Can You Eat Before You Work Out?
The short answer is yes. Not only can you eat before a workout, but you must! It is important to fuel your body before working out so you can have the stamina and energy to push through your sets. Additionally, not just any food will do. You need to have a nutritious meal that will give your body carbohydrates, which give you energy, and protein, which helps build muscle.
Eating before a workout helps fuel your body and gives you energy to power through the session. Additionally, eating after a workout helps your body recover from exercise. Therefore, it is important to eat before and after a workout. It is, however, important that you fuel your body with the right foods to get you the energy your body needs.
Prior to Working Out
When eating before a workout, you should aim to eat a well-balanced meal three hours before working out. Try to eat a plate that consists of carbohydrates and a decent amount of lean protein. Any fiber or fat will take much longer to digest, which can make your stomach feel heavy during your workout. If you don’t have three hours before your workout to eat, try to eat less the closer you are to your workout time. For instance, if you are going to work out in an hour, try eating a light snack.
Eat Light
If you usually work out in the morning, a meal three hours before might not be an option for you. If you are going to do something easy and light, you can skip your pre-workout snack. However, if you are going for a heavier workout, a piece of fruit or cereal bar is a good option for you that gives your body some energy without being too heavy.
Additionally, working out without having eaten anything could lead to you building less muscle. This is because, for the muscle to build up, it needs protein in your system to give you strength. Furthermore, if you do not eat before a workout, you might run out of stamina more easily because your body is low on fuel.
Overall, you should always eat before and after a workout. However, you must eat a healthy and nutritious meal that will give your body the right fuel to power through any exercise session. Do not forget that fats and fibers can make you feel heavy because they take longer to digest. Additionally, the time you eat before working out is important. If you eat three hours before working out, you can eat a regular meal. However, the closer you get to your workout time, the smaller your meal should be. This is because you need to give your time just enough food for it to digest and convert to energy.
The Next Step
If you are looking for the right equipment to work out, S36 Exercise cardio mats allow you to do intense cardio from the comfort of your home, with or without shoes. Our large exercise mats protect floors from any fitness equipment and provide great grip when stepping in or out of any exercise machine.