Even if you are trying to lose weight, having a nutrient dense meal about an hour before your workout will help boost your results and increase your metabolism to naturally burn even more calories! Here you will see how much of these nutrient you should have before a workout in order to get the most out of every gym session, and optimally burn even more fat!
Protein
No matter what your goals are, protein is always an important nutrient to any exercise program! It is the key to build and repair muscle tissue, along with supporting your immune system, keeping you energized, and much more! Your metabolism is required to work harder to break down protein by stripping away the nitric oxide molecule before it can continue being broken down further. This increases its thermogenic effect, burning more calories even at rest.
Also, by increasing your protein intake, you can lower your carbohydrate intake while still feeling satisfied. So more than just helping support lean muscle tissue, it will increase your metabolism, support your immune system even when on lower calories, and keep you feeling full and energized! It is recommended to get 25 – 30 grams of protein before a workout and 1 gram per pound of body weight each day.
Carbohydrates
Even if trying to lose weight, you should still be including carbohydrates in your diet. They should be slightly less than you usually have each day, but I don’t recommend ever going under 140 grams per day if on a workout program. And of your total daily carb intake, you want to get most of them around your workout. This will increase your energy levels before hitting your gym session, and the carbs will be used for energy and muscle repair rather than being stored as fat. With that said it is recommended to get 30 – 50 grams of carbohydrates about an hour before your workout to energize and fuel your body even when trying to lose fat. Just limit the rest of your carbs throughout the day to your bodies needs.
Fats
Unlike protein and carbohydrates, fat should be at a lower level right before your workout. However, when you are cutting weight, you are probably going to have slightly less carbs, meaning it can benefit you to slightly increase your fat intake to about 12 – 15 grams 1 – 1.5 hours before your workout. This allows enough time for the nutrients to settle and most efficiently be utilized for your workout. It will also help increase beta-oxidation (metabolizing lipids/fatty acids for energy). So since fats do contain twice the amount of calories per gram as compared to carbs or protein, you don’t need to consume 30+ grams at a time. 12 – 15 grams pre workout from a healthy predominantly unsaturated source such as peanut butter, avocado, olive oil, or egg yolks will help keep you energized, promote fat burning, and vitamin absorption!
Supplements
When trying to lose weight, supplements can help increase energy, boost your metabolism, and/or get you mentally focused on crushing your workout rather than feeling hungry! Being in a caloric deficit, your energy levels are obviously a little lower, possibly making it a little harder for you to stay motivated. Taking a quality pre-workout supplement with some caffeine can definitely help you push through when needed. Also, amino acids, BCAAs, or an easily digested protein isolate shake mixed in water can help retain more muscle and strength throughout the workout as well! Lastly, a thermogenic (fat burner) may be beneficial as it increases your bodies core temperature to burn more calories throughout your workout. Obviously these are not “needed” but as I said, can help.
So by consuming the right amount of these nutrients, you can help increase your results in the gym to burn more fat, while staying energized, and getting the most out of each session! Also, make sure you are drinking plenty of water, and getting your vitamins and minerals, which will easily help increase your energy, by aiding in the proper absorption of all other nutrients!
Thank you for reading, and I hope it help get you closer to smashing your health, weight, and body goals! For more information, please feel free to visit my Online Training Page, Custom Meal Plans, Youtube Channel, or other Blog Posts!
