If you want your body to function optimally, you need to give it the right fuel. Exercise can be a great way to improve your fitness levels, lose weight and gain muscle – providing you’re eating right, too.
Despite this, many people end up working out on an empty stomach or grabbing an unhealthy snack before hitting the gym. When better options aren’t available, people struggle to get the most gains from their workouts. By knowing what to eat before a workout and having easy access to it, however, they can maximise their performance and achieve their fitness goals more quickly.
Eat 2-3 Hours Before Your Workout
If possible, aim to eat a full meal approximately 2-3 hours before you begin training. This will give your body time to digest what you’ve consumed and enable you to optimise your energy levels. A pre-workout meal should contain a mix of carbs, protein and healthy fats, so aim to balance your plate with a mix of foods.
You don’t want to feel bloated or uncomfortable when you’re working out, so don’t be tempted to have an unhealthy meal, like junk food. This will take longer to digest, which means you won’t be in peak performance by the time you’re ready to start training. Instead, opt for lean meats, wholegrains and foods which contain healthy fats, like avocado or eggs.
Eating a complex meal 2-3 hours is an ideal way to fuel your body but it isn’t always practical. If you train early in the morning, on your lunchbreak or straight after work, for example, you probably won’t have the time to prepare a full meal ahead of time. If so, aim to have a smaller meal or snack before you hit the gym.
What to Eat 1 Hour Before You Train
If you don’t have time to prepare a full meal 2-3 hours before you work out, try to have an energy-boosting snack around 45 minutes to an hour before you train. As your body won’t have as long to digest the food, it’s best to avoid fatty foods at this time. Instead, you’ll want to go for a mix of carbs and protein.
In addition to this, you may want to enhance your stamina and performance by using supplements before you work out. If so, creatine, caffeine, BCAAs and beta-alanine could help your body to achieve peak performance and aid the recovery process too.
Find Your Perfect Pre-Workout Snack
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to eating before a workout. If you want to get the most out of your training sessions, be sure to experiment with pre-workout nutrition and find what works for you. If you’re unsure what to eat before strength training or cardiovascular exercise, you’ll find that many sports nutrition products are geared to your needs. Carefully calibrated to contain the right combination of macro and micronutrients, a protein bar or shake could give you everything you need to optimise your performance.
How Does Nutrivend Help?
Sports nutrition can be tricky to fathom, particularly when people simply want to train more effectively, without conducting research into the science behind how the body uses fuel. When people have access to snacks and drinks they know provide them with the right fuel, it makes it far easier to make healthy choices.
At Nutrivend, we believe that sports nutrition should be easily available for everyone. Our innovative machines ensure people can grab a caffeine-boosting drink or a protein-fuelled snack at any time. By making it easy to get the right combination of carbs, fats, protein and supplements, we’re transforming the way people use sports nutrition.
Install a Nutrivend Machine Today
The health and fitness industry is booming in the UK, which means more people than ever are going to gyms, joining fitness clubs and working out at home. Additionally, people are becoming more aware of the benefits of sports nutrition and purchasing products designed to help them achieve their fitness goals.
By installing a Nutrivend machine at your business, you can tap into this growing market and generate an additional source of revenue. Popular in gyms, spas, leisure centres, hotels, apartment complexes, student halls and many other locations, there’s no limit when it comes to the range of businesses that can benefit from having a Nutrivend machine on site.
If you want to find out more about Nutrivend, talk to a member of our team today. Simply call us on 01443 719 411.
