Snack your way to a good workout
Q: I always feel like I’m either too hungry or too full when I’m working out. How can I fix this?
—Cindy, 34, San Diego, California
A: We’ve told you before how to refuel post-workout, but what you eat before is just as important. Head to the gym too full, and you could get stomach cramps or feel nauseous. Go on an empty stomach and you may get fatigued, which will force you to cut your workout short. While professional athletes (who are exercising for hours at a time) are advised to eat 2-3 hours before a workout to allow adequate time for gastric emptying, this rule is hard to follow for the rest of us. It’s tough enough to get a workout in with our busy lives; would you wake up at 4:30 in the morning to eat before a 6:30 a.m. spin class? I think not! Here are some realistic tips for fueling up pre-workout, no matter what time you hit the gym:
Working out in the a.m.: If you simply can’t eat this early, you can skip it, but your performance will suffer, especially if you’re doing cardiovascular activity for more than 1 hour. If you can stomach food, grab an apple, half of a banana, a handful of dry cereal, or 1 cup of non-fat milk. These complex carb-based snacks will provide you with enough energy to fuel your body.
Hitting the gym during your workday: Wait a few hours after eating a lunch filled with complex carbohydrates and lean protein. Good choices include a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with low-fat cheese and a piece of fruit or a mixed green salad, made with lean protein, such as chicken, egg whites, or beans. The combination of complex carbs and protein will power you through your workouts, and — bonus! — your workout will then power you through the rest of your day.
Making time in the night time: If you do most of your exercising at night before dinner, keep your snack similar to a morning workout snack. You want to have a solid carbohydrate that will keep you going without making you feel crampy or distressed, such as a piece of fruit, a few whole wheat crackers (I like Kashi TLC crackers), or a handful of whole wheat pretzels. If you’re exercising after dinner you probably won’t need a snack.
And don’t forget to drink water before, during, and after workouts! We lose fluids by sweating so to prevent dehydration, fill up on H20.
Happy workout!
© 2008 Skinny and the City