Pre-Work Out Snacks?

LemonCitron
LemonCitron Posts: 116 Member
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone,

Does anyone eat something before their work out to give them an energy boost? I need something that will give me a bit of energy to make myself work harder during my work out but also something that is not going to make me feel puke-y. So nothing that is a liquid or anything heavy.

What are you guys eating?

I can't believe what a difference being pumped up and having energy for your workout does in regards to your calorie burns. I easily burn at least a 100 more calories when I feel good in my work out as opposed to doing your work out and just feeling okay/burned out.

I like working out on an empty stomach but when I do that I just don't feel as high energy.

Thanks guys!

Replies

  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
    I usually look for good carbs and some protein before lifting.

    If you just want a light snack of carbs, I reach for a banana.

    When I've got room for extra cals, I do oats with protein.
  • michelle4271
    michelle4271 Posts: 194 Member
    "Herbalife" has an energy drink called "lift off" I find it works well, and I never noticed a crash. Lift off is a tablet that you disolve in your water bottle. They also have "green tea" that comes in a powder, you can mix into any drink, hot or cold, that is like an areobics class in a bottle haha....I drink either one about 1/2 hr before my workout (around 8-10oz) and then just continue with plain water throughout the rest of my workout and my day.

    I never found a dependency from it either
  • Tomhusker
    Tomhusker Posts: 346 Member
    I start out with a banana, every morning, then work out, then a good breakfast. The banana provides an extra boost without filling me up and feeling it while I sweat.
  • suemar74
    suemar74 Posts: 447 Member
    I have found, for me personally, a banana about 20 minute before I begin gives me the best workouts. I'm able to push myself and feel really pumped afterward.
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
    As I workout after work, I don't eat anything specifically before my workout- as long as the body has sufficient glycogen from my meals throughout the day I'm fine. I do find on days when I work out and haven't had many carbs already that I can feel faint after the workout, especially if it's intense (thankfully that was only once, and never during!).
  • Cina04
    Cina04 Posts: 609
    I drink a pre workout drink.

    I use to take NO Explode but now I am taking NO Zero Extreme - Creatine Free. The GNC Guy stopped me from buying NO Explode and showed me the one that is best for my needs in building lean muscle and not muscle bulk. lol. Plus it was Buy One Get One Free. So instead of paying 54 bucks for one container of NO Explode and I two containers of NO Zero for 40 bucks! LOL

    I'm doing Insanity and TurboFire back to back so it def gets me pumped up to workout. I do Insanity first and TurboFire so the energy it gives me gets me through both workouts.
  • cjnorman
    cjnorman Posts: 93
    I usually eat a handful of almonds before my workout, but I workout in the aftenoon. I just need a little boost until dinner.
  • stenochick0417
    stenochick0417 Posts: 124 Member
    I generally work out after work but before I eat dinner. So once I get home, I grab a Luna bar (sometimes a banana too, depending on how hungry I feel) and a Gatorade Prime before I go ride. This seems to do the trick as far as fueling my body to get through a workout without feeling like I'm either going to gnaw my arm off from hunger or puke b/c I ate too much. And I'm not normally hungry until an hour or so after I finish my ride, so I eat a sensible dinner then.
  • Improvised
    Improvised Posts: 925 Member
    Bananas are my favorite pre workout snack.
  • johnwhitent
    johnwhitent Posts: 648 Member
    I start out with a banana, every morning, then work out, then a good breakfast. The banana provides an extra boost without filling me up and feeling it while I sweat.

    I agree completely. I work out at 5:30 AM and find that bananas are the perfect pre work out food - good carbs for energy but not too heavy. In the summer when I sweat a lot I also drink some watered down Gatoraid or similar before and during cardio.
  • stenochick0417
    stenochick0417 Posts: 124 Member
    I start out with a banana, every morning, then work out, then a good breakfast. The banana provides an extra boost without filling me up and feeling it while I sweat.

    I agree completely. I work out at 5:30 AM and find that bananas are the perfect pre work out food - good carbs for energy but not too heavy. In the summer when I sweat a lot I also drink some watered down Gatoraid or similar before and during cardio.

    Ditto on the watered-down Gatorade. I don't like it full-strength when I'm working out. Doesn't satisfy my thirst for some reason.
  • thkelly
    thkelly Posts: 466 Member
    I usually look for good carbs and some protein before lifting.

    If you just want a light snack of carbs, I reach for a banana.

    When I've got room for extra cals, I do oats with protein.

    there's a lot of bizarro banana haters on this site for some reason, but i think a banana is a great idea before a workout. it fills you up enough without giving you any sort of bloated feeling.

    i'll take a caffeine tab as well if i want some extra energy
  • southernbelle39
    southernbelle39 Posts: 19
    I usually eat a luna bar before I work out. If I need something afterwards I'll eat a banana.
  • thkelly
    thkelly Posts: 466 Member
    I drink a pre workout drink.

    I use to take NO Explode but now I am taking NO Zero Extreme - Creatine Free. The GNC Guy stopped me from buying NO Explode and showed me the one that is best for my needs in building lean muscle and not muscle bulk. lol. Plus it was Buy One Get One Free. So instead of paying 54 bucks for one container of NO Explode and I two containers of NO Zero for 40 bucks! LOL

    I'm doing Insanity and TurboFire back to back so it def gets me pumped up to workout. I do Insanity first and TurboFire so the energy it gives me gets me through both workouts.

    i'm sorry but that doesn't make any sense. there's no way a pre workout drink is going to determine whether you build lean mass or "muscle bulk"
    GNC employees are the last people that should be giving advice. they work on a messed up bonus structure so that they push products on people no matter what their goals are.
    glad you dropped the NO Explode though. that stuff is way overpriced.
  • fitnessjch
    fitnessjch Posts: 449 Member
    I finish work at 5, and go to the gym at 6:45 with a friend. I often have 1/3 of a portion of tomato pasta with onion and ham an hour and a quarter before my workout.

    I need something more substantial such as this, as otherwise I feel like I have a hole in my stomach, and I cant work out as hard.

    If I have a later lunch, then sometimes I have dried fruit
  • LemonCitron
    LemonCitron Posts: 116 Member
    Oh and I wanted to throw in that I also work out right after work and before dinner. I don't know how you people work out in the morning. You're crazy!! lol. Then again I work at 7am. Which is early enough as it is!
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member


    I use to take NO Explode but now I am taking NO Zero Extreme - Creatine Free. The GNC Guy stopped me from buying NO Explode and showed me the one that is best for my needs in building lean muscle and not muscle bulk. lol. Plus it was Buy One Get One Free. So instead of paying 54 bucks for one container of NO Explode and I two containers of NO Zero for 40 bucks! LOL

    This is why I hate GNC, they lie to customers.. A supplement with creatine isn't gonig to change rather you build lean muscle or muscle bulk.
    GNC overprices things. And creatine is great for enhanced recovery. There is no bulky. "BULK" comes from high body fat.
    Not to mention preworkout supps really have next to nothing to do with muscle growth. They're nice to have for energy and thats about it.

    OP was asking for foods/snacks, not supplements anyways.
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member

    i'm sorry but that doesn't make any sense. there's no way a pre workout drink is going to determine whether you build lean mass or "muscle bulk"
    GNC employees are the last people that should be giving advice. they work on a messed up bonus structure so that they push products on people no matter what their goals are.
    glad you dropped the NO Explode though. that stuff is way overpriced.

    Agreed. I despise GNC for these reasons. I went in there to price a few supps one day because there is one next to my gym. I watched an employee selling a woman weight loss pills and telling her she could most likely stack them, without really knowing what he was saying. So the woman probably had a rough day of caffeine overdose from stacking two weight loss supps.
    These people don't know enough about supplements to be giving the advice they do.
  • stenochick0417
    stenochick0417 Posts: 124 Member
    Oh and I wanted to throw in that I also work out right after work and before dinner. I don't know how you people work out in the morning. You're crazy!! lol. Then again I work at 7am. Which is early enough as it is!

    Ditto! I'm the poster child for NOT A MORNING PERSON. :sick:
  • johnwhitent
    johnwhitent Posts: 648 Member
    Oh and I wanted to throw in that I also work out right after work and before dinner. I don't know how you people work out in the morning. You're crazy!! lol. Then again I work at 7am. Which is early enough as it is!

    Ditto! I'm the poster child for NOT A MORNING PERSON. :sick:

    I understand; I used to say "I am not a morning person." But if I try to work out after work something always interferes – I have to work late, or my wife and friends want to meet up, and even if nothing interferes I'm just plain tired after work. I started forcing myself to get up early and now I love it. I often do both strength training and a run or ride before work. Then I am fired up and charging around knocking out tasks when I get to work. Of course by 2:00 PM I am winding down. But, since this is a food topic, working out early makes diet choices really easy; banana, work out, breakfast with carbs and protein, then a healthy snack mid morning. Then just cruise through the rest of the day making wise choices (in theory.)
  • Cina04
    Cina04 Posts: 609
    *I live on a military post where they have GNC stores in the PX - We get to use our Gold Card all month long and prices are cheaper than regular GNC and their website.

    The guy was just letting me know so that I don't retain water since I'm doing my workouts for weight loss. Every time I or my husband go into GNC, the employees are very helpful and are not pushy on products.

    I was letting the OP know that there are drinks too but since now that I read she works out in the evening I wouldn't suggest a pre workout drink.

    [/quote]





    This is why I hate GNC, they lie to customers.. A supplement with creatine isn't gonig to change rather you build lean muscle or muscle bulk.
    GNC overprices things. And creatine is great for enhanced recovery. There is no bulky. "BULK" comes from high body fat.
    Not to mention preworkout supps really have next to nothing to do with muscle growth. They're nice to have for energy and thats about it.

    OP was asking for foods/snacks, not supplements anyways.
    [/quote]
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
    ^^ I really don't think you'd have much trouble with water retention if you're staying properly hydrated.

    Either way water isn't fat. So if your muscles are holding on to a little water, its not going to negatively effect the way you look.
  • TheIncredibleShrinkingDan
    TheIncredibleShrinkingDan Posts: 19 Member
    I generally roll out of bed in the dark, get the workout clothes on half asleep, and go.

    It takes me 10 minutes to drive to the gym so I grab a small coffee and eat a bagel with PNB on the way. I sip water too but usually don't get more than a cup down. I know I should drink the water and not the coffee but that is my cheat. I rehydrate with about 5L of water over the balance of the rest of the day.

    On mornings I ride, I often just drink some water and am in the saddle before my stomach wakes up. I can do a 90 minute mountain bike ride like that. I can't get away with that for longer rides on the weekends though.
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