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What to eat before training?

Think of Your Heart chronicles by , July 1, 2013 - 14:45

Eating before undertaking a physical activity can help prevent the sensation of hunger during the exercise and/or the risk of running out of energy before the end of the activity. However, eating too much is not better, because the energy is then spent on digestion rather than on moving muscles.
 

"Eat right, exercice better." 


What we eat before training depends on how much time we have between the meal and the physical activity. As a matter of fact, energy nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) found in foods are not all digested at the same rate. Fats take longer to digest, followed by proteins and finally carbohydrates. 

It is therefore recommended to always eat foods containing carbohydrates, regardless of the delay for digestion. Proteins, for their part, can be consumed in small quantities, and it is preferable to limit the intake of foods that contain a lot of fats, like sauces, fried foods and cream rich desserts.

Example of a snack to eat one hour before an exercise:
1 fruit and 1 muffin. If you have more time (2-hour delay) you can add a bit of protein by eating a piece of cheese.


With the cooperation of Élise Latour, nutritionist

The Montreal Heart Institute is in no way responsible for the following comments. These comments reflect the views and opinions of the users and not those of the Montreal Heart Institute.

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