Increasing Your Intra-Workout Energy
Have you ever been in the middle of a workout and suddenly you’re starving? This usually ends in one of two ways. Either you stop your workout entirely to eat, or continue your workout with nothing but food on your mind. Both of these outcomes take away from your workout, and hinder your results. To avoid this problem, and to avoid feeling tired/exhausted during your workout in general; make sure to eat your PRE-workout meal 2-3 hours before you start exercising and drink at least 14-22oz of water. Your pre-workout meal should be low in fat, and high in carbohydrates and proteins. Eating fatty foods before a workout will make you feel sluggish, slow, and unmotivated to do anything but nap.
High quality carbohydrates and protein will supply your body with excellent fuel for your workout. Your protein source should be low in fat, but high in the amino acid Tyrosine, which promotes stimulant neurotransmitters under physically stressful conditions (like exercising!). Some examples are egg whites, fish, chicken, and turkey. Carbs should be considered “complex” meaning slow-digesting. Amylose is an example of a slow-digesting carbohydrate source. A slow-digesting carbohydrate will give you longer-lasting bouts of energy. Some carbohydrate sources high in amylose are whole-wheat grains such as pasta and bread, oatmeal, and yams. If you follow these nutritional guidelines, you’ll have more energy during your next workout!
