By Ashley Harvard, BB&W Health and Wellness editor

We’ve all been there before. You’re nearly 15 minutes into your morning workout, pounding the pavement along your favorite running path or working up a sweat on the elliptical machine at your local gym. But then one of two feelings hit you. Suddenly, you get that light-headed “why the hell didn’t I eat something?” dizzy spell (sometimes accompanied by a headache or a wave of nausea). Or you develop that “I’m running with a brick in my stomach” feeling brought on by eating way too much before working out. Sadly, both scenarios can force you to slow down or even prematurely end your workout.

I don’t want you to experience either scenario and luckily they can be easily avoided. Here are the best ways to fuel up both before and after your workouts.

EATING BEFORE YOUR WORKOUT

First I want to share something that may be new for some of you: avoid exercising on an empty stomach. Many people think that working out on an empty stomach helps burn more fat during and after a session. This is only partially true – while your body may initially increase the amount of fat released for burning off as fuel, as soon as your workout is done all of the released fat goes straight back to where it came from. You haven’t burned off any of it.

The real kicker though is that without any food in your system your body will get its energy from protein stored in your muscles rather than the preferred and best energy source, glucose (which is derived from eating carbohydrates). If you’re trying to build muscle (which is a goal that all of us should have since muscle is leaner than fat), the last thing you want to do is decrease muscle mass by breaking protein down for energy.

TIMING AND AMOUNT

You’ll have to play around with the exact timing and amounts to suit your personal preferences, but most people seem to be okay eating a small meal or snack anywhere from 1 – 3 hours before working out. Personally, I like to eat about an hour before I head into the gym (I typically do 30 minutes of cardio followed by 30 minutes of strength training).

WHAT TO EAT

Research shows that eating before exercise, specifically carbohydrates paired with some protein, delays fatigue and improves stamina and performance. A good rule of thumb is to strive for the 70/30 breakdown. 70% of your calories should come from low-glycemic (meaning low sugar) carbohydrates and the remaining 30% should come from protein.

Some examples of what to eat include

: ½ to 1 cup of cooked oats (preferably either rolled or steel cut varieties) with a small handful of raw walnuts or a tablespoon of almond butter mixed in and an optional smidge of honey for sweetness

: A veggie omelet – made with two eggs and your choice of veggies (i.e. dark leafy greens, mushrooms, bell peppers) and a slice of sprouted-grain toast (Ezekiel is my favorite brand)

: A slice of Ezekiel sprouted-grain bread with a tablespoon of almond butter spread on top and an apple (this is my go-to pre workout small meal)

: One hard-boiled egg with a slice or two of sprouted-grain toast

: An apple or banana with one or two tablespoons of your favorite nut butter (i.e. almond, sunflower, etc.)

: A cup of dark leafy salad greens with some veggies on top, 1 hard-boiled egg, some dressing (mix a little EVOO and Balsamic Vinegar to taste and you’ve got a healthy, clean dressing)

EATING AFTER YOUR WORKOUT

What you eat following your workout is just as important as what you eat before it since exercise depletes muscle glycogen and strains muscle tissues. But be careful – eating too many calories, particularly if you worked out for 45 minutes or less, can effectively cancel out the calories you lost during your workout.

TIMING AND AMOUNT

Generally speaking, you should eat within 30 minutes to an hour after working out, since studies have shown that this is the optimal window for building and repairing muscle and preventing muscle loss. As for the amount of food, this is again highly individualized, but aim for a small meal or snack depending on your preference. If you don’t necessarily want to eat solid food, a well-balanced smoothie is a good option as well.

WHAT TO EAT

Your post-workout meal/snack should primarily be comprised of protein (about 20 grams is ideal) with some low-glycemic carbohydrates too. Carbohydrates help restore depleted muscle glycogen level, while protein builds and repairs damaged muscle tissue.

Some examples of what to eat include

: A spinach salad with chicken or a couple hard-boiled eggs sliced on top

: Hummus on a whole grain pita

: A smoothie made with a plant-based or whey protein powder (my favorites are by Natural Factors or Tera’s Whey) – other possible ingredients to include are: some almond milk or coconut water, a handful of spinach, mixed berries, a banana, etc.

: Two tablespoons of your favorite nut butter on top of Ezekiel sprouted-grain bread/English muffin

: Tuna salad on top of whole grain crackers (or my favorite crackers, Mary’s Gone Crackers)

: A few slices of nitrate and additive-free lean meat (chicken or turkey) rolled up around a couple slices of cheese and an apple

: A cup of plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup berries, 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, a dash of cinnamon or smidge of honey for sweetness
Sources:

Cermak, N., & Loon, L. v. (2013). The Use of carbohydrates during exercise as an ergogenic aid. Sports Medicine, 1. Retrieved August 25, 2013, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23846824

Kreider, R., & Campbell, B. (2009). Protein for exercise and recovery. The Physician and Sports Medicine, 32(2), 13-21. Retrieved August 25, 2013, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20048505

Lloyd, J. (2009, February 15). Protein pulls ahead on the post-workout menu. USA Today. Retrieved August 23, 2013, from https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-02-11-protein-recovery_N.htm

Lockwood, K. (2011, July 8). TIP: Protein in the morning and post-workout. Greatist. Retrieved August 24, 2013, from https://greatist.com/health/tip-protein-morning-post-workout

Reynolds, G. (2013, August 26). Ask Well: Eating Before Exercise. The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2013, from https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/ask-well-eating-before-exercise/?_r=1

Vandenbogaerde, T., & Hopkins, W. (2011). Effects of acute carbohydrate supplementation on endurance performance: A meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 41(9), 773-792. Retrieved August 25, 2013, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21846165

About Ashley

Ashley Harvard lives in the Washington, D.C. area, holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, and is currently working on a master’s degree in nutrition from Maryland University of Integrative Health. As a nutritionist-in-training, she meets with clients, both in-person and via Skype, from all over the country to help them regain control of their health. When she’s meeting with her amazing clients, you can find her whipping up new smoothie recipes, training for her first 5k, or working her way through her latest Netflix addiction, Pretty Little Liars.

To schedule a Skype-based nutrition consultation or to ask a question, email her at [email protected]