Do you exercise regularly? Or are you a fitness enthusiast? Then you must be aware of the workout routine. There is a thing that one should keep in mind for a healthy lifestyle; only working out is not enough. You must have a nutritious diet and discipline to live a healthy life. There should be no place for junk food or unhealthy practices like drinking or smoking.
A healthy diet provides energy and motivation to work out. It gives energy for your day-to-day lifecycle and helps maintain important energy levels in your body. It also provides you with the energy to work out. Many professional athletes or health enthusiasts follow a proper diet chart in their daily lifestyles. One of the major components of their diet is a pre-workout meal. A pre-workout meal is a meal that you take a significant time period before starting your workout. Follow this article to know more about pre-workout.
What is Pre-Workout Meal?
A pre-workout meal can consist of both meals and supplements. Supplements provide those important elements of nutrients that an athlete should have in a simpler form. The nutrients from pre-workout provide energy and boost your performance more than normal. Now you must be wondering how long does pre-workout energy last? Or how long does amino energy last? Well, the clear answer is that the effect of taking a pre-workout lasts up to 2 hours. You should consume your pre-workout supplement approximately 30 minutes prior to your workout. It consists of various nutrients that help boost your performance during workouts. Today we will learn about the nutrients or ingredients that a pre-workout should have.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the most popular ingredients that almost everyone is aware of. Caffeine helps in boosting your energy level in the body. The most common fact that we know about is that it helps in staying up for a long period of time without feeling sleepy. It stimulates blood flow and boosts the blood pressure in our body, which makes us feel energetic.
Common sources of caffeine are:
- coffee beans
- energy drinks
- tea
- or cola
There are also some side effects if your caffeine intake crosses the limits of your body. These side effects can be:
- Insomnia,
- nausea,
- and high blood pressure,
which may lead to :
- nervousness
- anxiety,
- and even headache or chest pain.
A Healthy amount of caffeine intake for an adult is considered around 300 to 400 mg, which makes almost 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are considered a good choice for a pre-workout. Carbohydrates or carbs help in improving your cardiovascular health. It means that it will help in having long cardio activities like cycling or running. Therefore, you can see many athletes are focused on carbs before starting their workout.
However, athletes who are focused on lifting weights or does not focus much on cardio activities try to avoid the carbs or sugar in their pre-workout.
Carbs are most commonly found in sugar, fiber, or starch, which means that they can be found in:
- bread,
- sugar,
- potatoes,
- sweet potatoes, etc.
Unhealthy food items like beer, spaghetti, and various fast foods also contain carbohydrates in them. So it’s your choice which way to go.
BCAA
BCAA, or Branched-Chain Amino Acids, is another important ingredient in a pre-workout supplement. BCAA are generally found in protein-rich foods like meat and dairy.
BCAA helps reduce fatigue and increase muscle mass.
The most common sources of BCAAs are:
- Eggs,
- Beef
- Chicken
- Yogurt
- or Peanuts.
BCAAs are also available in powdered form that you may consume during your workout. Some famous brands that provide good-quality BCAA supplements are My Protein, XWerks, and SWolverine.
Conclusion
We have discussed so much about pre-workout, supplements, and their basic ingredients. If the pre-workout is taken via supplement, it would be easier for the body to absorb its nutrients compared to a meal. It is recommended that you should take your pre-workout meal or supplement at least one hour before your workout.
However, pre-workout is a safe supplement, which means there are no drugs or any medicines used in their making. Still, you can consult your doctor or your skilled gym trainer whether your body type would suit a pre-workout or not.
