By RMHP
7 Foods to Give You More Energy During Your Workouts
What are the best pre-workout snacks for energy?
Do you ever “hit the wall” when you workout? It’s disheartening to get halfway through a workout, only to realize that you simply don’t have the energy to keep going. Thankfully there’s an easy fix to your energy woes — food!
If you’re looking for an energy boost to power you through your next workout be sure to snack on these foods beforehand.
1. Bananas
If you don’t like eating too much before a hard workout then bananas are the snack for you. Grab one an hour or so before your workout for the maximum benefit —
the potassium in bananas is great for your nerves and muscles, but it doesn’t stick around in your body for very long. The carbs will give you a helpful energy burst, too.
You can also add nut butter to your potassium-rich snack for an extra dose of healthy fats and protein.
2. Fruit
Bananas are extra helpful for keeping energy up during your workouts, but any fruit can give you an energy boost. The carbohydrates, natural sugars, and fiber in fruits work together to keep you going for longer.
3. Chia seeds
Listing off all of the benefits of chia seeds would take a very long time —
they’re incredibly nutritionally dense despite their small size. Including them as part of your pre-workout snack will give you the push you need to power through, partially because soaked chia helps slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. This means that the carbs you eat will give you a greater energy boost for a longer period of time.
4. Oatmeal
Oatmeal contains
slow digesting carbohydrates, so having a bowl before your workout will give you a nice energy boost. Plain oatmeal will do the trick but consider experimenting to find what you love most. Peanut butter, soaked chia seeds, and fruit are all great options that will add extra flavor to your oatmeal.
5. Greek yogurt
Carbs are necessary for keeping your energy levels up, but you should also aim to get some protein from the foods you eat before a workout.
Greek yogurt has plenty of both! Top your yogurt with one of the other foods on this list, like fruit.
6. Coconut
It might come as a surprise, but coconut is actually extremely helpful at boosting energy. That’s because
coconut contains medium-chain triglycerides, which have been shown to increase energy.
Snack on coconut chips, add coconut flakes to your oatmeal, or put a bit of coconut oil in your pre-workout smoothie. Coconut oil helps with thyroid function, and a happy thyroid means your metabolism can run smoothly. The result? More energy and better performance.
7. Energy gel
When you’re in a pinch energy gels are a great preworkout food to try. These gels are scientifically designed to fuel your body for optimum performance and they’re especially popular amongst endurance athletes.
Gu is one popular energy gel brand you might consider trying.
