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Copyright © 2005 Peak Performance. All Rights Reserved.
Pre-Workout Food Guidelines
Now is the time to build on your nutritional strengths to help maintain the fitness you have achieved and expand upon your endurance potential. This is where some fine tuning with respect to your nutrition needs pre-, during and post-workout is needed.
Lance Armstrong nearly lost the Tour de France in 2000 because he did not pay attention to his during workout nutrition - so stay on top of the situation and keep your body in optimal condition with enough fuel on time!
Pre-workout guidelines
Objective #1: Top up your tank
- Drink a minimum of 2 liters (8 cups) of fluid throughout the day
- Drink 1 cup of fluid/hour of travel
- Drink in the hour before exercise - up to 250 ml (1 cup) or more
Objective #2: Make sure you are power fueled
Recommended grams of Carbohydrate in Pre-Exercise Meals/Snacks
| Body weight | 3-4 hrs prior (1.5-2g/lb) | 2-3 hrs prior (1-1.5 g/lb) | 1-2 hrs prior (o.5-1 g/lb) | <60 min prior (0.25-0.5 g/lb) |
The intensity of the exercise will dictate how much you will be able to eat and how close to your exercise you will be able to time your eating. High intensity exercise (such as a competition or interval training) means that you should try to eat a few hours before your training session. If you will be involved in a longer, lower intensity practice you can eat much closer to practice time. If you do need to eat something right before you train or compete follow these guidelines: choose something rich in carbohydrate, moderate protein, low in fibre and fat and preferably liquid if it is within the hour before exercising.
Here are some great choices for pre-workout foods:
- White bread & bagels, refined wheat crackers, scones, pasta, rice, potatoes
- Sandwiches (turkey, lean roast pork, lean roast beef, nut butter/banana or jam
- Low fibre cereals e.g. cheerios, cream of wheat with milk or yogurt
- Breakfast burrito; waffles with maple syrup/fruit
- Vegetable and fruit juices, fruit cocktail, fruit drink
- Low fat milk, flavored milk/soy milk and yogurt/yogurt
drinks
You need to stick to your own tried and true favorites that fall within the guidelines suggested AND ensure that you are well hydrated BEFORE beginning your training/competition sessions.
See Carbohydrate Content of Some Common Pre Workout Foods
Copyright © 2005 Peak Performance. All Rights Reserved.
