We all have questions about what, when, and how much to eat before a workout. Fueling your body properly is what will allow you to train at your optimal level. Let's start with what to eat before you workout. If you're planning on a pretty intense hour long workout a good mix of mostly complex and simple carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein, and little fat is ideal in terms of a pre-workout snack. The carbohydrates will ensure a steady flow of energy, the protein will aid in tissue building/repair and recovery, and the reason for little fat is because it is harder to digest then absorb and trust me that's not a fun thing to deal with during an intense workout. Always, always hydrate before and after a workout, at least 30 minutes before.   Another tip to keep in mind is that foods high in fiber are harder to digest, so try and stay away from those when choosing a pre-workout snack.

Examples of good pre-workout snacks

• Whole wheat toast with a small amount of peanut butter
• Greek yogurt (plain) with granola and blueberries
• Smoothies made with Greek yogurt, fruit, and low fat/skim or almond/soy milk
• Plain oatmeal and fruit
• Apple slices with almond butter
• If in a hurry grab a granola bar low in sugar with the least amount of ingredients you can find

 When should you have that pre-workout snack? 30-90 minutes is a good general rule to follow for an hour long workout. Everyone's body is a little bit different so you will have to experiment and find what works best for you. Another factor to keep in mind is the time of day you are working out, morning or night. If you are working out after breakfast keep that in mind when choosing your meal, that might not be the day to have the Sunday buffet spread. If you are a night person try to save dinner for after and load up on protein but get that carbohydrate rich snack in before your workout.

Ever feel light headed or nauseous during a workout? This could be due to either not eating enough before your workout or eating too much. When you eat a huge fatty, greasy meal you feel gross right? Now try going to work out after that, I think not. Your body is using all its energy to digest that Thanksgiving size meal, if you start jumping around it may not want to stay down...you get the picture. On the other hand if you haven't eaten enough your muscle glycogen stores are depleted and your blood sugar may be low. Your body is screaming for some carbohydrates to utilize quickly.  When deciding how much to eat 150-250 calories is a good general guide for an hour long workout, everyone is a little different.  

Nutrition is not separate from training and training is not separate from nutrition. These two sciences go hand in hand. To train at the highest level your body is capable of you NEED proper nutrition throughout the day and especially before and after your workouts. For your body to build lean muscle and recover you need high quality protein, for your body to be able to expend the amount of energy needed during those intense workouts you need good complex carbohydrates, and for you to feel good while training you need good nutrition... bottom line!