What To Eat Before I Work Out: I Tried 4 Top Options

I recently moved 6,000 miles to Paris, and decided to reap the benefits of the fresh begin to revamp a couple of parts of my life, including my fitness routine. Since all the pieces’s up within the air, why not try a brand new approach? It’s not necessarily that I wanted to alter how I used to be figuring out, but how I prepped for my workouts. Specifically, what to eat before I work out.

Some people wish to take a complement, or drink a selected energy booster, or sometimes even munch on some candy before they exercise. The speculation is that you may maximize the efficacy of your workout by giving yourself some extra oomph to get through your sweat session with gusto with the correct pre-workout snack. I figured I might run a one-woman experiment on what to eat before I work out, testing a couple of of the preferred options and seeing how they really worked for me.

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What should your pre-workout fuel include?

In accordance with National Academy of Sports Medicine, the perfect combination of ingredients in a pre-workout food or drink would come with “caffeine, beta-alanine/sodium bicarbonate, electrolytes, amino complex, and creatine.” Though this combo is science-backed, it isn’t necessarily a universal list (and pre-workout supplements usually haven’t been exhaustively studied, and many are mislabeled).  “The perfect pre-workout food or snack should include, without exception, 20 ounces of water plus protein and carbs,”  Leslie J. Bonci, MPH, RD, previously told Well+Good about what to search for in pre-workout food.

It is vital to notice that your pre-workout fuel alternative relies on your fitness goals, what you hope to achieve from the complement or food, and the time of your workout. As an illustration, you don’t necessarily need an amino-acid-dense protein shake before a Yin yoga class.

“You’ve gotten to guage based on what type of workout you’re doing—that matters so much,” Lisa Mastela, RD, MPH, registered dietitian and founding father of Bumpin’ Blends, tells me. “A banana’s gonna provide you with a completely different effect than a pre-workout complement.”

When you’re training for an endurance event or have specific goals that entail strenuous strength-training or HIIT workouts, then that is an area you’ll need to take more seriously. But when you’re just searching for a little bit boost? You is likely to be satisfied with a banana or shot of espresso.

My experiment on what to eat before I work out

With all this in mind, I headed into my experiment. The controls: the identical 30 minute Pilates workout, taken at the identical time of day (8 am), by the identical exerciser (me). The variables: a distinct pre-workout fuel alternative every day. I went with the preferred options: a banana, a pre-mixed pre-workout complement powder, a shot of espresso, and candy (specifically, Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups). I also did the Pilates class without any pre-workout food (day 0) so all my notes are based on a comparison to that “benchmark” setting.

In fact, my body is different from yours, so I also consulted Mastela on each fuel alternative to get a broader perspective on every one’s advantages and limitations. And as with anything, it’s smartest to seek the advice of along with your own doctor, dietitian, or coach to work out what’s going to serve you best. As Mastela puts it, “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here.”

Day 1: Banana

Probably the most basic of the bunch is probably the common-or-garden banana. The pre-workout banana and I’m going way back, to my early days of figuring out and running, wherein I’d have some peanut butter on a banana (or PB banana toast) before heading out for whatever movement the day had in store.

Bananas are the W+G proclaimed GOAT of pre-workout snacks. They’re naturally wealthy within the electrolytes magnesium and potassium, and might provide your muscles with a lift in glucose that may enable you to power through a workout, says Mastela.

“It is a whole food, which usually is a wonderful alternative,” she adds. “You might also use this as a post-workout snack, or mix it with some type of protein to get much more advantages—again, depending in your goal.”

My banana experience

I don’t typically eat before a morning workout, however the banana was light enough that I didn’t feel overly full or uncomfortable. I also assume this digestive experience cued my body to shake off the sleepiness a little bit bit more, as if eating something told my body, “We’re awake now!” which helped me feel more present in the sooner half of the Pilates routine. (The science around it is a bit contradictory, so this is only speculative.)

Though uneventful, I’m counting this as a win. I felt good, with no antagonistic unwanted side effects to report on. A degree for team banana!

Day 2: Candy

Because it seems, a little bit of candy before exercising is a preferred pre-workout alternative. And for good reason.

“Like bananas and fruit juice, a bit of candy can provide your muscles a dose of glucose, which translates to quickly and easily-accessible energy to your workout,” says Mastela. “You’ll have more energy, more power, etc.”

Some people might give the thought of eating candy some side eye. Mastela, nevertheless, says a bit of candy isn’t an enormous deal, especially when you’re repeatedly exercising. “For essentially the most part, sugar is sugar,” she says, “Whether that’s from fruit or a bit of chocolate.” Nevertheless, she points out that candy obviously has artificial ingredients, which aren’t optimal to your health. “The opposite pre-workout options are likely higher for this reason—you don’t desire a ton of high fructose corn syrup.”

Also, she notes that quantity matters: “You don’t need to overdo sugar,” she adds. “Sugar before a workout might provide you with more energy, but ultimately, what’s your goal? Because if you might have an excessive amount of sugar in your bloodstream, it’s still gonna get taken up by your fat cells when you don’t work out hard enough. And when you’re figuring out with a ton of sugar pumping through your bloodstream, you’re not releasing any of the stored sugar in your body.”

My candy experience

For this experiment, I opted for a few of the Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups I brought with me from the States (yes, I brought some American candy). Mastela told me this was an awesome alternative—so I immediately patted myself on the back for selecting a “healthy” candy—since it has a combination of protein (peanuts contain all the branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs), carbohydrates (sugar), and electrolytes (from dark chocolate and salt).

I anticipated feeling more jittery or alert than I used to be with the banana, however it ended up being an analogous experience. A bit of bit to eat, a little bit little bit of sugar, not super full, but present and “powered.” Will I eat candy before every morning workout? No. But it surely was fun to feel like a child eating my grown-up Reese’s for breakfast before doing Pilates.

Day 3: Pre-workout powdered drink

The packaging of pre-workout supplements at all times makes me think AXE body spray has suddenly became a jar of watermelon-flavored powder. But serious weight lifters swear by them.

“These kinds of supplements are great when you’re weight lifting or doing something that requires a whole lot of power,” said Mastela. “In case your goal is to lift heavier, go harder, construct muscle, or to push yourself past yesterday’s limit, then supplements are an awesome strategy to do this.”

She says that taking these supplements before major strength workouts may enable you to gain weight through increased muscle mass. But they’re not for everybody. “When you’re just doing day-to-day workouts to your health maintenance and mental health, these supplements do absolutely nothing for you,” she says. “It could even provide you with heartburn depending on the complement, as some are fizzy, or contain artificial sugars and sweeteners, or have a lot of citric acid.”

She notes that any type of complement can have antagonistic effects, and it relies on your body. She says to observe out for “puffy face (water retention), and any type of systemic inflammation.” If any of that happens she suggests switching to something natural, like a shot of espresso with a teaspoon of sugar, as a substitute.

My pre-workout drink experience

Generally, I’m complement sensitive—I vomit if I take vitamins on an empty stomach, get acid reflux disease from some protein bars and shakes, so usually, I avoid supplements. But I actually have friends who absolutely rely by their pre-workout drinks, so I did a little bit of research and selected a preferred brand that ticked the aforementioned boxes: It contained a combination of caffeine, electrolytes, beta alanine, BCAAs, and a natural sweetener.

At first I felt a lift of energy, but eventually got hit with what many other consumers have experienced: itchiness, and an uncomfortable tingling sensation. It was enough for me to not give you the chance to deal with my workout, but fortunately it went away after about 30 or so minutes.

Perhaps if I spent more time using this complement, my body would adjust to the beta alanine (the source of the itching), but for me, it simply isn’t price trying again, given my health goals and the opposite available options. If I ever start training for an endurance event again, I’ll remember to let you already know how that goes and if I modify my tune!

Day 4: Espresso

Probably the most European of the choices is only a shot of espresso. I had a bias with this one moving into, because it tends to be my personal favorite, but I did my best to stay objective.

There are pros and cons to espresso. While it’s easy, easy to make, and delicious (assuming you want coffee), it also lacks dietary value. There are not any amino acids, creatine, protein, sugars, or electrolytes. If those are in your must-have list, espresso alone won’t cut it. (And it definitely doesn’t take the place of an actual breakfast.) When you’re simply attempting to harness the facility of caffeine, nevertheless, then rock on… and please proceed.

Mastela points out that coffee or espresso will be a great alternative: It’s a well-documented performance enhancer, due to the power to aid your muscular strength. “If my goal is to construct muscle and get stronger, then coffee with a little little bit of sugar before a workout is what I’ll reach for, after which add within the protein and BCAAs and carbs afterward with a recovery food or drink,” she says.

When you’re caffeine-sensitive, it’s also helpful to know that a mean shot of espresso incorporates about 64 mg of caffeine. For context, pre-workout drinks contain multiple times this amount (between 150 and 300 mg).

Similarly, you possibly can go for matcha tea, which has a little bit of caffeine, alongside amino acids like L-theanine which can mitigate a few of the jitters.

My espresso experience

Let’s be honest, this wasn’t my first espresso rodeo. I’ve been having a little bit of coffee before many a workout (and have even documented it here at Well+Good!), so my positive results weren’t in the least shocking.

If I’m doing a morning workout and feeling a bit groggy, the caffeine (in a small dose) helps me to feel more alert so I can deal with my body and get essentially the most from my time exercising. Despite not adding sugar to my coffee like Mastela suggested, I personally felt best with this feature. This may very well be a little bit of confirmation bias, but this one gets the last word yes vote, IMO.

Which is the winner?

Ultimately, determining the very best option to your body requires your individual experiment! Remember, evaluate your situation:

• What are your fitness and health goals?
• What form of workouts are you doing?
• What time are your workouts?
• Do you might have sensitivities or allergies?

“The essential takeaway,” Mastela says, “is that every one of this really relies on your goals, the outcomes you wish, and what you wish in that individual moment and that individual workout. The outcomes are going to differ a lot from individual to individual, so do this yourself and see what works for you.”