To eat or not to eat: those are the only two options you have before jumping into a workout. You may have heard the argument against eating pre-workout — to allow your body to burn more fat. I, however, always advise athletes to eat – just a bit. As an endurance athlete, I choose to fuel up before my runs, rides, or cross-training workouts.
What to Eat Pre-Workout
I like to take in a small amount of simple carbs 20 to 30 minutes pre-workout. I find this supports my focus and improves the quality of my workout. Although I don’t recommend a high intake of caffeine, but there are times when certain sources of caffeine can be useful, and before endurance exercise is one of those times. To pick up the speed of my workouts, I do not shy away from natural sources of caffeine, such as green tea and yerba maté to help push through the extra mile.
Thirty minutes before your workout, try one of my five favourite pre-workout snacks:
- Pre-Workout Drink – Try a pre-workout drink that blends carbs, 100mg of caffeine from green tea and yerba maté.
- Fresh Fruit – One of the most convenient pre-workout foods comes straight from the earth. Fresh fruit is light, and easily digested on-the-go.
- Dates – Dates are a good source of carbohydrates. They are easy to store and pack when traveling for races. I pair them with coconut oil.
- Sprouted Buckwheat Energy Bars – I make homemade energy bars with sprouted buckwheat, dates, and hemp seeds to eat for long sustained endurance workouts.
- Trail Mix with Sprouted Nuts & Seeds – Combine sprouted nuts and seeds from your natural health food store (or sprout them yourself), mix them with dried fruit such as raisins, goji berries and figs.
