What to eat before a workout

Pre-workout Nutrition

Knowing what to eat before a workout from a macronutrient standpoint can be challenging sometimes, that’s why we’re going to see what the science has to say on pre-workout nutrition and post-workout nutrition. Need help getting your nutrition dialed in? We offer one on one nutrition coaching to help you figure out your macros and develop strategies for you to hit these numbers consistently in order to see the results you’re looking for.

While there is some overlap in nutritional recommendations for strength training vs. endurance training, this article will focus on proper nutrition for getting stronger and building lean muscle.

Protein and Carbs are essential for success!

When it comes to what to eat before a workout the first, and most important macronutrient is protein. Resistance training alone increases muscle protein synthesis by twofold, but it also increases muscle protein breakdown [1]. What determines whether or not we increase muscle strength and size is the amount of amino acids, the building blocks of protein, we have available during and after exercise [1]. That’s why it’s crucial that our pre-workout meal contains at least 20 grams of high quality proteins, which contain most, if not all of the 9 essential amino acids, and are easily digested. Sources of high quality proteins include meat, fish, poultry, dairy, as well as quinoa and soy [3, 4]. Including these foods in our pre-workout meals allows us to minimize the use of skeletal muscle protein as a fuel source during workouts [2]. Since amino acid levels remain elevated for a few hours after a protein packed meal, our pre-workout protein provides us with ample resources to allow for protein synthesis to take place after we finish up in the gym [2]. Whey protein powder in particular is quickly absorbed in the body and can easily be taken before a workout in the form of a protein shake to elicit post-exercise muscle growth [2].

Carbohydrates are also an important part of pre-workout nutrition, and should not be skipped when figuring out what to eat before a workout since they play a role in both energy availability, as well as limiting muscle protein breakdown [5]. The latter is attributed to the insulin response that occurs after ingesting carbohydrates that helps spare muscle protein breakdown during and after exercise [6]. The muscle protein sparing effect of carbohydrates is enhanced with the addition of pre-workout protein [5]. This combination of pre-workout carbs and protein allows us to go harder, and longer, in our workouts, while resynthesizing glycogen, the body’s natural carbohydrate reserves, more quickly after we finish in the gym [7, 8].

While it’s often stated that consuming a protein snack immediately after we finish our workout is essential to building muscle, research suggests that a pre-workout meal of carbohydrates and protein consumed 1-2 hours before you begin working out is likely sufficient to minimize muscle breakdown and  promote protein synthesis [5]. However, if you are an early bird and like to workout first thing in the morning, an immediate post-workout protein snack is important to mitigate protein breakdown, and to promote protein synthesis and muscle growth [9]. Consuming at least 20 grams of protein post workout in general is a good idea if you have not eaten for 4-5 hours before going to workout [9].

What to eat before a workout

Consuming at least 20 grams of easily digestible high quality protein with carbohydrates, 1-2 hours before strength training will help you get the most out of your workout and will promote strength gains and muscle growth. If you skip breakfast and head straight to the gym, or haven’t eaten in 4-5 hours, bring a protein shake or protein bar to have immediately post workout to diminish muscle breakdown and help promote muscle growth.

References

[1] Kumar V, Atherton P, Smith K, Rennie MJ. Human muscle protein synthesis and breakdown during and after exercise. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2009 Jun;106(6):2026-39. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.91481.2008. Epub 2009 Jan 22. PMID: 19164770.

[2] Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, Tang JE, Glover EI, Wilkinson SB, Prior T, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jan;89(1):161-8. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.26401. Epub 2008 Dec 3. PMID: 19056590.

[3] Filho AM, Pirozi MR, Borges JT, Pinheiro Sant’Ana HM, Chaves JB, Coimbra JS. Quinoa: Nutritional, functional, and antinutritional aspects. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017 May 24;57(8):1618-1630. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2014.1001811. PMID: 26114306.

[4] Barrett, Julia R. “The science of soy: what do we really know?.” Environmental health perspectives vol. 114,6 (2006): A352-8. doi:10.1289/ehp.114-a352

[5] Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 Jan 29;10(1):5. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-5. PMID: 23360586; PMCID: PMC3577439.

[6] Denne SC, Liechty EA, Liu YM, Brechtel G, Baron AD: Proteolysis in skeletal muscle and whole body in response to euglycemic hyperinsulinemia in normal adults. Am J Physiol. 1991, 261 (6 Pt 1): E809-14.

[7] Rustad, Per I et al. “Intake of Protein Plus Carbohydrate during the First Two Hours after Exhaustive Cycling Improves Performance the following Day.” PloS one vol. 11,4 e0153229. 14 Apr. 2016, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153229

[8] Ivy JL, Res PT, Sprague RC, Widzer MO. Effect of a carbohydrate-protein supplement on endurance performance during exercise of varying intensity. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003 Sep;13(3):382-95. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.13.3.382. PMID: 14669937.

[9] Arent, Shawn M et al. “Nutrient Timing: A Garage Door of Opportunity?.” Nutrients vol. 12,7 1948. 30 Jun. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12071948