What you eat before your workout session is as important as the nutrients your body requires after a workout. It facilitates the body to get the most out of the session and push ahead the limits. Being devoid of calories can make you feel tired, exhausted, dizzy, and even lethargic before you go on to hit the gym. You are also most likely to suffer from demotivation and low on energy.
Eating a healthy meal before the workout, on the other hand, brings about a positive change in your performance, increases the gains, and reduces the susceptibility of contracting injuries. Thus, this article intends to provide you with a list of pre-workout snacks you can munch on prior to heading out for the gym.
Banana
Being a source of good quality complex carbohydrates, bananas make for an effective snack before you go on for your workout session. It also contains a high amount of potassium, which works as fuel for the body to avoid muscle cramps during the time of exercise. The calorie count of this snack is also not quite high and is just enough to help you last your workout with feeling hungry. According to a study, the natural sugars in the bananas break down in the body to provide it with ample glycogen reserves. Hence, go on to grab a banana or two before you hit the gym.
Smoothie
Preparing a smoothie to-go before you head out for your exercising routine shall do wonders for gains. It’s also quite easy to make and does not require much time. The most important thing to be careful about is not to make it extra sugary.
You should use unsweetened almond milk rather than any other for its ability to energize the body. There is no ban on the addition of fruits. Add any that you like in your smoothie, ranging from peanut butter, oats, flaxseeds, and avocados. These foods are are a great source of proteins according to a study. You can also add some nuts in it for increasing a dose of nutrition.
Greek Yogurt
Although it might not sound like one on the first instance, greek yogurt is one of those foods that are filling without being too heavy. It is full of ample amount of proteins, good quality carbohydrates, and healthy fats. The best thing about it is that it does not require any preparation and can even be had on-the-go.
A dash of blueberries and raspberries in your yogurt shall take its taste quotient even higher. These will also work as the agents for the removal of unnecessary toxins in the body. You can always add a few almonds to it to make it all the more nutritious.
Protein bars
You can either stick to the home-made ones or look out for those in the groceries shop that are devoid of sugar content. Contrary to the popular belief, it does not have to be highly caloric and is easy on the stomach. You can make one by adding different kinds of nut butter such as the peanut butter or the almond butter, combined with ground wholesome grains and seeds as the main ingredients. Avoid the use of vegetable oils, salt, or any unhealthy fats in the bars.
Pouring a bit of cocoa shall take its taste a notch higher. You can also choose to get it packed and send it to your gym buddy as a part of the amazing chocolate gifts on special occasions. The protein bars made shall turn out to be delicious yet nutritious at the same time.
Oats with berries
A bowl of oatmeal is ideal for those who prefer to hold their workout sessions in the morning. High in carbohydrates, they provide the body with the necessary fuel to keep going hard in the gym. They tend to digest slowly in the body and keep the stomach aptly full during your exercise. In order for your body to tackle all the stress in the gym, you can help yourself by adding some berries to your meal. As per a study, they are rich in those antioxidants that shall enable you to increase your endurance.
Apples and cheese
This snack is a combination of foods that provide the body with 2 highly important nutrients, that are proteins and carbohydrates. A study suggests that these nutrients also make up for a great combination to increase the strength of the body pre-workout.
Apples have just about the right composition of carbohydrates to increase the reserves of energy. On the other hand, cheese is rich in proteins, which helps the muscles endure a hard workout in the gym. It’s a highly satisfactory snack, which is also high in fiber and low on sugar. You can also choose to switch the cheese with some peanut butter depending upon your taste.
Make your workout session a success by consuming these easily available nutritious snacks before you head for your workout wearing your gym outfits on a daily basis. Besides, you will witness a great amount of increase in your strength and agility.
