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Pre workout snacks: 3 mistakes to avoid | Motion Nutrition

By Joseph Welstead

Pre workout snacks: 3 mistakes to avoid

Motion Nutrition cofounder Joe was a competitive swimmer for most of his life, training up to 25 hours a week at his peak. One thing he is oddly proud of is never throwing up during a hard set – and yes, this is a common occurrence.
Acid reflux can happen during or after strenuous exercise, and it can cause full-blown nausea and regurgitation. If I never vomited in training, I promise you it’s not for lack of hard work. I worked hard. I think it’s got a lot more to do with a good diet and, specifically, appropriate pre workout fuel.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid in fuelling pre workout.

  1. Not eating enough

If you are trying to lose weight, you may think that working out on an empty stomach will help you. Quite to the contrary, you are likely to have a mediocre session, feel low on energy and be facing potential dizziness. What’s worse, you’ll be prone to overeating when it’s all over with, defeating the whole purpose.

  1. Eating too much

There’s nothing worse than getting active after a big meal. Your stomach is working hard on digesting your meal, you feel lethargic and may suffer from stomach cramps. The whole experience will simply not be enjoyable at all.

  1. Eating acid-forming foods

I remember one training partner of mine who routinely munched on antacid tablets during training. For all I know, he may well have suffered from some predisposition toward heartburn – but I fear his addiction to Starmix may have had more of a role to play here. Most forms of sweeteners (artificial sweeteners, cane sugar, beet sugar, barley syrup, processed honey, maple syrup, molasses, fructose, lactose) are acid-forming foods, and eating large quantities of these foods immediately before a workout is not a good idea – especially if you tend to suffer from heartburn or acid reflux.

What to eat and when to eat before a workout

  • Give yourself at least two hours between a main meal and a training session. If you’ve eaten less than 3 hours ago, the likelihood is you do not need a snack before your workout.
  • If you’ve eaten your last meal more than 3 hours ago, you may want to grab a small snack 30-40 minutes before you hit the track. Think banana (easy to transport, and quick to digest), trail mix (satisfying source of proteins and healthy fats, will keep you going for a while) or even a flapjack.
  • If you’re low on energy, or if you work out first thing in the morning, shake up a quick Organic Pre Workout Energiser. It will give you the kick you need, and if you’re feeling a little more peckish, try blending it with a banana.
Avoid eating too much sugar pre workout Avoid super sugary snacks pre workout

Make your pre workout routine work for you

When I was swimming full time, I made an art of fuelling myself as best I could. At the time, I knew I needed to fill my belly to the brim about 2.5 to 3 hours before training, and then not eat anything else before hitting the pool. Today, I don’t need to be so rigorous. I have one scoop of Organic Pre Workout and a piece of fruit before my morning swim, and a light snack as suggested above before an after-work session.

Bottom line? Practice different options until you know what works for you to maximise your workouts.

Bananas are an easy option for a pre workout snack Bananas are an easy option for a pre workout snack
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