Do You Eat First or Exercise First?

Eating a small snack before you exercise, especially if your last meal was several hours before, can help give you energy and enhance your performance. Eating a large meal before exercise can have the opposite effect, however. A pre-workout meal should be easy to digest and high in carbohydrates with minimal amounts of protein and fat.

  1. Timing

    • Endurance coach and author of "Food for Fitness," Chris Carmichael, writes that eating a large meal three to four hours before exercising is fine. This type of meal could include as many as 1,000 calories and mostly carbohydrates with some protein and a small amount of fat. Three or four hours gives you plenty of time to digest the moderate amounts of protein and fat. In the two to three hours before exercise, your meal should be moderate in size -- perhaps consisting of a peanut butter sandwich, a banana and a serving of 100 percent juice. When you are looking for a snack to consume just 30 to 60 minutes before you work out, stick to a small amount of food and just 200 to 300 calories, Carmichael recommends. This immediate, pre-workout meal should contain mostly carbohydrates and minimal fat and protein.

    Macronutrient Makeup

    • Pre-workout meals should contain mostly carbohydrates, because carbs are the primary source of fuel for the body. Protein and fats are harder and take longer to digest, so meals with large amounts of them aren't optimal an hour or two before exercise. A small serving of protein -- about 10 grams -- is adequate and can help start the process of repairing muscle tissue that is broken down during exercise, especially if you plan to focus on strength-training exercises. Avoid high-fiber foods right before exercise because they can lead to stomach distress and impair your performance.

    Length and Intensity

    • A pre-workout meal probably isn't necessary before a low-intensity, 30-minute workout, such as a walk through the neighborhood. If your meal was 2 hours before you plan to exercise, you most likely won't need to top off your energy stores with a pre-workout snack either -- unless you have plans for an endurance session, such as a 3-hour ride or 2-hour run. Do have a small snack before exercise first thing in the morning. You are coming off a long fast and your body needs the energy.

    Sample Foods

    • Packaged sports drinks and bars may want you to believe they are the best pre-workout food options, but many whole foods work just as well, if not better. If your meal is two to three hours before your workout, you could have a chicken sandwich with fruit and yogurt or a bagel with almond butter and an apple. For a workout in 30 to 60 minutes, try a banana or a small container of yogurt with berries. Other options are a homemade fruit smoothie made with frozen fruit, soy milk and a small amount of protein powder or a small bowl of oatmeal with a splash of almond milk.