A pre-workout meal is a meal that is eaten before your workout. Having a pre-workout meal is very important, that is why you need to eat the right amount of foods in order to gain enough energy when working out your muscles. The best way of coming up with the best pre-workout meals, is by understanding the different rates of digestion that each food has to offer because meal timing is very important.

A good meal should fall within 3-4 hours of the workout, but it doesn’t have to be digested fully in order to have a good energy-filled workout.

If you want to get good performance and to improve your workouts in the gym, you need to consider having this meal before working out. Here are some of the best 5 pre-workout foods that can be eaten in the morning, or anytime through the day.

The Main Benefits Of Pre-Workout Meals

1. Gain Extra Energy During Your Workouts

Your energy levels will improve significantly during your workouts. An intense exercise can turn out to be challenging especially if you have a low carb diet and this is because your glycogen stored are not filled up.

2. Increase Your Muscle Growth

Eating protein will help release adequate amino acid in the blood stream and can improve protein synthesis. Muscle growth can only be improved if you’re eating enough calories and breaking down the muscle

3. Protect Your Muscle

When you perform hard exercises, especially the heavy weights, your body will be in a catabolic setting. This means that it can break down all the muscle tissues and use them as energy. Having a good pre-workout meal will not only help prevent muscle breakdown; but will also improve your energy recovery and repair.

List of Pre-workout Foods

1. Bananas

Bananas are also called as the nature’s power bar. This is because they have a good amount of digestible carbohydrates treads. They are also loaded with potassium which helps maintaining the nerve cells and muscle function in general. Our body is not able to store potassium for long that is why eating bananas before working out will greatly enhance your nutrient levels.

Bananas are highly recommended for morning exercisers, so you can have a medium banana with either a cup of milk or Greek yogurt. Wait for about 40 minutes, then start your exercises. By doing this I guarantee your body will obtain adequate proteins and carbohydrates.

2. Whole Grain Bread

Having 2 slices of whole grain bread will add vitamins and carbohydrates in your body. There are many ways to eat whole grain bread. You can top it off with peanut butter, honey or jam and eat it with some fried eggs for a good supply of protein also. You can grab a slice of whole grain bread few minutes before hitting the gym. And your body will be very active and energetic

3. Oats

Oats are rich in fiber and this means that they will release carbohydrates into the bloodstream. What amazes me the most about oats that they do not cause stomach gas despite the fact that they are rich in fiber. It provides a steady stream of carbohydrates and vitamins into your bloodstream to keep your energy levels constant and reliable especially during your workout. Apart from that, oats also have B vitamins which help the body convert carbohydrates and starch into energy.

4. Fruit And Yogurt

Yogurt has high-quality protein, whereas fruits are rich in carbohydrates. Most people tend to skip foods that are rich in carbs like fruits even though protein does not break down as fast as carbohydrates to become fuel for workouts. On the other hand, cabs from fruits do not take longer to break down. And proteins will be used in other areas like preventing muscle damage.

5. Smoothies

Do you need a good snack that’s on-the-go when heading to the gym? Then go for a smoothie. Smoothies are time friendly and are easier to create. For foolproof formula, you can use your preferred sliced fruit with a cup of yogurt (I highly recommend Greek yogurt). And you can add some granola so as to have a thicker consistency. If you are picking one up, make sure to check the label so as to be sure if it is made from milk-based proteins or whey.

Please consider eating these delicious pre-workout foods to help you improve your workout the healthier way.

Source: GymNeed.com