Everyone has their own ways of lifting and dieting. But if there’s one thing most agree on is that it’s very important to have something to eat before lifting.
There are 2 reasons for this: to fuel your workout and to stop you from feeling feint and sick through lack of blood sugar.
In my time, I’ve had many sessions when I simply did not eat (or didn’t eat much) before training. Sometimes I get away with it and have a rather good session. Other times, I’d be feeling queasy, sick, and even go dizzy. This is down to a lack of blood sugar. It’s important to keep blood sugars at normal levels at all times, but it’s even more important when you’re pumping iron – it can be very dangerous not to.
Other times, although I maybe didn’t feel ill, I did notice I had very little energy. I’d feel sluggish and weak, and I quite honestly couldn’t wait to get out of the gym and just get back home to relax. It’s a wasted session – and I hate wasted sessions.
For these 2 reasons, it’s important we always eat something before a workout.
So what to eat?
Some people truly are anal when it comes to what they eat, and others will be more liberal. It really depends on you – the most important thing is you eat something – at least maybe 500 calories, an hour to an hour and a half before your workout.
Personally, I recommend eating quite a lot of carbohydrates such as pasta or rice or a baked potato. Carbohydrates are quickly and easily broken down and stored as glycogen in the muscles which will really ensure that your muscles are up for their workout.
It’s always good to have some protein and fats, too.
Note: You may notice that when eating before training, that you experience gas, acid reflux or indigestion when lifting. You can avoid this by drinking plenty of water with your meals and after your meals, and maybe giving it 2 hours before training so you food is better digested. Or, you could try eating something different or a different amount.