How do Pre-Workout meals help us?
What you eat before working out affects your energy, mood, and performance. The nutrients of the right pre-workout foods will not only fuel you with enough strength but also help your muscles prevent severe damages. Pre-workout meals also make the task of post-workout meals easy for it contributes to the recovery of the muscles.
To put it analytically, a machine that is well-conditioned before it is allowed to operate will perform better and the chances of it having complications while operating will decrease. It is the same for our human bodies. When you choose the right food to fuel your body in doing physical activities, your body will be more willing to do the task and the chemical reactions inside will happen without fail.
It is recommended to have a complete meal of carbs, healthy fats, and protein 2 to 3 hours before training.
Best Pre-Workout Protein Foods
Aside from carbohydrates and healthy fats, protein should not be missing in a pre-workout snack. It supports protein synthesis in your body which is good for the growth of your muscles. To add another interesting benefit of this macronutrient, many studies show that protein increase athleticism that correlates to enhanced performance.
Wondering what good meals or snacks to have before your next sweat session? Here are 5 of the best protein foods to have before working out.
Greek Yogurt
If your someone who prefers light meals for pre-workouts, meals incorporated with greek yogurt is a good option for you. Greek yogurt contains between 15 to 20 grams of protein for a serving size of 6 to 7 ounces. Most people who do not eat meat in their diets have yogurt as their source of protein.
Sample Meals
- Greek yogurt with berries and granola
- Turkish poached eggs in yogurt
- Post-workout fruit smoothie with yogurt
Eggs
You should not forget to consider eggs as part of your protein source. A typical large egg contains 6.3 grams of protein. Studies from previous years found out that consuming whole eggs after resistance exercise promotes more protein synthesis than consuming egg whites with the same protein content, which suggested that nutrients from the yolk support the muscles more efficiently.
Eggs can be served in numerous ways and can be paired with other food groups, making it easy and accessible to anyone.
Sample Meals
- Tumeric egg sandwich
- Poached egg with hollandaise
- Egg omelet with avocados on toast
Lean Meat
As mentioned earlier, having a complete meal with carbohydrates, fats, and protein is recommended before working out. One of the best ways to do this is to incorporate lean cuts of meat in your meal. It can be beef, chicken breast, or even fish like salmon and tuna. With a protein source of your choice, eat it with some roasted vegetable with brown rice to complete your needed macronutrients.
Whey Protein Powder
Perhaps the quickest way to get your protein in. Protein powders are great to have in both pre and post-workout. Since it is in liquid form, your body will absorb and digest the protein much faster, compared to having solid foods. It promotes muscle growth and protein synthesis which you need in gaining muscle and burning fat.
Granola
This is another light but healthy and filling food item to have before training. A 100 gram serving of granola contains 10 grams of protein and other nutrients such as fiber, which is good for the heart and digestion.
There is a wide selection of granola products on the market today, such as granola bars that you can have on the go. But granola can also be added to your bowl of trail mix with greek yogurt for a more homey and filling meal, complete with all the needed macros.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve been given recommendations on what snacks and meals to have before working out, it is necessary to know how much protein your body needs every day. Our recommended protein intake can differ by many contributing factors, these factors include age, weight, or height.
This means that you should not base your diet on someone else’s, the amount of protein that person is having is healthy for them but it might not be for you. So make sure to know what is the appropriate amount of protein you should be having for your lifestyle.
Here at My Protein Calculator, we help you figure out the right amount of protein you should be having to avoid health risks. Protein plays a big role in our body, therefore knowing how much your body needs is an important step in living a healthy lifestyle. You can visit MyProteinCalculator.com and answer the questions correctly to monitor your protein intake now!