A healthy diet is essential for good results in the gym. Fatty and nutrient-poor foods can not only affect your diet but also affect performance during exercise. In general, it is recommended to eat proteins, such as fruits and eggs, before training.
This is because, in addition to offering a high energy content, they also have little sugar and fat. Even knowing that these foods are the most suitable, it is common to arise questions related to food, as people go to the gym for different reasons. For example, are you going to the gym to lose weight, gain lean mass, or both?
Be it before, after or even for those who don’t train at the gym, it’s important to follow a balanced diet to improve health, prevent fatigue and help with physical performance. That is, the correct foods can serve as a source of energy during exercise and also collaborate in the regeneration of muscles after training.
To help you choose what diet your routine and your body require, as well as what foods can improve your results, it is ideal to consult with a nutritionist. However, to help you plan now, we have separated some tips, check it out!
In this article, you will find:
- What to eat before training to lose weight?
- What Foods Help Gain Lean Mass?
- What to eat up to 30 minutes before training?
- Menu and tips on what to eat before training
What to eat before training to lose weight?
At first, most people who start going to the gym aim to lose weight and reduce measures. Therefore, they must have a diet based on the caloric amount of each food, balancing the calories consumed with those spent in physical activities.
Below, we separate some foods that can be eaten before training to help with weight loss, such as proteins, cereals, dairy products and carbohydrates. Check out:
- Oat;
- Fruits (apple, peach, plum, cherry etc.);
- Wholegrain bread + light turkey breast;
- Egg whites + wholegrain biscuits of the water and salt type;
- Sugar-free granola;
- Low-fat yogurt.
These are some examples of foods considered to have a low glycemic index. That is, those that do not raise blood sugar so much and therefore are good choices for those who want to lose weight.
What Foods Help Gain Lean Mass?
It is important to be aware that there is a high energy expenditure in training and to gain lean mass you need to eat well. Therefore, the ideal is to choose lean proteins and carbohydrates at least 2-3 hours before training, for example:
- Brown rice;
- Vegetables and vegetables;
- Chicken fillet;
- Lentil;
- Lean red meat (grilled or cooked);
- Roasted or grilled fish.
If before training you are going to have a bigger meal, such as lunch, once again let’s remember that meals should be made within 2 to 3 hours of training, as these are foods that take longer to be digested.
So you already know right? Meals like this need to be taken hours before you go to the gym. This way, your body makes better use of the energy metabolized from food and you don’t run the risk of suffering from poor digestion during training.
What to eat up to 30 minutes before training?
For those who need a quick snack before training, the ideal is to have a low-fat meal about 30 to 60 minutes beforehand.
Although fat also contributes to our body when consumed properly, these foods are slower to digest and can interfere with your exercise series.
Therefore, these quick meals, when made to gain muscle mass, need to contain foods that provide energy and have the necessary nutrients. This is the case of amino acids, responsible for the cell repair process and also for muscle growth.
So, we’ve separated some quick and easy dishes that will help you gain mass and also give you enough energy to go to training, check it out:
- Sweet potatoes with whey protein;
- Orange juice with honey and whey protein;
- Granola with yogurt;
- Banana with oats and honey;
- Whey shake with banana;
- Egg white omelet served with bread;
- Bread with white cheese;
- Acai with granola;
- Bread with peanut butter.
Menu and tips on what to eat before training
Some foods can be part of the pre-workout menu to maximize results. Know what to choose according to the time of physical activity:
Morning
Breakfast, considered the main meal of the day, can become an excellent pre-workout for those who prefer to go to the gym in the morning. However, it is worth remembering that meals should never be too close to the time to start working out and the recommendation is that people eat, on average, up to 1 hour and a half before training.
However, this range of hours can also vary according to the amount of food consumed or even the type of food. For example, fatty foods take longer to be metabolized. Therefore, the ideal is to prioritize lighter foods that help make you more energetic and full of energy.
With that in mind, we’ve separated some of the main foods that should be part of your pre-workout breakfast:
- Banana;
- Yoghurt and fruits;
- Tapioca;
- Eggs;
- Whey protein and fruit shakes.
It is necessary to take into account the time you were fasting while sleeping, in addition to replenish those energies, thinking that you also need fuel to perform well in training.
For example, protein yogurt is a good option to make a delicious bowl of yogurt with fruit, and thus have a light and healthy breakfast, with lots of proteins to enhance your pre-workout. undefined In addition, eggs are great sources of protein and have the B vitamins and vitamin D, which make breakfast with eggs practical and contribute to the growth of muscle mass.
Night
Due to the rush of daily life, it is common for some people to choose to go to the gym at night. For them, the recommendation is to prioritize the consumption of foods rich in proteins, cereals and fruits that are not heavy and slow to digest.
See some options that can help in training:
- Light fruits such as apples and pears;
- Dry fruits;
- Wholemeal bread sandwich;
- Cereals;
- Turkey breast;
- Chicken;
- White cheese.
By consuming food that will give you energy at night, you will have enough energy to go to the gym. Since the only important thing is to avoid heavy dishes that can interfere with your rest, such a fundamental factor for those who train.