What To Eat Before a Training Session

What you eat before a training session has a huge impact on your ability to train to your full potential. So what should you eat for optimum performance? Well, that depends on the type of sport, intensity of your training session and length of session. Even though different sports may have different needs, they do have one thing in common…complex carbohydrates!

Complex carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel. They release energy slowly, which gives the body energy for an extended period of time. If you’re an athlete, complex carbohydrates should make up around 60% of your total diet. Here are the best sources of complex carbohydrates:

Good complex carbohydrate sources: 

1. Brown rice
2. Pasta
3. Brown bread
4. Potatoes
5. Pitta bread
6. Root vegetables
7. Oats

So how long should you eat before your session? On average, the body takes between 1.5-2 hours to process complex carbohydrates into usable energy. So you should eat a big meal about 2 hours before your workout for maximum energy. You might be hungry before your session, so topping up with a quick digesting piece of fruit like a banana or apple is ideal.

If you always make sure you eat a good meal with plenty of complex carbohydrates about 2 hours before you train, you’ll find you have a lot more energy to train at 100%!