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Pre-Workout Nutrition – Recipes for Every Situation

By Jiri Kaloc

Do you know what to eat in the morning before a long and hard training session? How about if you have less than an hour? In this article, you will learn recipes for every pre-workout scenario. You know the theory, now it’s time to put it into practice and take your nutrition to the next level.

From the previous articles in this series, you know that pre-workout nutrition depends a lot on the type of exercise and the time you have before it starts. Let’s look at a few recipes that work well in the most common scenarios.

2 – 3 hours before exercise

If you’re getting ready for a training session that will last for more than 60 minutes or require high intensity, then you should get protein, slow carbs, and healthy fats in your meal. Very popular breakfast in this scenario would be an egg omelette with porridge, nuts, and a piece of fruit. If it’s lunch or dinner then you could go with this recipe:

Chicken Breast with Sweet Potatoes

Less than 2 hours before exercise

If you find yourself around 90 minutes before an intense or long training session, go for some easy-to-digest carbs and protein. You can try Greek yogurt with fruit, a smoothie made with milk, protein powder, and banana, or this breakfast classic:

Oatmeal with Berries

Less than an hour before exercise

With less than an hour before a hard training session it’s best to rely on water only. Hopefully you got one of the previous alternatives earlier and your body is fuelled well. If not, then go with a piece of fruit or a light hydrating smoothie like this one:

Mango chia smoothie ingredients

1 cup frozen chopped mango
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon chia seeds
150 ml milk of your choice

https://www.instagram.com/p/0qDgO0iHmb/

Also note that your body already has enough fuel for exercises that last less than 60 minutes and only require moderate intensity. For those, you will be fine with just drinking plain water. And keep in mind that you don’t need to eat 3 pre-workout meals at different times. Just choose one that best fits your schedule.

Next up in Pre-Workout Nutrition series