Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before Different Workouts

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You wouldn't expect a high-performance sports car to run its best on empty, and your body is no different. Nutrition is the fuel for your efficient engine.

Many people train incredibly hard in the gym but find their progress stalled by the "nutrition gap." They try to out-train a diet that isn't supporting their efforts, often under-fueling or "guesstimating" their intake.

To get the most out of your training, you need to learn how to fuel your body for optimal performance during your workouts. But what you eat should depend on how you are about to train.

Here is a guide to fueling up for different types of sessions.

The Goal of Pre-Workout Fuel

Before we dive into specifics, let's look at the goal. You want to eat healthy, delicious food that supports your specific fitness goals, whether that is fat loss or muscle gain.

Generally, pre-workout nutrition serves two main purposes: providing energy (usually through carbohydrates) and supporting muscle tissue (through protein).

Fueling for High-Intensity, Short Duration (HIIT)

If you are following a protocol like "The Efficient Engine," you might be doing intensely demanding workouts that only last 20 minutes. These sessions fire up your engine quickly, pushing your body hard for short bursts.

Because these workouts are short and intense, you don't want a heavy meal sitting in your stomach.

• If you have 30-60 minutes: A small piece of fruit (like a banana) or a few rice cakes can provide quick-acting carbohydrates without causing digestive distress during jump squats or burpees.

• If you are crunched for time: Sometimes you need energy immediately. A quality Pre-Workout Supplement can help spike your energy levels fast for that short window of intense effort.

Fueling for Strength and Hypertrophy

If your workout focuses on muscle growth (hypertrophy), your goal is to create mechanical tension by lifting progressively heavier loads. These sessions might be longer and require more sustained energy.

You need fuel that will last through multiple sets of compound movements like squats or bench presses.

• The Strategy: Aim for a combination of complex carbohydrates for sustained energy release and moderate protein to have amino acids ready for your muscles.

• Examples: Oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder, or chicken with sweet potato.

• The Convenience Option: We live in a chronically busy world. If you are rushing straight from work to the weight room and don't have time for a sit-down meal, a balanced Energy/Protein Bar can be a lifesaver to ensure you don't go into a heavy lifting session under-fueled.

###Preparation is Key

Healthy eating and proper fueling don't have to be time-consuming or complicated. The secret to consistency is preparation.

By mastering meal prep, you can ensure you always have nutritious food ready to support your fitness goals. Having pre-cooked carb sources ready in the fridge makes pre-workout fueling simple. To make your prep session efficient, give yourself plenty of workspace with an Extra Large Cutting Board.

By understanding these basics and making informed choices, you can fuel your body effectively to ensure your efforts in the gym yield the best possible results.

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