A good workout is necessary if you want to look great in those skinny jeans, if you want to feel strong physically and mentally, if you want to be able to run up first to those fabulous boots you spotted on sale without losing your breath. Knowing how important it is to work out on a regular basis, you sign up for yoga classes, join a gym, invest in a bike or dust off your running shoes, and all of a sudden that donut or a bowl of ice cream seems perfectly justified, after all you shouldn’t work out with a completely empty stomach, and you’ll burn those calories anyway, right?
Wrong. Sure you’ll burn calories during a workout, and you need food to get the energy to exercise, but the wrong food will do nothing but deliver fat and sugar and get you sluggish, rendering your workout ineffective, if not pointless. On the other hand gulping down some energy drinks, chowing down on energy bars and doing so right before your workout is not a great idea, as it can lead to some unpleasantries including but not limited to stomach ache, heart issues or muscle spasm. So what and when should you eat to have plenty of workout energy and to utilize it best, without providing your body with excess sugar, fat or carbonation?
A cup of natural yogurt with mixed berries, a skim milk smoothie or some carrots and celery with hummus will also do you good, giving you plenty of sweet or savory options to fill you up before you put your gear on.
Obviously what you eat will affect the quality of your workout and will influence how you feel throughout, but it’s not only what, it’s also when you eat. As a general rule you can safely assume that two hours is the least you should give your stomach to take care of the pre-workout meal, although it is an individual matter and if you limit yourself to a small snack instead of a complete meal, you might be able to work out an hour or even less after you eat without any problems. It’s best, however, to take it easy and try on a day when you don’t plan a strenuous workout, so you can stop and wait a bit longer should you not feel your best.