Energy-boosting snacks - how to boost your energy before a workout?
1. Pre-workout meal - basic principles
A pre-workout meal should be light on the one hand, so you don't feel heavy while exercising, but at the same time substantial and nutritious, to provide energy and prevent weakness. If we are able to exercise on an empty stomach and want to lose excess weight, we can eat only after physical activity and focus more on a high-energy snack right after the workout.
Not all foods affect energy levels in the same way. Among the three macronutrients, carbohydrates provide a faster source of energy compared to proteins and fats, because they are the body's preferred energy source. However, carbohydrates are classified as simple and complex, and they also have a high or low glycemic index. GI indicates how foods containing carbohydrates can affect blood glucose levels.
Complex carbohydrates, e.g., from oatmeal, groats, natural rice, or whole-grain bread, mean that it is a slow-burning source of energy. Therefore, it is worth eating a meal with these products one hour before a workout. A pre-workout meal should also provide protein, which we find primarily in meat, fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy. And isn't fat energy? Of course it is. That is why we add almonds, nuts, and various seeds to a light meal. Seeds rich not only in fats, but also protein and fiber. Such a meal will cause energy to be released slowly and last for the entire workout, and prevent a sudden drop in glucose during activity.
2. What to eat before a workout to make it effective?
If we do not want to eat a full meal, we can opt for lighter forms of a pre-workout meal, such as energizing snacks. They can be both liquid and solid. One of the quick ways to get the perfect mix of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats is a smoothie. Choose energy-sustaining ingredients such as almond butter, leafy green vegetables, dairy, fruit, and even your favorite protein powder.
If our workout does not require bending over, such as in yoga, we can drink a filling smoothie with oatmeal, fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, flaxseed, on a dairy or water base with added protein powder. A banana can be the base of the smoothie. It is a source of magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6. It is like a sugar-free sweet.
What product do we also associate with energy and joy? Of course, cocoa and chocolate.
Choose dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 75% or more, because this indicates a higher content of flavanols. Dark chocolate can have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, helping to pump blood throughout the body. This blood carries fresh oxygen, which can also make a person feel more awake and alert.
But so that energizing smoothies are not only associated with sweets, it is worth balancing them with green vegetables. For example, iron-rich spinach is essential if you want an energy boost. A lack of iron in the body can reduce the supply of oxygen to the brain, causing a feeling of fatigue.
A pre-workout meal can be a full-value lunch based on groats/rice/pasta with the addition of meat, fish, or legumes, and necessarily vegetables for better digestion.
A light pre-workout meal is also a protein yogurt with flakes (e.g., muesli), fruit, nuts, and seeds.
3. Quick pre-workout snack - what to choose?
During a workout, the most important thing is to maintain a constant glucose concentration in the body. Sweet power is best drawn from fruit. Just not in the form of juices, but rather smoothies, where there is fiber and the fruit energy is released gradually, without burdening the digestive system. This is definitely the fittest pre-workout snack. And additionally, smoothies are a source of water, and proper hydration guarantees a good workout.
Excellent snacks for athletes are sugar-free energy bars and energizing pralines with peanut butter. It is worth having healthy snacks in the form of sugar-free sweets with you.
What about products containing caffeine?
Caffeine is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world. Foods and beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks, energy drinks, matcha, chocolate, guarana, and yerba mate can also help reduce symptoms of fatigue and improve alertness. This effect is primarily due to the effect of caffeine on the brain, which works by blocking adenosine receptors, leading to increased release of dopamine and noradrenaline. Adenosine is a compound with a sleep-promoting effect, while dopamine and noradrenaline are two chemical substances that stimulate the heart and central nervous system. The best solution is guarana, from which caffeine is released very slowly. This superfood or superenergy mix can be added to a smoothie as a pre-workout meal.
Author: dr Hanna Stolińska
