Pre-Workout Myths that you Probably Didn’t Know
Read the latest Elaine Amphlett blog. Elaine has been a staunch advocate of nutrition and health for more than ten years now. A seasoned dietician, it is her passion for nutrition and wellness that led her into the path of becoming one of the most respected dieticians out there. Her goal is not only to help her clients achieve their fitness goals through personalised programmes but to also make sure that they will have a better relationship with food. Read on as she lists down some of the foods that you should be avoided before you hit the gym.
You need food in order to fuel your workout. However, some people also make this an excuse to devour their preferred snack before heading to the gym. While exercising on an empty stomach would mean your body will not have enough energy to perform well, eating the wrong food is just as bad. Below are some of the foods that you definitely should take off your pre-workout food list.
Avoid foods that are filled with fibre. While wheat pasta, wholegrain bread, and oats are considered foods that are good for you since they are useful at helping you feel fuller for a lot longer. They can even help regulate your digestive system. However, when you are about to hit the gym in a few hours, consuming them is not a good idea. Considering how they take longer to digest, they are only likely to end up causing you gastrointestinal distress that could result to nausea, bloating, stomach cramps, and gas- things that could likely prevent you from having a good workout.
Fizzy drinks are also best avoided before you exercise too. Drinks like these tend to be void of nutrition and are only laden with lots of sugar. Their carbonation and high sugar content would only make you feel bloated as a result. They can also cause sugar crash along with nausea and stomach cramps while you do your workout routine.
Nuts are generally healthy fats and are considered a crucial part of a proper diet. However, they can compromise your workout if you will eat them before you start. Fat is a nutrient that is known for slowing digestion. The more fat you consume, the longer it would take for the snack or the meal to get digested. Before working out, the purpose of eating is to make sure that the body is fuelled right to power through the routine. This is why foods need to be fully digested.
Spicy foods should be crossed off your list as well. While they can be quite satisfying to the taste buds, but they have been known to cause indigestion- something that you wouldn’t want to have when working out. It can cause heartburn too and something painful like that is the last thing you want when you are trying to break a sweat. The same is true for cruciferous vegetables, avocado, refined sugar, as well as dairy.
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