What to eat before going to the gym
There are many doubts, questions, or false beliefs that exist about eating when you are training day after day. And it is that, as many people already know, this is equal to or more important than exercising to have good health and, in turn, a good physique. It is useless to exercise a lot if the rest of the day leads a sedentary life and a junk or full of fats and few good properties for the body. Therefore, the key is to combine both aspects and try to have a balanced diet within a healthy life.
Before even considering what to eat in the hours before exercising or training, some wonder if it is good to go to the gym and exercise after eating. The answer to this is that it is always essential to go hydrated and nourished to the gym. This way, you will avoid dizziness or any other type of problem derived from the lack of energy to put the body into a situation of exercise and movement. Although, indeed, it is not good to go freshly eaten to train or exercise as it is good for the body to go through a process of digestion, like what happens when you go to bathe in the pool or on the beach. But further from this, it is essential to have eaten something before exercising for these fundamental reasons:
What to eat before going to the gym
First, the body needs to have enough energy to be able to get going on exercise. Otherwise, the person will feel weak and may experience dizziness or other types of problems such as drops in blood pressure. Also, the more energy the body has, the stronger it can cope with the exercises and, therefore, the more weight its muscles will be able to support, working with higher performance.
Secondly, hydration is essential due to the loss of liquids that occurs when you sweat while exercising. Also, it should be noted that eating before is essential since exercising lowers the level of blood sugar, so if this is too little, serious problems can occur during training.
Therefore, several tips should be followed regarding pre-workout feeding:
- It is essential to be hydrated and, in turn, to have water or an isotonic drink during training that allows you to absorb liquids that due to the exercise itself and the sweat that it causes are being lost since the person will need to quench their thirst.
- It is recommended to eat carbohydrates before exercising because of its easy combustion.
- Pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables, and meat are highly recommended foods to eat before a sport and training session since they provide the proteins and carbohydrates necessary for the body to be as healthy as possible. Active as possible and have the energy to get going. It is recommended to take meals with heavier and faster digestion since this will allow the person not to feel heavy. Some think that eating a good stew will have more energy when it costs more to be digested by the body and digestion is slower.
- If what you are looking for when going to the gym is to gain muscle mass, it will be more than recommended that all meals include many carbohydrates. If not, although these are also recommended, it is good to combine them with other light and healthy foods.
- It is recommended not to take artificial supplements since they usually contain more ingredients that are not as beneficial, so the healthier the food you choose and the more natural it is, the better. For example, it is better to take a beefsteak that will provide protein than to take a protein bar.
- In addition to food, it is also good to know that training should go from less to more. That is to say, start little by little, doing some cardio first to activate the body and then getting into the matter.
In conclusion, each body is different and what is best for some may not be the most recommended for others, so it is recommended to consult a doctor or specialist on the subject who can guide each person in a specific way. However, if there are doubts, the best option is to opt for a healthy and balanced diet. In contrast, you indeed have to eat everything, but before training, it will be recommended not to choose junk food or repeat it in the stomach. Also, consuming protein or carbohydrates to achieve high performance during exercise in the gym is emphasized.
