Last modified 22.02.2021
Why is it important to have breakfast before the workout?
Having a healthy and balanced breakfast in nutritional components (proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins) before a morning workout can contribute to a greater feeling of well-being and help you have better physical performance. An incorrect meal can hinder the goals of the workout and lead to ailments such as stomach aches and pains as well indigestion and bloating.
For the best pre-workout breakfast, it helps to prefer foods that contain beneficial carbohydrates, some proteins, vitamins and minerals to support the energy levels of the body and post-workout recovery. Conversely, foods that are high in fat and low in carbohydrates and proteins are not suitable. The body, in fact, mainly burns carbohydrates during workouts, which are stored in the muscles in the form of glycogen. An adequate intake of carbohydrates at breakfast, before training, allows you to refuel muscles and brain of a uniform flow of glucose.
How the pre-workout breakfast should be
The pre-workout breakfast, an essential meal before doing fitness, cardio, weights or simple braced walking sessions, should never be skipped. It is correct, in fact, to break the night fast. The meal must be:
- Light, therefore not excessively abundant.
- Digestible.
- Balanced: with a relatively low or medium content of fat, protein and fiber.
- Rich in carbohydrates.
When to have breakfast? At least one hour before training. If physical activity is of low intensity, such as yoga, pilates or walking, 30-40 minutes will suffice. It is essential to digest and metabolize the food introduced at breakfast before training otherwise an important part of the blood flow would be diverted to the digestive system, taking oxygen from the muscles.
Breakfast is also important before doing sitting exercises, which can be effective in many cases.
Pre workout sweet breakfast scheme
Pre workout salty breakfast scheme
- Protein portion: bresaola or sliced turkey with a reduced percentage of fat.
- Carbohydrate portion, of which complex sugars: toast.
- Carbohydrate portion, of which simple sugars: fresh fruit.
- Portion of (good) fats: dried fruit or avocado.
Before training: the best foods for breakfast
Oats
Bananas
When time is short, or you are not particularly fond of breakfast at the table, a banana is the perfect choice. Bananas contain fast-burning carbohydrates, which provide energy during a workout. A fruit, to be consumed also as a pre-workout snack, rich in beneficial carbohydrates, and natural source of vitamins of group B and potassium, which also support energy levels. An average banana provides about a quarter of the recommended daily value of vitamin B6. Interestingly, the green bananasi contain a higher percentage of resistant starches. These resistant starches are slower burning carbohydrates and support a healthy gut, while more ripe bananas have faster burning carbohydrates.
Toasted bread
Toast is the source of carbohydrates that must never be missing in breakfast, sweet or savory. Choose it by type whole wheat, rye, oat or cereal, why contains more vitamins, minerals, fiber and even protein compared to white bread. Sprouted grains have higher amounts of vitamin C, B vitamins, folic acid, and lysine, an essential amino acid in protein, than non-sprouted grains. That said, sprouted grains take longer to digest and can cause bloating or indigestion during exercise. On the other hand, white bread is not. A higher percentage of carbohydrates in white bread comes from sugar, which will provide a faster fuel source.
However, there are also low-carbohydrate cereals.
Foods to avoid for breakfast before a workout
Since fats take longer to digest than carbohydrates and proteins, it is advisable to avoid high-fat foods before a workout to avoid indigestion and nausea, bloating and heartburn. The foods not to eat before the workout are those rich in fat. During a workout, you may feel a drop in energy – this is likely due to low blood sugar or empty glycogen stores. For this reason it is useful to support performance with foods that are high in carbohydrates and avoid those rich in fat.
One sausage contains 4 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of protein. Due to its high fat content and low carbohydrate content, this food is poorly digested.
Croissants and pastries such as donuts, in many cases, are a staple for breakfast, but the high fat content of these foods is not ideal, especially when consumed before a workout. A large croissant contains 14 grams of fat and 31 grams of carbohydrates.
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