Turn up to training hungry and your lifts feel heavy and your runs fade early. Turn up stuffed and you spend the session with a sore stomach. The goal is to arrive with fuel available and a settled stomach. That depends mostly on timing and on choosing foods you know your body tolerates.
What a pre-workout meal needs to do
Your muscles run on glycogen, which is stored carbohydrate, and on the carbohydrate in your blood. A good pre-workout meal tops these up. It also keeps blood sugar steady so you do not crash halfway through.
The ideal pre-workout food is:
- Mostly carbohydrate, for fuel
- Moderate in protein, to support muscle
- Low in fat and fibre, because both slow digestion and can cause cramps or bloating during hard exercise
- Familiar, because training day is no time to try a new food
Timing: how long before you train
The closer you are to your session, the smaller and simpler your food should be.
3 to 4 hours before
This is the time for a full meal. For example, rice or matooke with chicken or fish and a small amount of vegetables. You have time to digest it and still feel light.
1 to 2 hours before
Choose a smaller meal or a larger snack, mostly carbohydrate with a little protein. Examples are porridge with milk, a sweet potato with a boiled egg, or toast with a little groundnut paste.
30 to 60 minutes before
Keep it small and easy to digest. A banana, a slice of bread with honey, a few dates, or a glass of diluted juice work well. Avoid anything greasy or very high in fibre.
Less than 30 minutes
Many people do fine with something tiny, such as half a banana or a few sips of a sweet drink, especially before a short or low intensity session. If you feel sick when you eat close to training, skip it and eat earlier next time.
Simple local ideas
- Banana and a handful of roasted groundnuts, an easy snack, though keep the nuts small if you train soon after
- Porridge made with millet, maize or sorghum, cooked with milk and a little sugar or honey
- Boiled sweet potato or cassava with a boiled egg
- Rice with a little stewed chicken 2 to 3 hours before
- Bread with jam or honey, a quick option for early mornings
- Fresh fruit such as pawpaw, pineapple, orange or watermelon, which also supplies fluid
- Chapati with an egg, a decent option earlier in the day if not too oily
Notice that most of these are basic foods. You do not need a branded pre-workout product.
Training key thing in the morning
Many people train before work at 5 or 6 am and do not want to eat a large breakfast. Try this:
- Have a glass of water when you wake up.
- Eat a small carbohydrate snack 20 to 30 minutes before, such as a banana or a slice of bread with honey.
- Eat a proper breakfast with protein within an hour or 2 after training.
For gentle walking or an easy session under an hour, training fasted is possible for some people, but performance in hard or long sessions is usually better with some fuel. If you feel dizzy, weak or shaky, eat before you train.
What about caffeine
Coffee or tea before training can improve alertness and perceived effort for many people. A cup of coffee about 30 to 60 minutes before is enough. Too much can cause jitters, a racing heart and stomach upset, and caffeine late in the day can disrupt sleep. People with heart conditions, high blood pressure or anxiety should check with a doctor initially.
Common mistakes
Training on nothing after a long day. If lunch was at 1 pm and you train at 6 pm, you will likely run low. Have a snack at about 4 or 5 pm.
Eating a big, greasy meal right before. Fried food, heavy sauces and large amounts of beans sit in the stomach and make hard training unpleasant.
Overdoing fibre. Healthy foods like beans and raw vegetables are excellent in general, but best left for after training when you will be doing intense work.
Forgetting fluids. Food without water leaves you flat. Aim for 400 to 600 ml of water over the 2 to 3 hours before training.
Copying someone else's routine. Digestion is individual. Experiment for 2 or 3 weeks and keep notes on what felt good.
Sample plans
Evening lifting at 6 pm:
- 1 pm: lunch of rice, beans and vegetables
- 4:30 pm: banana and a slice of bread with a little groundnut paste
- 5:30 pm: water
Early run at 6 am:
- 5:30 am: water and 1 banana
- After the run: eggs, bread or sweet potato, and tea or milk
Midday session at 12:30 pm:
- 9:30 am: porridge and a boiled egg
- 11:45 am: a piece of fruit
When your stomach struggles
If you have cramps, nausea or reflux during training, initial move the meal earlier and make it smaller. Then reduce fat and fibre. If problems continue, or you have symptoms such as pain, vomiting or blood in the stool, see a doctor.
Key takeaways
- Choose mostly carbohydrate with some protein, and keep fat and fibre low before hard sessions.
- Eat a full meal 3 to 4 hours before, and a small snack 30 to 60 minutes before.
- Bananas, bread with honey, porridge, sweet potato and fruit are cheap and effective.
- Do not try new foods on a heavy training day.
- If you train early, a small snack and water is better than hard training on an empty tank.
