Maximise your workouts with the right fuel! A well-balanced pre-workout meal can supercharge your energy, enhance endurance, and support muscle recovery—without the need for supplements every time you hit the gym.
While pre-workout supplements are popular, relying solely on them isn’t always practical, especially for those training consistently.
Instead, choosing the right combination of carbs for energy and protein for muscle support can help you power through intense sessions without feeling sluggish or bloated.
Discover the essential nutrients you need for the ultimate pre-workout meal to optimise performance, endurance, and recovery:
#1. The correct carbs
Carbohydrates provide the fuel that power your through a tough workout. The best option is a mix of carbohydrate sources, with high glycaemic index (GI) carbs providing an immediate burst of energy and low GI options for sustained energy.
#2. The right protein
While a moderate amount of meat before a workout can help you add muscle, you need to choose the right kind.
Red meat digests more slowly due to its fat and connective tissue content, which can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort during your session.
Rather use chicken or eggs as they’re more easily digested and able to release amino acids into the bloodstream sooner after your meal to limit muscle damage during training. Low-fat dairy sources also work well for the same reason.
A general recommendation is to consume 20-30 grams of protein 60 minutes before your workout.
#3. Limit fat
Fat takes longer to digest, reducing bowel transit time for all the food you eat. This means that eating a meal before training that contains fat can slow the release of glucose and amino acids into the bloodstream, which can reduce the nutrients available to working muscles when you train.
Meal timing
Smart pre-workout meals can give your body the necessary fuel it needs to make gains and perform at its peak.
The best time to chow down on a pre-workout meal is about 45-60 minutes before you hit the weights. This gives your body enough time to digest the food and absorb the nutrients.
Eating too close to your workout can cause digestive discomfort as your body diverts blood from your digestive system to working muscles, which can compromise your digestion.
Five simple pre-workout meal options to consider:
- Eggs and toast: Two hard-boiled eggs with a slice of whole-wheat toast ticks all the boxes in terms of highly bioavailable protein and low-GI carbs.
- Chicken and sweet potatoes: A palm-sized serving of chicken with an equal portion of sweet potato is a great option 60 minutes before a workout.
- Greek yoghurt with sliced banana: Greek yoghurt is a good source of dairy-based protein, while sliced bananas contain easily digestible carbs and are packed with potassium.
- Oats and eggs: Fuel up on ½ cup of cooked rolled oats and two whole eggs with salt and pepper. The oats offer a sustained release of glucose to fuel your training to the last rep.
- Fruit smoothie: Fruits are a great source of rapidly digested carbs. When mixed with yoghurt and milk, you get the added benefit of dairy protein.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
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