Most of us who are conscious about our health and fitness levels are aware that exercise and diet are the two main pillars of achieving a fit and healthy body.
Diet is so crucial to this combination that often it can ruin the benefits of an otherwise good exercise regimen, especially the food eaten before a workout.
Why is a pre work-out diet so crucial? oIt is important to have a nutritious diet when exercising to ensure that the body has the correct source of low calorie energy to sustain a long term exercise routine.
oA vigorous workout not only uses up nutrients it also causes wear and tear of muscle mass.
The correct nutrition is necessary to repair this.
oThe most important aspect is the nutrition you supply immediately before the workout oThe best nutrients are a small amount of carbohydrates and proteins as part of the pre workout meal.
oAvoid having too much fat to eat before you work out as this will add to the empty calories, and will require your body to work harder to burn hard, and you will have less energy disposable for the physical activity.
oToo much fiber like fresh fruits are also best avoided before working out as too much fiber will be of no use to the energy requirements of the exercise, and it might also lead to cramps in the stomach.
You can opt for light protein packed foods with a few carbohydrates as an ideal pre workout diet.
Below are listed a few foods that are good options for this purpose.
In fact these are also good for a post workout meal.
You can create a mix of any of these foods as per your taste, and have an ideal pre and post workout meal.
1.
cottage cheese 2.
low fiber cereal 3.
pasta with lean dressing 4.
nuts 5.
dried fruit 6.
shredded cereal 7.
pretzels 8.
crackers