I was reading a “fitness magazine” last week. I use “fitness magazine” in quotes because these are really nothing more than advertisement for the company who published the thing. This particular one was published by a national supplement store.
One of the articles was a meal plan for gaining muscle while staying lean. It contained a pre-workout snack that made me sick to my stomach just reading it – I don’t even want to imagine eating that before training!
This was their suggestion: Cheese & Crackers
Don’t eat this stuff before you train! Why not? Cheese and crackers may have protein, carbs and fats, but come on – the protein is nearly all slow digesting casein, the cheese is a dairy product that could cause stomach cramps, and the crackers are full of irritating gluten and highly refined carbohydrates.
Instead this is the formula you need to follow…
- Rapidly and EASILY digesting protein
- QUALITY carbs if training for increased muscle size or endurance sports
- Small amount of fat to slow digestion enough to prevent blood sugar from dropping
Here are a few examples:
- Organic Applesauce, cinnamon, whey protein, & a few walnuts
- My personal favorite – coffee, whey protein, coconut oil OR Grass-fed butter
- Chicken breast, rice, kale, olive oil – YEP, I’d rather you eat this quality whole food meal 60-90 before training than one of those terrible suggestions in that “supplement flyer”
If you want more, check out Workout Nutrition 101.
It has the EXACT recommendations I give for pre, during, and post training shakes & snacks. It even covers how to fuel for different training sessions – strength training, conditioning, cardio for fat loss, and sport specific skill practice.