NIFS Healthy Living Blog

What you eat before hitting the gym can significantly impact your performance and recovery. The right pre-workout nutrition can help fuel your workout, prevent fatigue, and optimize results. Here’s a guide on what gym-goers should consider eating before a workout.

Timing Your Pre-Workout Meal
Timing is crucial when it comes to pre-workout nutrition. Aim to eat 30 to 60 minutes before your workout. This allows your body some time to digest and utilize the nutrients for energy without feeling too full or sluggish.

Carbohydrates: Your Primary Fuel Source
Carbohydrates are your body's preferred source of energy, especially during high-intensity workouts. Aim for 30-45 grams of easily digestible carbs before your workout. Carbs help maintain blood glucose levels and maximize glycogen stores, which are essential for sustained energy. Good options include a banana, a slice of whole-grain bread with honey, or a handful of pretzels.

Moderate Protein for Muscle Support
Including a moderate amount of protein in your pre-workout meal can help support muscle repair and growth. Consuming around 10-20 grams of protein before your workout provides your muscles with the amino acids they need to begin the recovery process even before you start exercising. This can enhance muscle protein synthesis and improve overall workout performance. Opt for sources like a hard-boiled egg, a couple of slices of turkey, string cheese, or a small portion of cottage cheese. These options are easy to digest and work well alongside carbohydrates to fuel your workout.

Low Fat for Quick Digestion
While fats are an essential part of your diet, they should be limited before a workout. Fat slows digestion, which can make you feel sluggish and uncomfortable during exercise. Stick to low-fat options and save the healthy fats for your post-workout meal.

Keep Fiber in Check
Fiber is crucial for overall health, but too much fiber right before a workout can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Foods high in fiber take longer to digest and can lead to bloating or cramping during exercise. Opt for lower-fiber options like pretzels, a bit of granola, or rice cakes.

Hydration is Key
Don’t forget about hydration. Drink 16-20 ounces of water about two hours before your workout and another 8-10 ounces 20 minutes before starting. Proper hydration ensures optimal performance and helps prevent dehydration-related issues like cramps and dizziness.

Sample Pre-Workout Snacks

• Banana with a small handful of almonds: Provides a balance of carbs and protein without too much fat or fiber.
• Whole-grain toast with honey and a slice of turkey: Combines carbs and protein, low in fat, and easy to digest.
• Pretzels with a low-fat cheese stick: Provides a good mix of carbohydrates and protein without adding too much fat. 

Choosing the right pre-workout nutrition can make a big difference in your gym performance. Aim for a balanced meal that’s high in carbs, moderate in protein, low in fat, and easy to digest. Remember, what works best can vary from person to person, so it may take some experimenting to find your ideal pre-workout snack. Listen to your body and adjust as needed to fuel your workouts effectively.

Fuel right, perform better, and enjoy your workouts to the fullest!

If you need assistance in finding your ideal pre-workout snack, feel free to contact Michael Horner, RD, LD.

Improving maximal aerobic capacity, aka VO2Max, as well as lactic threshold can have a huge impact on overall performance. You can improve VO2 max through long slow distance (LSD) training, pace and tempo training, interval training, high-intensity interval training, and fartlek training.

Training by Experience Level

Training to improve your aerobic capacity varies according to your experience level:

• If you are just starting to train to be an endurance athlete, I suggest that you stick with a long slow distance training until you build your aerobic base, which would be more for mileage/time rather than overloading your lactic threshold and VO2 max.
• If you are an intermediate endurance athlete, you should add one hard workout day (pace or tempo interval, high-intensity interval, or a fartlek) and a higher-mileage day than your usual LSD mileage.
• If you are an advanced endurance athlete, train one or two days with the pace and tempo interval training, high-intensity interval training, or fartlek training. You should also have a high-mileage day that is higher than your LSD days.

Training by Goals

Keep in mind, all this training is also dependent on your training goal. For instance, if you are training for cycling, a full marathon, a cross-country or track event, or are a casual aerobic athlete, long-distance rower or swimmer, and so on, you will want to make sure to have a plan with your goals in mind. Be sure to implement these training methods into your program so that you can hit your goals.

Aerobic capacity and lactic threshold training modules can be tailored to your individual goals and training program. Here are some examples and how they can apply to your training.

• Long slow distance (LSD): Should be race distance or longer and 70 percent of VO2 max, give or take.
• Pace and tempo: Should be done in durations of 20 to 30 minutes at lactate threshold or slightly above.
• Interval training: Should be done 3 to 5 minutes with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:1, and it should be close to VO2 max.
• High-intensity interval training: Should be 30 to 90 seconds with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:5 and greater than VO2 max.
• Fartlek: Has a duration of 20 to 60 minutes and varies between LSD and pace and tempo training intensities.

Keep in mind, some of these norms and training intensities are meant for aerobic distance athletes and are specific to how the training should be done.

Overall, I highly encourage you to play around with these training philosophies and develop it into an aerobic endurance program that is best suited for you. It’s easy to just go out and do the aerobic activity day in and day out, but if you have a more organized, structured program, you will not feel overwhelmed and you will see the gains in your aerobic performance that you have been looking for all along.

This blog was written by David Behrmann, NIFS Health Fitness Instructor. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.