Best Pre Workout Meal Ideas for Athletes

From complex carbohydrates to protein-rich snacks, these are the best pre workout meal ideas to help you perform your best and speed muscle recovery.

Whether you’re a serious weightlifter, a hobby jogger, or an ardent yogi, every athlete needs to fuel properly for a workout. What you eat before exercise matters because it can make the difference between completing your workout feeling great and having to call the whole thing off.

However, with the proper planning and knowledge, you can enjoy the best pre workout foods for your goals, body type and exercise routine. Your body will thank you with improved performance, high energy levels and speedy recovery.

How Important Is the Pre Workout Meal?

Pre workout snacks are important because when you exercise, you deplete stored nutrients in your body. These include carbohydrates, fat and protein, depending on how intense or long your workout is.

Therefore, it’s important to fuel your muscles with the nutrients they need to perform and gain strength to avoid depleting your existing protein stores.

How Long Before a Workout Should I Eat?

The amount of time you need between eating and exercising can depend on a few factors. First, the kind of workout you’re planning. For a high-intensity sprint session on the track, you might want to give yourself some extra time to digest. For a slow yoga strength session, it’s safe to eat 30 minutes before you hit the mat.

That being said, this also depends on your body. Some people digest faster than others. By choosing a pre workout meal that you know is easy for you to digest, you can help avoid mid-workout stomach stress.

If you find yourself looking for a snack 30 minutes before a workout, eat something light on the stomach that won’t weigh you down. For example, a banana or bowl of muesli with nut milk.

What to Eat Before Workout to Lose Weight

If you have weight loss goals, the quality of your calories and workouts are even more important. The best pre-workout meal for weight loss contains plenty of complex carbohydrates.

These slow-digesting carbs help your body maintain glycogen stores throughout exercise, so you maintain high energy levels and can finish strong.

Pre Workout Meals for Cardio

If you’re planning a cardo-intense workout, such as a long run or bike ride, you want to eat a meal that’s slow to digest. This way, your muscles have long, sustained access to energy.

Foods that contain sugars and other quick-digesting carbs, on the other hand, will give you a short energy boost at the beginning of workout. But by the end of a long period of exercise, your body and mind will be feeling fatigue from not properly fueling.

Slow-Digesting Carbs Make the Best Pre Workout Meal

The best pre-workout meal choices contain complex carbohydrates, natural sugars, and a bit of protein and fat.

A bowl of Mu Mu Muesli made with unsweetened plant-based milk is a perfectly well-rounded pre-workout meal idea. Each plant-based serving boasts a perfectly balanced nutritional profile of 7 grams of fat, 36 grams of complex carbs from old-fashioned oats, and 7 grams of sugar. This is enough to keep you full of energy and ready to crush any workout that comes your way.

Other excellent pre workout meals include:

• Whole grains, like quinoa, brown rice, and farro.
• Sweet potatoes with nut butter.
• Whole grain toast with an egg.
• Whey protein shake made with plant-based milk.
• Fruit smoothie with oats.

Ready to make your next workout the best yet? Order your plant-based pre workout meal today!