Best foods to consume pre and post workout

People are always asking some common questions when starting a new fitness lifestyle.

“What should I eat before and after a workout that will be the most effective”

“What foods will give me energy to begin a workout but not lag me or bloat me”

“What foods will help with muscle recovery and muscle growth for after a workout”

With these common questions there are so many different answers that you may find on Google, or through friends and networking with people in the gym.

As a personal trainer, I find that the best foods to consume pre workout and post workout have been highly effective for myself and majority of my clients as well. But it’s not just about the foods you consume.. It’s when and how you consume them.

The ideal time to eat is about 30 minutes to 3 hours before your workout.

You don’t want to be digesting your meal while you are going into your workout. Experiment with what works best for your body, but keep in mind it should in that time frame.

If you are working out FIRST THING in the morning, I recommend to work out fasted, as this will allow your body to burn more calories and more fat — (which can be spoken on in a separate article of the benefits of fasted workouts in the morning).

As with your pre-workout snack, I suggest having a snack with carbs.

Carbs give your body energy and when we eat them, they are also breaking down into glucose which will give your body fuel to exercise at its best caliber. Some suggestions are granola bars, fruit, oatmeal, banana with peanut butter and toast, rice cakes with peanut butter and banana.

You want to make sure that your pre-workout meal has protein as well. Aside from consuming carbs, having a source of protein before you work out, especially if you are hitting weights, is essential. Examples of this would be nuts, greek yogurt, turkey, eggs.

Now after a workout you want to make sure you are replacing the calories that you used.

You want to replenish the glycogen that has been consumed during your workout. It is essential to eat protein after a workout in order to create a quick muscle recovery.

Not consuming food after a workout will cause your body to feel fatigued and create an individual to have lower blood sugar. Skipping this meal will slow down your progress and slow down your own goals from being achieved.

Some post-workout snack ideas could be toast with peanut butter, eggs with toast, a protein shake or protein smoothie, avocado with potatoes and eggs or avocado toast.

Please feel free to check out my instagram @joelllllle or my website www.fitbyjoelle.com to learn more about meal plans. I can create personalized meal plans for you specifically designed for your fitness goals and your body type!