5 Foods to Avoid Before a Workout

One of the vital parts of working out is eating the right foods. Exercising on an empty stomach is a bad, bad idea. Eating the wrong kinds of foods is no different. To perform at its best, your body needs enough energy. That is why many trainers will not only show you how to work out but will also advise you on what you should and should not eat before and after a workout.

When you are about to engage your body in a workout session, understand that way the body will function during your work out is different from when you are doing normal activities. Training necessitates a large volume of blood to be pumped to your working muscles. As a result, during intense exercise, blood flow to the stomach is reduced. Your stomach also needs energy to digest food. This makes it unsafe to ingest some kinds of food before beginning your workout session.

Foods To Avoid Before a Workout

If you want to make the most out of your workout sessions, here are 5 foods to avoid before a workout:

Fried and Fatty Foods

Excess fat is not healthy because fats break down slowly and in most cases, get stored in deposits beneath the skin. When you eat fatty foods before working out, you can develop stomach cramps and bloating. With fats digesting slower than your metabolism rate during workout, there can be a standoff that can result in the mentioned stomach upsets.

Additionally, you can end up experiencing diarrhea due to improper digestion. Avoid foods high in calories and fats like fried chicken, fries, pizza and nuts soon before exercising. To be safe and to boost energy before your training, try highly digestive foods if you want.

Carbonated Beverages

When working out, you will be moving a lot. This makes it risky to have fizzy drinks like beer, soda and fizzy waters before starting to work out. We all know how soda behaves when you shake the bottle when it is tightly sealed. If you drink a fizzy drink, the same effect will take place in your stomach, and in the worst scenario, the drink can find its way out through the mouth and nose. If not, then your stomach is going to be filled with gas. This can lead to discomfort, flatulence or indigestion, and can interrupt your workout session.

The high sugar content in fizzy drinks can also lead to a sugar rush, making such refreshments the wrong option before your workout. Some fizzy drinks come in the form of energy drinks; hence, many people tend to use them before working out. If you must, you should use your preferred energy drink a little earlier, to prevent creating a mess or experiencing upsets before completing your training.

Spicy Food

Spices do make food delicious, but if you are about to hit the gym, you may want to skip the spices. One of the first drawbacks of spicy foods before work out is that they can lead to severe heartburn. If you like spicy food, then you already understand how it is a bad idea to get too physical after having your meal. Other than causing you pain through heartburn, spicy foods can make your stomach to feel uncomfortable. That is because they increase cramping, and that can lead to you not working out comfortably or giving up to work out altogether.

According to experts, most spices tend to slow down the digestion rate. This can result in indigestion during your work out since the rate of digestion will be too fast to break down the spices properly. If you have to eat something spicy, then it should be at least 24 hours before your workout session.

Alcohol

When they said hydration is key, they were not talking about alcohol. As obvious as this should be, some people still want to mix alcohol with practice. Although hydration is vital for working out, alcohol will do the opposite of hydrating your body. It can also disorient you, and as a result, put you at risk of getting a workout-related accident. If you take alcohol without eating a proper meal, your case can get worse. You can end up feeling a burning sensation in your stomach that can lead you to stop training. When working out, you need as much energy as possible, and in the body, it is the oxidation of fats that leads to the production of energy. One of the known properties of alcohol is that it suppresses fats oxidation in the body. This will not only prevent you from working out to your full potential but will also expose you to injuries due to accidents.

Pure Fruit Juice

While a glass of pure fruit juice seems like a healthy choice, it may not be the best idea to down a cup of 100 percent fruit juice right before hitting the gym. That is because they contain fructose, a type of glucose that does not digest fast enough. As a result, this can lead to stomach cramps. Having fruit juice before working out can have extreme effects on people with high fructose sensitivity or those with irritable bowel syndrome. With pain all over your stomach, working out can be impossible, and it may end up stopping you from your schedule. As a fitness fanatic, a glass of pure fruit juice can be the right choice, but hours before you hit the gym. Fruit juices contain vital vitamins and nutrients like fiber and carbs that are essential for the growth and development of your muscles. Other than fresh juices, you should know that there are also some juices with additives to avoid. Always be keen on the contents of your refreshments if you are planning to work out.

Conclusion

For your body to respond appropriately during work out, the best kind of foods or drinks to take are those that will digest faster in the stomach. That is because digestion makes it possible for the production of energy. When working out, the whole body works more quickly, including your digestive system. If there is a problem digesting the food available in the stomach, then you will not be able to perform to your full potential.