Listen to a Dietician: Upgrade Your Workout with Protein & Carbs
Make those workouts work for you!
Curious about which foods will help you maintain your energy and feel your best during a workout? We talked to Upbeat’s Stacey Raza, a licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist registered both in the US and Singapore and a certified personal trainer, to find out what to eat before you hit the gym.
Little Farms (LF): What foods give you the most energy before you hit the gym?
Stacey Raza (SR): A lot of the times the answer is sport and athlete dependent. For example, with HIIT activities where you burn mostly carbs, your fuel should be carb-focused with a little protein. For strength training, where muscle synthesis and repair is important, you want to highlight protein; while yoga may require a smaller, carb-based snack that is digested quickly, letting you comfortably twist into pretzel poses.
But there are some general guidelines that apply to most situations.
Consider the timing of your meals. You don’t want your muscles to be trying to do their thing while your stomach is trying to do its thing — that’s a recipe for GI distress. Try to eat 1- 4 hours before you exercise so your body has time to finish digesting and can put its energy into exercising. Everyone is different so listen to your body and experiment to find what timing works best for you.
Don’t skimp on carbs. Carbs are quick fuel for your muscles. And the harder you work the more fuel you need to keep going. Pair naturally-occurring carbs like those found in milk or fruit with a healthy source of protein like a handful of nuts or a hard boiled egg.
LF: Can you talk about whether it’s better to eat protein before or after a workout?
SR: To be fair, protein timing is a hotly debated topic. What matters most is getting enough protein throughout the day. But, there are benefits to having protein before a workout. It helps fuel your workout and curbs hunger. If your body is feeling depleted, it’s unlikely you’ll have a great workout. Having some pre-workout protein also helps with muscle adaptation and repair.
LF: Give us some ideas for ideal pre-workout meals.
SR: Happy to! Try a few of these and see what your favourite is.
- Mix together ½ cup Evia Greek Yoghurt with ¼ cup Little Farms Chocolate Hazelnut Granola and ¼ cup berries.
- Dip apple slices into Little Farms Almond Butter.
- Smear a slice of wholegrain toast with peanut butter and top with banana slices. I really like Pic’s peanut butter because it has no added sugar.
- Blend yoghurt with 1 cup of your favourite fresh fruit and some ice for a simple smoothie. If you’re going dairy-free, try Happy Bounty vanilla flavoured coconut yoghurt.
- Grab a handful of dried fruit and mixed nuts. Try combining The Whole Kitchen’s Rock Salt Rosemary Nut Mix with Little Farms Natural Apricots for a salty-sweet combo.
LF: Is there anything we shouldn’t eat before working out?
SR: Fibre is great for your health… but not so great for your pre-workout snack. Bulky, fibrous foods can sit in your stomach and take longer to digest. This can draw blood away from your working muscles into your digestive system. Similarly, high fat foods, like cheeses, red meats, bacon, and chips, tend to move slowly through your body which like fibre, can cause gastric upset. Avoid these foods for several hours before a tough workout.
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Listen to a Dietician: How To Pack On Protein Post-workout
Top image: Cath Smith / Unsplash
