What to Consume Before Training!
Tim Klein
2026-03-18
4 min. read
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Every one of us ponders the same dilemma: Will it be beneficial or detrimental? A meal prior to training or commencement? There are varied reasons why we ponder this matter. Some wish to lose weight to the maximum extent, others merely desire to conduct effective workouts.
Does it genuinely matter how many hours before departing to consume something?
For our workouts to be fruitful, we need to consume something that is easily assimilable and at the appropriate moment. The proper time needed for good assimilation of food is around 120 minutes. It's worth paying attention to this, because frequently it happens that if we extend our workouts by even half an hour, we will quickly feel a decrease in vitality or strength. Many runners think that there is nothing wrong with training an hour later than usual and eating a snack or a banana. However, this is an error, because meals consumed just before training increase the insulin level secreted by the pancreas to store the absorbed sugar. Our body should be maximally relieved during the exertion, and the main task of the pancreas should not be the production of insulin during training.
A meal ahead of initiating exercise
In the context of a meal ahead of initiating exercise, it is advisable to focus on complex carbohydrates and lean dairy/meat products. For carbohydrates, you should select pasta, macaroni and cereal flakes. For lean products, it is best to choose lean meats (from turkey, chicken, veal) and fish (cod, trout, mint), eggs, yogurts or cottage cheese. Foods fried in large quantities of fat should be avoided.
I'm showcasing meals prior to commencing training
Here are a few suggestions that can serve as ideal pre-workout meals: cereal flakes drenched in natural or other, low-sugar yogurt; brown rice with cod; whole grain pasta with beef; scramble with vegetables and raisin bread.
Is it wise to eat during workouts?
Ingesting food during workouts can be advantageous, however, only when your training lasts longer than 60 minutes. A trained individual can store up to 720 grams of carbohydrates in their muscles, but that may still be insufficient if our workout is intense. When it comes to snacks during training, it is worth considering providing yourself with bananas, dried fruits, or cereal bars.
Is it genuinely beneficial to consume anything before the competition commences?
A meal prior to the start provides essential energy for muscles and brain. It should consist of high-starch and low-fat foods. Avoid high-fat protein products, due to the extended digestion time. Our body will be operating during a race nearly at its maximum capacity, while the circulatory system reduces blood flow to the stomach by 80%. Consider the implications of having food remaining in the stomach. It can not only deprive us of necessary lightness, but also cause cramps or premature fatigue. Approximately 2-4 hours before the start, it is recommended to consume a small, yet carbohydrate-rich meal (500-1000 calories). This can be a bowl of corn flakes with milk, rice with banana and flavored yogurt, or dark bread with butter and jam. An hour before the start, one can eat a carbohydrate-rich snack, such as a croissant or an energy bar. Around 10-15 minutes before the start, it is not recommended to eat anything, but if one feels that the brain is losing energy due to intense stress - then one can additionally consume an energy gel.
"Golden hour post-workout"
The golden hour post-workout is the period during which we must replenish the energy losses incurred due to exercise. It is also important to pay attention to proper hydration, which should be a priority. The post-workout meal should contain the nutrients that the body utilized during exercise, as well as protein, which will expedite the repair of damaged muscle fibers. An example of a post-workout/competition meal may be a banana with natural yogurt and bran.
Nourishment, training and supplementation
We haven't tackled the subject of supplementation here, yet in the case of a fast-paced lifestyle or highly intense workouts, it's valuable to have suitable products for use both before and after the training -- various types of mass-increasing products, amino acids, and nutrient-rich protein products assist in this process. If our diet does not conform to the previously stated principles, we aim to compose it in such a way as to be as close as possible to the model pattern.
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