Every form of activity requires energy to complete a task at hand. When you work out or engage in physical activity, you expend energy which needs to be restored. Eating before exercise, as opposed to exercising in a fasting state, has been shown to improve performance. It is a great way to boost stamina and endurance. A pre-workout snack helps you prevent low blood sugar which can affect your energy level, resulting in light-headedness and loss of concentration. Therefore, you should stock up on bundles of energy prior to your workout by including a nutritious snack.

Food preferences for pre-workout snacks will vary depending on the individual, type of exercise and level of intensity. You must know a few things before you move on to choosing a snack for yourself. You must choose a snack that contains sufficient amount of fluid to maintain hydration. Your snack must be low in fat to facilitate gastric emptying and minimize gastrointestinal tract distress. It should be high in carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, rice, pasta, and cereals to maintain blood glucose levels, and maximize carbohydrate stores. It’s a bad idea to eat a snack that is low in simple sugars such as candy. They can send your blood sugar level shooting down, leading to a severe drop in energy.

The more time you allow between eating and exercising, the larger the quantity of food you will be able to eat. Allow more time for digestion before intense exercise rather than before low-level activity. Your muscles require more blood during intense exercise, and therefore less blood will be available to your stomach to help with digestion. Liquid snacks such as smoothies or sports drinks tend to leave the stomach faster than solid foods do and will be easier to digest.

Always read the labels of the pre-workout snacks to make sure they suit your needs and live upto your expectations. Some snack options would be a bowl of cereal with a banana, ¾ cup of yogurt with ½ cup berries, a smoothie made with milk or juice, fresh fruit, and 3-4 fig cookies or a low fat granola bar.

So next time before you hit the gym for your vigorous exercise schedule, make sure that your stomach is not empty!

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Tags: Eating, Endurance, Exercise, Pre Workout, Snack, Stamina

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