes prior to exercise, at the very most 3 hours. These foods take longer to digest, so you’ll need to eat them within the allotted time frame to allow for stomach emptying. Note that there are a few dairy items in this section – it takes around 2 hours for your body to break it down and move it to your intestine; be careful because most individuals risk possible nausea and/or vomiting if they consume dairy products too close to their workout.

• Fresh fruit or vegetables
• Multigrain breads with some peanut butter, or lean meat, chicken, or fish
• Whole wheat pasta with a tomato sauce or a little olive oil
• Low-fat yogurt with fruit, granola, or both
• Baked potato (choose sweet potatoes over white or red because they won’t digest as easily and cause a blood sugar spike)
• Energy bar (Power Bar or equivalent) with water
• Cereal and low-fat milk

This next list is of foods that are a good choice for around 30 to 60 minutes prior to exercise. These are a little easier to digest, but not so easy that you need to worry about excessive swings in blood-sugar levels.

• Fresh fruits such as apples, peaches, oranges, grapes, pears, and pineapple
• Fruit or vegetable (low-sodium and no sugar added) juice such as orange, apple, tomato, V-8
• Sports bar, or gel pack, and water
• A low-fat vegetable soup or a chicken noodle (give this one at least an hour)

These are just a few examples that hopefully will provide you with some insight on how to begin your journey to being a more energized exercising individual. Again, your trainer is always a good person to go to with questions about how and what you should eat. But remember, it’s your body, and above all if you listen to your body, you will know what works best for you. So take up the challenge and discover more about your body than you ever thought you could, and take your training to the next level by fueling yourself properly so you have the energy to increase your intensity.

Contributed by Marchello Michaud, Fitness Together Personal Trainer