The 8 Best Pre-Workout Foods
You rely on your check-engine light to let you know it’s time to get gas, but your appetite isn’t as reliable, especially if you’re working out first thing in the morning. “Whether or not you feel hungry, you should always put a little fuel in your tank before a workout,” says Marni Sumbal, R.D., a nine-time Ironman finisher and the founder ofTrimarni Coaching and Nutrition. “You’ll be able to push harder, train more consistently, and make better choices throughout the day if your body has the nutrients it needs.” Twenty to 30 minutes before your warm-up, snack on one of these proven power foods, all of which cause a surge in insulin that helps shuttle the glucose they contain to your muscle cells immediately.
Related: Top Protein Power Foods
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Applesauce
"People are always surprised when I tell them that the best pre-exercise energy doesn’t usually come from heart-healthy foods, which tend to have too much fiber," says Sumbal. Applesauce has just 2 grams per cup but delivers 28 of the 30 to 70 grams of carbohydrate Sumbal recommends prior to working out, depending on how long and hard you intend to go for.
Related: The 10 Healthiest Fruits and Vegetables
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Raisins
University of California, Davis researchers found that runners who ate raisins before completing a 5K ran as fast as those who went with sports chews instead — and both groups finished a minute faster, on average, than competitors who just drank water did. Sumbal also recommends dried figs and dates.
Related: 6 Healthy Foods That Get a Bad Rap
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Cream of Wheat
Too much fiber can cause cramping and GI distress. This hot cereal has just one gram per serving, whereas oatmeal has four. For grains without too much roughage that you can eat on the go, grab a frozen waffle or English muffin.
Related: 10 Bad Foods That Get a Healthy
A Spoonful of Honey
One tablespoon provides 17 grams of carbs, and you can stash the packets or sticks anywhere. Or try maple syrup; its thinner consistency and slightly lower concentration of fructose makes it easier for some people to digest, says Sumbal.
Related: 5 Foods for Heart Health
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Nut Butter
If you can eat 90 minutes before your workout, you have enough time to digest a little bit of fat and protein, which can give your carbs more staying power in the gut. Smear a tablespoon of natural peanut or almond butter on toast, pita bread, or a banana.
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Granola
It’s carb-heavy without being high-volume, says Sumbal, so it won’t take up too much space in your stomach. Add milk or buy the cluster kind if you’d rather snack on it straight out of the bag.
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Banana
Experts recommend the BRAT diet — bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast — when you’re recovering from gastric distress. That’s because these foods are easy to digest, which also makes them excellent preworkout fuel. But bananas have the added advantage of providing 487 milligrams apiece of potassium, a mineral that can become depleted when you work up a sweat.
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Beet Juice
Juice helps you hydrate and get carbs at the same time. But beet juice specifically has been linked to higher nitric acid levels in the blood, which helped University of Exeter study subjects cycle at the same pace using less energy. Concentrated beet juice, usually sold in shots, will deliver the biggest benefit for the fewest number of bathroom breaks.
By Juno Demelo
