Good Morning Everyone!

Fueling your body before a workout is just as important as the workout itself.  Brian put together some great pre-workout food suggestions.  Check them out and feel free to email him with any questions J

Healthy Pre-workout foods for Strength Training and Running:

 

Strength Training – Consume any one of these great snacks 30-60min before your workout.

 

Bananas – Loaded with digestible carbohydrates and are packed with potassium, which aids in maintaining nerve and muscle function, and helps prevent cramping.

 

Homemade Trail Mix – A healthy carb and protein packed snack that will give you great energy to sustain even your hardest workouts. Here is a great recipe for sweet and spicy trail mix.

• 1 cup raw unsalted nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, chili powder, sea salt
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Slightly roast nuts on a lined baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Mix olive oil, spices and maple syrup together in a bowl and add semi-roasted nuts. Return nuts to baking sheet and roast for another 5-10 minutes.

 

Greek yogurt and Berries – Berries are packed with high quality carbohydrates to give you energy, while the Greek yogurt is loaded with great protein to help your muscles recover quickly after a workout.

 

Nut butter and banana sandwich on whole-grain bread – All the ingredients provide carbs for energy; the nut butter offers extra protein to fend off hunger; and, the banana provides potassium to help stave off muscles cramps.

 

Nut butter on apple slices – another perfect combo of carbs (great source of fiber too), fats and protein that will provide you with the energy you need.

 

 

 

 

Running – STAY HYDRATED,

 

Easy/ Recovery Runs: 30- 45 minutes

This is the perfect time to eat 1 piece of fruit or a ½ cup of fresh or frozen berries to give you the adequate amount of energy for this type of run.

 

Speed training: Interval Sprints

Doing any kind of speed training will deplete your energy stores quickly. The main focus for pre-workout foods for speed training is calories, and easily digestible carbs. Try 2 rice cakes with jam or 2 rice cakes with nut butter and ½ of an apple.

 

Long Distance runs:

If you are crunched for time before you start your run, try a banana with some almond butter. It will provide the calories you need and the easily digestible carbs your body craves. That along with some watered down Gatorade (this will keep you from consuming too much sugar) will keep your electrolyte levels stable and prevent you from cramping up.