Achieving your weight loss goals requires a comprehensive approach that includes regular exercise and a well-planned nutrition strategy. Knowing what and when to eat before a workout can significantly impact your performance, recovery, and overall weight loss efforts. This article explores the best pre-workout snacks for weight loss, focusing on how to fuel your body effectively to maximize your results.
Why Pre-Workout Nutrition Matters
Fueling your body with the right nutrients prior to exercise will give you the energy and strength you need to perform better. Good nutrition can help your body perform better and recover faster after each workout. Optimal nutrient intake prior to exercise will not only help you maximize your performance but also minimize muscle damage.
Have you ever stopped halfway through your workout due to fatigue? Are you looking for ways to avoid such in the future? The secret is to fuel up before and after working out with the best workout snacks.
The Role of Macronutrients
Each macronutrient plays an important role before a workout, but the ratio in which to consume them may depend on several factors, such as the duration, intensity, and type of exercise.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of your body’s primary sources of energy because your muscles use the glucose from carbs for fuel. Your body uses glycogen to process and store glucose, mainly in the liver and muscles. Since glycogen stores are limited, however, they become depleted during exercise. If you have a longer workout, your output and intensity could diminish as you approach the end.
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Research on glycogen stores in relation to workout timing is varied. The ISSN notes that high intensity exercise longer than 60 minutes may deplete your glycogen stores. A 2020 review also found that pre-workout carb intake only plays a significant role in high intensity aerobic exercise or resistance training sessions that last longer than 60 minutes. The ISSN notes that the degree to which carbs are used for longer exercises may depend on several factors, such as the intensity, type of training, and overall diet.
Regardless of how long your workout is, however, studies have consistently shown that carbs increase glycogen stores and utilization while boosting carb oxidation during exercise. Consuming carbs before your workout may be important for boosting long-duration exercise performance. Quick carbs like fruits go a long way during strength training, while slow carbs like whole grains and oats are important for endurance exercises.
Protein
Many studies have documented the potential of pre-workout protein consumption to improve athletic performance. Eating protein prior to exercise has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis. This is the process in which amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are formed into muscle proteins, or muscle mass.
According to the ISSN, other benefits of eating protein before exercise may include:
- Increasing muscle mass
- Improving muscle recovery
- Increasing strength and lean body mass
- Enhancing muscle performance
Fat
While glycogen is used for short and high intensity exercise, fat is the main fuel source for longer and moderate to low intensity exercise. Some studies have investigated the effects of fat intake on athletic performance. However, most of these studies looked at high fat diets over a long period, rather than prior to exercise.
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A 2023 study in 10 males examined the effects of eating a high fat meal or a high carb meal 3.5 hours before an endurance workout following 1 week of carb loading. The participants who ate a high fat meal had better glycogen stores after 60 minutes than those who ate a high carb meal. That said, more research is needed to understand the role of eating fats before working out. On the other hand, you need slow fats like nut butter for long-lasting energy during cardio.
Timing Your Pre-Workout Meal
The timing of your meal is an important aspect of pre-exercise nutrition because it can ensure you have enough nutrients and energy to get the most out of your workout. A 2020 review notes that many studies suggest eating around 1 hour before a workout. However, other studies have found positive effects of eating up to 4 hours before exercising. An important factor to consider may be how you feel during your workout. For instance, if you’re hungry during your workout, you likely won’t have the energy to train at your maximum. Similarly, if you’re feeling bloated or sluggish, you may also be unable to perform at your best.
Finding the right balance is key to performance. This means the types of food and the size of your meal may differ based on how long you eat before exercising. To maximize the results of your training, consider eating a complete meal of carbs, protein, and fat within 2 to 3 hours of exercising, or a smaller meal focusing on carbs and protein 1 to 1.5 hours before exercise.
When it comes to carbs, focus on eating complex carbs and high fiber foods like potatoes, whole grains, and oatmeal, as these take longer to digest and provide more sustained energy. Healthy fats like fish, nuts, and avocados may provide sustained energy because fats take longer to digest. That said, the slow digestion of fat may contribute to feeling bloated or sluggish during your workout if you eat too much too close to your exercise. If you eat 45 to 60 minutes before exercising, consider eating smaller portions and choosing foods that are quicker to digest, such as a protein shake, bananas, and oatmeal. This could help prevent feelings of fullness.
Remember, the timing of your meal may be more important for longer workouts because pre-exercise meals don’t significantly impact performance during workouts lasting less than 1 hour.
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Best Pre-Workout Snack Options
Which foods and how much to eat depends on the type, duration, and intensity of your workout. Here are some examples of balanced pre-workout meals:
If Your Workout Starts Within 2 to 3 Hours or More:
- Sandwich using whole grain bread, sliced chicken, and a side salad
- Half a sweet potato, with a piece of salmon and grilled vegetables
- Lean ground beef, brown rice, and roasted vegetables
If Your Workout Starts Within 2 Hours:
- Egg omelet and whole grain toast topped with avocado, and a cup of fruit on the side
- A cup of oatmeal with one scoop of protein powder, one banana, and some sliced almonds
- Natural almond butter and fruit preserve sandwich on whole grain bread
If Your Workout Starts Within an Hour or Less:
- Greek yogurt and fruit
- Protein smoothie made with water, protein powder, banana, and mixed berries
- Nutrition bar with protein
- A piece of fruit, such as a banana, orange, or apple
You don’t need to eat many pre-workout meals at different times and can just choose one of these. For best results, experiment with different timings and nutrient compositions.
Specific Snack Ideas
- Fruits: Do you love apples, bananas, cherries, pears, strawberries, mangos, or other juicy fruit? They are rich in carbs, antioxidants, and vitamins and help you hydrate. Bananas are an excellent source of natural sugars, simple carbohydrates, and potassium. In the body, potassium is stored for a limited time, so eating a banana 30-60 minutes before your workout can replenish your energy stores and help maintain proper muscle function.
- Oatmeal: Oats' complex carbs are a game changer, making them one of the best pre-workout snack ideas. Oatmeal is the ultimate pre-workout breakfast. It contains complex carbohydrates that digest slowly, providing a sustained release of energy throughout your workout. Oats are also a great source of soluble fiber, including beta-glucan, which can help keep you feeling full.
- Dried Fruits: Look no further if you need simple carbohydrates that are easy to digest. Dried fruits fuel you up and contain minerals that boost your bone functions.
- Crackers and Low-Fat Cheese: Adding low-fat cheese to your crackers makes a good pre-workout snack.
- Whole Wheat Toast with Nut Butter: Spreading nut butter on whole wheat toast makes for another healthy combination of carbs and proteins. Whole-grain toast topped with peanut butter (or any nut butter) offers the perfect blend of carbs and protein. Top with your preferred amount of banana slices for added potassium.
- Cereal with Milk and Fruits: Cereal comes to mind when you think about breakfast, but to make it great as a pre-workout meal, make sure that it is low in sugar and combine it with low-fat or skim milk and fresh fruits.
- Granola Bar: Are you running late, making it impossible to eat healthy sports snacks? Don’t worry, you can always grab a granola bar to munch on.
- Veggie Omelet: If you have 2-3 hours to spare before getting active, you can customize a veggie omelet for a healthy pre-workout meal.
- Noodles or Ramen: Noodles or ramen are favorites because they are easy to make.
- Rice: Rice is a complex carb that digests slowly. It contains vitamins and minerals that make it one of the top healthy sports snacks.
- Apple Wedges and Peanut Butter: Apple slices with a small amount of peanut butter are one of the tastiest and easiest pre-workout snacks. This is a fantastic option for those who are watching their calorie or carb intake. The protein from the peanut butter and the nutrients from the apple make this a balanced snack. It's perfect for consuming around 30 minutes before a workout.
- Omelette: If you’re serious about your fitness, eggs are a daily staple. Omelettes, made with whole eggs or just egg whites, are an excellent source of protein and all nine essential amino acids needed for muscle building. For added nutrients, add some spinach or kale. You should eat an omelette 2-3 hours before a workout to promote muscle growth and prevent muscle breakdown.
- Half of a Sandwich: A half sandwich with protein, like turkey or chicken, is a well-balanced option.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is a delicious and creamy snack high in protein and calcium. Pair it with berries for a dose of natural sugars and you’ll have a great quick and satisfying snack.
- Homemade Protein Bars: If you love to bake, why not try making your own protein bars? Homemade bars are simple to make and are perfect for on-the-go pre-workout fuel. You can also control the ingredients to create a bar that meets your specific needs, whether that’s high in carbs and protein or low in carbs and high in protein. You can add everything from nuts and seeds to dried fruit and a sprinkle of chocolate - just be mindful of the sugar content.
The Importance of Hydration
Hydration is also crucial. Your body needs water to function. Good hydration may help sustain and even enhance performance, while dehydration can significantly decrease performance. Consider consuming both water and sodium before exercise to improve fluid balance. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Position Stand from 2007 recommends drinking beverages slowly at least 4 hours before exercise.
Supplements
Supplement use is common in sports. These products may help enhance performance, improve strength, increase lean muscle mass, and reduce fatigue. Some of the most common pre-workout supplements may include:
- Creatine
- Caffeine
- Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
- Beta-alanine
- Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements
The particular dose will depend on the product, but it’s generally recommended to take pre-workout supplements about 30 to 45 minutes before exercise. It’s also important to speak with a healthcare professional before taking supplements to avoid possible side effects. They could recommend the best dosage and product for you.
Pre-Workout Nutrition and Weight Loss
Knowing when and what to eat before a workout can make a difference in weight loss. An ideal pre-workout snack should contain carbohydrates and protein but not be too high in fiber or fat. Losing belly fat comes down to making sure that the total amount of calories you consume in a day (whether pre- or post workout) are fewer than the calories you burn.
If your workout isn’t intense or long (i.e., a 30-minute walk or moderate-intensity exercise), experts suggest that it is okay to work out on an empty stomach early in the morning. Eating certain foods before a workout can cause side effects such as feeling bloated, heavy, sleepy, or gassy.
If you are planning to exercise after a larger meal like lunch, make sure you wait at least 3-4 hours. If you had a smaller meal, wait at least 1-3 hours. This is because if you exercise too soon after eating, you may have problems with digestion that may hinder your fitness performance.
Exercising on an Empty Stomach
Exercising on an empty stomach can help you burn more body fat for fuel. When you eat right before exercising, your body is going to first use the calories you just consumed for fuel. By exercising when it’s been about three to four hours since you last ate, your body is more able to burn fat for fuel because other easier methods of fuel aren’t available. Remember, before exercising, check your glucose levels to make sure you’re within a safe range to do so-about 100 to 180 mg/dL. This can be a very helpful weight-loss tool because regardless of how many calories you burn during your workout, you’re ensuring that you’re burning more body fat for fuel.
Small Snack or Light Meal
If exercising on an empty stomach isn’t a great fit for you, you can avoid consuming extra calories by simply timing your workout right after a small snack or a light meal. What should you eat? Stick with real food. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Often, combining a carbohydrate source with a protein source is recommended. Some examples include:
- Fruit + protein (examples: apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter, berries, and a few slices of turkey or nuts)
- Starch + protein (examples: whole grain crackers and cheese or 1/2 sandwich)
- Light yogurt
- Or a lighter snack of veggies and hummus, dip, or string cheese may be desired.
Low-Intensity Exercise
Don’t force yourself to eat a “post workout meal” for low-intensity exercise. If you’re trying to lose weight and your workouts are lower in intensity (like power walking, jogging, or cycling less than an hour at a time) then you likely do not need an intentional “post-workout meal”. Instead, strive to eat mostly whole foods every four to five hours throughout the day to support your calorie needs while also getting daily exercise.
In losing weight, there’s a constant balancing act of eating enough to fuel your metabolism and manage hunger vs. reducing calories carefully to encourage your body to burn more body fat. By planning your meals and exercise routine carefully, you can avoid taking in more calories than your goal and still keep yourself well-fueled!
When to Eat After Your Workout
For some types of exercise, it’s important to eat a meal (or a protein shake) within the hour after your workout. Types of exercise that might call for an immediate post-workout protein shake or meal include:
- Weight-lifting
- High intensity interval training
- Endurance training (long-distance running, cycling, etc.)
- Any intense exercise over 60 minutes
- High-intensity competitive sports (soccer, tennis, racquet ball, etc.)
If you don’t eat a substantial meal or post-workout protein shake after high intensity exercise, a few issues are of concern:
- You’re depriving your muscles of the amino acids they need to rebuild and recover.
- You’re not replenishing the stored glucose (glycogen) in your muscles which can lead to further muscle breakdown.
- You’ll get hungry a few hours later and likely overeat at that later meal.
Intense training requires proper fuel. Eating every three to four hours throughout the day and eating post-workout is an important part of supporting your body.
If You Take Insulin
If you take mealtime insulin or other medications that can cause low blood glucose levels, you’ll need to plan the timing of your meals and your exercise more carefully. If you’ve just eaten a meal and taken your full dose of insulin, exercising in the three hours afterwards can lead to low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). This is because exercise causes your muscles to use the glucose in your bloodstream faster. This means you’d need less insulin to manage your goal blood glucose levels after a meal.
Timing Your Meals, Insulin Needs, and Exercise:
- Reduce the amount of insulin you take for that meal. If you know you’re going to exercise immediately after eating, you can talk to your doctor about reducing your mealtime insulin dose. The type of exercise you choose (walking or jogging vs. lifting weights), the duration (15 minutes vs. 45 minutes), and the intensity can impact just how much less insulin you need with that meal. Depending on the intensity of your workout (like a rigorous weightlifting session), you may find that you need to reduce your insulin dose for the meal you eat in the few hours after exercising. Still, your insulin needs for exercise can depend on other various factors. Consult your health care provider to determine how and if you should adjust insulin doses before and after exercise.
- Exercise before eating and taking mealtime insulin. By exercising before you eat and taking your mealtime insulin, you reduce your risk of low blood glucose. This can hugely simplify your ability to exercise without low blood glucose. This can also help prevent the need to eat extra carbs during exercise to prevent/manage low blood glucose.
Keep in mind that if you experience a low blood glucose even without rapid-acting mealtime insulin in your system, this is a sign that your other insulin/medication dosages may be too high. Most importantly: Be sure to check your blood glucose before you exercise and carry fast-acting carbohydrates with you (like glucose tablets, gummy candy, or juice) whenever exercising in case you experience low blood glucose.
Nutrition Tips for Every Workout
Regardless of your workout type, there are a few strategies that will help you feel your best:
- Avoid fads: Supplements and extreme fasting may promise miraculous results, but they’re usually not backed by science. Some can even be dangerous.
- Consider your comfort: If you tend to get stomach cramps, don’t eat right before your workouts. If certain foods cause bloating or gas, avoid them in the hours leading up to your workout.
- Don’t go hungry: Intense workouts require fuel, so don’t skip pre-workout meals.
- Hydrate: Dehydration can cause headaches and sluggishness, so sip plenty of water or electrolyte drinks before, during and after workouts.
- Plan protein: Protein needs vary by exercise intensity and body weight, so what works for one person may not work for another. Talk to a registered dietitian if you are unsure of your protein needs.