A question I get a lot ‘Should I eat before training’? The short answer is YES! Even though I tell clients this, they sometimes still struggle to do so, especially those who train in the morning. Today, I want to run you through why it’s important to eat before training, and then some easy options you can adopt in order to do this.

If you’re properly fueled for your training you will be able to perform better, recover quicker and have better outcomes (i.e. build more muscle, run faster or longer).  

One of the key myths about training fasted is that you will burn more fat, but this isn’t the case. Here’s why: 

• Your body will utilise glycogen first (which is stored in your muscles, and some in the liver).
• Your glycogen stores can last 90 minutes or even 2 hours, and your body will mainly use this before it uses fat as your primary fuel.
• It also depends on the type of activity you’re doing. High-intensity exercise means your body will use more carbs as fuel, while lower-intensity exercise typically uses more fat.
• Training fasted can have more negative impacts on women from a stress + hormonal perspective. Light activity such as pilates, yoga and walking is entirely fine fasted, but be careful with high-intensity exercise.

So now we know training fasted isn’t essential, what do we do now? Snack before training! Ideally, we want to have a small, high carbohydrate snack about 30 minutes before training. We want carbohydrates, but little or no fibre, protein and fat. The reason is we want this to digest as quickly as possible so the energy gets into your bloodstream and is available for your training session. 

Small snack ideas include:

• Half a banana
• 1-2 rice cakes (you can have a small amount spread on top)
• 1-2 dates, dried apricots or other dried fruit
• 1 piece of toast (you can have a small amount spread on top)

The only time you don’t need a snack before training is if you’re sufficiently fueled from a main meal earlier on in the day. A good time is about 2 hours, so if you have a main meal 2 hours (or less than) prior to your workout you should be good to go. If your meal was more than 2 hours ago then you’re likely to need that small snack 30 minutes prior.

Remember, if you’re properly fueled for your training you will be able to perform better, recover quicker and have better outcomes.

My signature group program, Weighing in Lighter, has helped previous members lose weight and incorporates strategies around fueling for exercise. The program is all about educating you to make the best choices for your individual circumstances. We meet for 1 hour every week over Zoom where I give you the tools to manage your weight for the rest of your life. Don’t delay as I only open 15 spots for each intake, so register now.