We're collecting data and will come back with even more suggestions soon. If you're interested in experimenting with your own data, you can get your own glucose biosensors here. The best athletes are creatures of habit. Superstitious creatures of habit, even. We also know that the enemy of being our best is being good enough.

Here are 5 easy! So what can you do to help dial in your pre-workout fueling? Easy: Just experiment!

Remove the guessing game and make pre-workout fueling easy for yourself. Here are the 5 ways to improve your pre-workout fueling: 1. Plan the timing of your meal: Get your timing right, avoid eating too close to your workout which can cause rebound hypoglycemia.

Pick the right type of fuel: The actual form factor of your pre-workout fuel may help you have better gastrointestinal comfort during your workout. Total carb intake: Think about how much fuel you choose to use pre-workout. Longer fueling window: Try to think about your pre-workout fueling over a longer timeline.

References: Coyle EF. Substrate utilization during exercise in active people. Am J Clin Nutr. doi: PMID: Febbraio MA, Chiu A, Angus DJ, Arkinstall MJ, Hawley JA. Effects of carbohydrate ingestion before and during exercise on glucose kinetics and performance.

J Appl Physiol Hargreaves M, Hawley JA, Jeukendrup A. Pre-exercise carbohydrate and fat ingestion: effects on metabolism and performance. Here are a few ideas for protein-carbohydrate paired post-workout snacks:.

This goes out to all the early birds or night owls who might have a few more questions about exactly when to snack. For the early risers, it can be helpful to fuel up with some simple carbohydrates right when you wake up to avoid feeling weak and tired during exercise.

Morning time is one of the unique times to really focus on getting in some protein post exercise, as it is a chance to start building up the protein bank in the body that it can use throughout the day to repair and recover.

If you like to work out in the evening, you may have to experiment with how recovery snacks make you feel before bed. If snacks disrupt sleep before bed, the most important idea is to consume protein in all snacks and meals throughout the day, and your muscles will continue to use these sources for recovery while you sleep.

However, you may enjoy an evening snack to prevent overnight hunger, which can disrupt sleep. There is no perfect routine that you must follow surrounding snacks and exercise, the most important considerations are only that you are nourishing your body, and finding the practices that allow you to feel your best.

Exercise is meant to be joyful, and fueling your body should feel the same! With some new ideas, you can cut through the noise surrounding what to eat, enjoy movement, and whip up tasty pre and post workout snacks! Kane is a senior majoring in Health and Exercise Science with a concentration in Health Promotion.

She is interested in sports nutrition and what nutrients we need to fuel our bodies before and after a workout. Kane is also interested in nutrition practices that do not condone diet culture but rather a balanced diet free from restriction.

Fun fact about Kane: she has visited 8 different countries. For additional resources for healthy eating, check out these programs from our registered dietitian nutritionists.

Find delicious and healthy recipes on our Recipes page! More health tips are also available at the College of Health and Human Sciences Pinterest board. Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center How to Snack to Fuel Your Workouts and Recovery Subscribe Now. Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center Nutrition Connection How to Snack to Fuel Your Workouts and Recovery.

October How to Snack to Fuel Your Workouts and Recovery. By Maya Kane and KRNC staff Have you ever felt like you hit a wall during a workout and have no energy to complete it?

Or at least real struggle in this workout. Underfueling is a common problem in athletes and poses its own set of risks, injury included. The biggest challenge that underfueling poses? A lack of carbohydrate availability during training, which leads to potentially impaired exercise intensity, increased perceived exertion, and even symptoms of hypoglycemia.

For the first time, you have the opportunity to try different strategies, see the effects on glucose directly, and then adjust accordingly. This is of crucial importance because many different things impact your performance on any given day.

As a result, without visibility into how your pre-workout fueling impacts your glucose directly, you are relying on the outcomes of and feeling during your workout. And that has a myriad of confounding variables. Get your timing right, avoid eating too close to your workout which can cause rebound hypoglycemia.

Try eating hours or more before your workout. The actual form factor of your pre-workout fuel may help you have better gastrointestinal comfort during your workout. This is especially true for early morning workouts.

Liquids may be easier and quicker to digest than solids. Consider using gels or liquids to get your fuel in. Think about how much fuel you choose to use pre-workout.

Focus on carbohydrates and volume. Limit bulk and choose high concentration nutrition sources. The closer you are to your workout, the more you should keep your intake lower.

Try to think about your pre-workout fueling over a longer timeline. Dinner the night before your workout can help ensure you need to top up less in the morning. For those training many hours a day, refueling hours can be limited, so training hours also represent an opportunity.

Those are the 5 ways to quickly improve your pre-workout fueling plan. We're collecting data and will come back with even more suggestions soon. If you're interested in experimenting with your own data, you can get your own glucose biosensors here. Should you eat before your workout?

That is a rhetorical question… the answer is always of course. First, exercise requires energy. The only way your body can generate energy for exercise is by breaking down stored energy that comes from the food we eat or from storage sources body fat, muscle, and liver glycogen.

Have you ever felt a little sluggish at the beginning of your workout? Your body always has free ATP or energy flowing in your blood that is available for immediate use, and that can supply you with energy for a few seconds.

After that is used up, you have your phosphocreatine system, however, that will only last about seconds. Lastly, you have your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems which can last anywhere from 2 minutes to a few hours depending on the fuel being utilized.

THE NASM-CPT PODCAST: INSIDE THE NASM CERTIFIED SPORTS NUTRITION COACH COURSE. First, stored glycogen or carbohydrates are going to be broken down by your muscles and liver.

This is called glycogenolysis and this is the fastest method and pathway to generate ATP. This is also the only pathway that can generate energy at high exercise intensities. At lower intensities, your body can begin to oxidize fatty acids for energy which comes from stored fat , however, this process can take a long time.

So, why is it important to eat before you train? For starters, you are supplying your body with immediate energy to give you more strength, provide you with more focus, and prevent early fatigue and even injury during your session. Research shows that even something as small as g of carbohydrates minutes prior to training can prevent early fatigue and increase time to exhaustion.

So which foods are most ideal for pre-workout meals? If we think about energy systems, carbohydrates are the main fuel to power ALL of our energy systems regardless of exercise intensity. Carbohydrates can be digested and absorbed in as little as 15 minutes, supplying your muscles with immediate and available energy.

Fats can also supply your body with energy. However, fats tend to be utilized at lower intensities because they take much longer to be digested and absorbed. Want info on what to eat after your workout? A weird concept, but it is true. However, it can delay soreness, provide the body with extra recovery, and prevent excessive muscle breakdown, which is never a bad thing!

Read below for a few examples. Oatmeal is a rich complex carbohydrate that the body can digest easily and can sustain energy levels for quite some time!

For example, glucose and fructose are absorbed via different transporters in the gut, allowing for maximal carbohydrate absorption. Dark chocolate is a great addition because it is rich in magnesium. Protein is never bad to consume regardless of the time of day. Prior to a workout, consuming protein can boost the recovery process and prevent excessive muscle breakdown.

An additional plus to consuming protein as a pre-workout snack? It makes the need to consume protein immediately after your workout not as important.

Sweet potato is an extremely rich complex carb. Avocado is an excellent healthy fat selection and is high in potassium. Another important electrolyte is lost in sweat and is needed for muscle contraction and normal fluid balance. Combing fats with a carbohydrate also helps slow the release of energy into your system so you can have more sustained levels over a long period of time.

Sushi but not the fried kind. Protein to prevent muscle breakdown, carbohydrates and fats for energy, and sodium from soy sauce to help with your hydration levels.