The major categories I cover here are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and supplements! This will tell you how much of certain important nutrients will best fuel your workout, and help get you even better results!
Protein intake is a big part for anyone trying to build muscle. It is the macronutrient that directly correlates to building and repairing muscle tissue! It also as many other benefits such as supporting the immune system, and providing longer lasting energy. That is why it is so important to make sure you have an adequate amount (1 gram per pound of bodyweight) each day. But it’s recommended to get 30 grams of protein about an hour before a workout. This should come from natural foods such as chicken, eggs, or beef, but can also be from an easily digested hydrolyzed or isolate protein shake. If you don’t get any protein or at least some amino acids before your workout, your body is more likely to break down muscle tissue for energy which is obviously not what you want!
Carbohydrates are another important part of your pre workout meal! They are your bodies most direct source of energy which leads to a great energized workout! They fuel the muscles with loads of nutrients to get that great pump you want out of your workouts and help to build your strength during and after workouts. By getting enough carbohydrates throughout the day, you can avoid breaking down proteins or muscle tissue for fuel. So if your goal is to build muscle, before a workout it is recommended to get 80 – 100 grams of carbohydrates to fuel your muscles and avoid protein breakdown for energy. Simple carbs are best right before and after a workout, as they will be easily digested, and provide quick energy.
Fats and fiber are an important part of your daily nutrients, but should be at lower levels about an hour before and after your workout. They slow down the digestion of the nutrients you recently consumed. The protein and carbohydrates are what you want your body to utilize! So before any workout, keep your fiber and fatty acids under 10 – 12 grams to get the most out of your other nutrients. This will also help keep your stomach feel settled and at ease throughout your workout!
Supplements are always something people want to talk about when it comes to getting pumped for a workout. But honestly they are the least important component when it comes to your overall results, but can help. The reason I say that is because your best results are going to come from whole natural foods. But some of the major supplements that can help are creatine, pre workout, amino acid, or protein isolates. Creatine can help with increasing your power by improving and lengthening the ATP-PC (Phosphocreatine) system. The right Pre Workout can benefit your lifts by increasing your energy, focus, and nutrients pumped to your muscle. Lastly, amino acids, branch chain amino acids (BCAAs), or an easily digested protein powder will provide your muscle with protein to increase protein synthesis during a workout and avoid muscle catabolism.
One other thing is micronutrients. These are your vitamins, minerals, and water. Basically, just get as much as you reasonably can. They will help you better absorb and utilize the nutrients we talked about throughout this posts, and an adequate amount of water will keep you hydrated and focused!
So getting an the right amount of protein and easily digested carbohydrates you will fuel your workouts for a longer period of time with the proper nutrients to perform your best, continue to build muscle, and increase your lifts!
Example Meals Pre Workout:
4 Egg whites, 1 Whole Egg, with a handful of Spinach. And 1 cup of Oatmeal cooked with water, and add some fruit on top
or
4 oz Chicken Brest, 1 Cup Rice
or even easier
1 Apple and a Protein Shake (Isolated protein mixed in water)
Thank you for reading, and I hope it helps! For more tips or info, please visit my training page, youtube channel, or other blog posts!
