The Best Pre and Post Workout Meals for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain

My Top 3 Meals to Eat before and After Workout to Gain Muscle and Lose fat.

A big question for a lot of us is what to eat before our workout or should we just wait until after we finish?

A more important question for you all though is wouldn’t you like to know 5 foods that you can eat before and after you exercise that will help you build muscle and lose fat quicker?

Do you want to feel full of energy in your workout and recover a lot quicker after you finish so you can continue to train each week without experiencing any muscle soreness?

Did you know that if you don’t get this part of your training right then you could be wasting a lot of time. Therefore you need to read this article to learn 5 foods that can help you get fitter, stronger and leaner.

If you had read my previous blog post about pre and post workout nutrition then you will know the importance of both carbohydrates and protein before and after your workout and how much of each you need to consume so this post might be seen as a continuation of how to reach the correct amounts.

Did you miss that one?

If you want to know exactly how much carbohydrates and protein you need to get strong and lean then you can read that post first by clicking here.

So lets jump in by looking at 5 foods or meals that you could eat prior to performing a workout.

One thing that’s important to note here is that we will all be different in our ability to metabolize the food that we can consume meaning different people may need to eat at different times.

But one thing will remain the same. We all need readily available energy to perform at our best during a workout. Do you ever go into a workout feeling tired and lethargic?

Then you aren’t eating the right foods at the right times. Many of us need to eat at least 1-2 hours before our workout because we feel we need the time to digest the food properly. But is this right? Yes and no.

Here’s why…

Lets say that you had eaten a meal around 1-2 hours before you workout and this meal provided you with at least 20g and upwards of protein and around 1g of Carbohydrate for every 1kg of your body weight. This meal should provide you with adequate energy to perform effectively. But how can you take this to next level and train even harder?

By eating closer to the start of your workout of course! This doesn’t mean you need to eat a big heavy meal that is going to make you feel full. This is where we need to carefully select the correct foods that provide you with instant energy ready to push you through the workout and perform at your best. So we are in search of fast digesting carbohydrates and protein.

Consume these fast digesting proteins and carbs somewhere around 30 – 60 minutes before you workout for best results.

So what foods should you be looking at for fast digesting proteins and carbohydrates? Well here are my top 3 foods/meals to eat 30 – 60 minutes before your workout:

11.    White Bagel with 6 egg whites (Scrambled)

Protein – 21.6g

Carbohydrates – 42.7g

Both of these food sources can be digested very quickly making them perfect to fit into that 30 minute window if it is whole foods that you want to consume.

22.    Whey Protein Isolate (Gold Standards Whey) and Dextrose (My Protein)

Protein – 24g (1 scoop)

Carbohydrates - 28g

Probably a lot easier to consume (and prepare) if you want to go in this direction of having a shake as your pre-workout meal.

Not only is whey protein isolate the fastest digesting protein available but when combined with a supplement like dextrose, which is essentially a sugar. This causes an insulin spike, which provides us with instant energy as well as helping deliver the protein to the muscle cell at a much quicker speed.

33.    150g Chicken Breast & ½ Cup White Rice

Protein – 33g

Carbohydrates – 26g

Another great option if you prefer whole foods rather than a supplement. We all know that chicken is a great source of lean protein and white rice is a high glycemic food meaning it is also digested very quickly providing you with fuel for the workout ahead. Aim for something like this about 60 minutes before training.

Any other tips?

Another great option 30 minutes before you train is a banana! Full of natural sugars that will boost your glycogen stores and give you the energy kick you are looking for.

So how about post workout?

I’m sure some of you will have heard about there being this ‘magic window’ where you must consume your post workout nutrition in a certain time frame. Well is this true?

Sort of… Research shows that when you consume a post workout meal combining foods high in protein and high in simple carbohydrates immediately after training you are more likely to build muscle more effectively.

This is because once again you need something that can be digested as quickly as possible. Due to the fact our muscle glycogen stores are completely depleted during an intense workout and in order to kick-start muscle repair and growth we need to spike our insulin and blood sugar levels so that the essential nutrients our body needs can be transported in to the muscles.

When does this magic window end?

Although you will benefit more by consuming your post workout nutrition immediately research shows anything up to 2 hours is sufficient.

Do you want to know exactly how much fast digesting simple sugars and protein you need? Then take a read of my previous blog on pre and post workout nutrition by clicking here.

So now that we know the types of food that we need to consume. What are the best post workout meals? Here is my Top 3: -

11.  Whey Protein Isolate (Gold Standard Whey) and Dextrose (My Protein).

Protein – 24g (1 scoop)

Carbohydrates - 28g

Why is this my number one choice? Now that we know after our workout speed is everything. This combination ticks all the boxes. Simply for ease of preparation, transportation and delivery of the vital nutrients into the muscle cells.

Hence the simple sugar in the form of dextrose is vital! But why is this better than sugar we get from fruit?

Sugar is found in fruit in the form of fructose the breakdown of this by the body in the liver takes much longer so there is a slight delay in that insulin spike we are looking for.

22.  ½ - 1 Cup Mashed Sweet Potatoes and 1 Tin of Tuna with Salad.

Protein – 31g

Carbohydrates – 29-58g

Fast becoming a favourite food in most households. Sweet potato is a great post workout choice. Although it is not as high on the glycemic index compared to options such as white potatoes it will still help to restore glycogen levels and give you that insulin spike without the higher fat content that you might get from regular mashed potatoes. Combine it with tuna and you have your high protein serving post workout meal that is also easy to pack and transport.

33. Chicken Breast (150g) in 1 / 2 Tortilla Wraps with Salad.

Protein – 33g

Carbohydrates – 30-60g

Easy to make and easy to carry! Another whole food source of fast digesting carbohydrates to restore glycogen stores (the tortilla wrap of course) as well as shuttle the protein from the chicken into the muscle cells to help aid recovery and keep us anabolic. Why is this a good option? It tastes good too!

Are these the only foods you can eat pre and post workout?

The most important lesson to take is that our pre and post workout meals should be our most important meals of our day. Providing us with the fuel and energy to train for maximum results and recover and restore muscle glycogen levels as quick as possible after training.

As a London personal trainer I know how essential it is to have easily accessible foods with you to take on the go at all times.

Do you want a full weeks worth of pre and post workout nutrition?

Then why don’t you get a your own meal plan designed by me. Just click here.

Now you know exactly what to eat and when.

Until next time…

EJP