Workout Tips: 5 Foods You Should Avoid Having Before A Workout; Know The Best Pre-Workout Foods

Workout tips for weight loss: Avoid high fat and high fibre foods before exercising

Workout tips: How you feel during a workout and how you perform during exercise is dependent on your overall diet and even sleep cycle. Sleeping adequately is important to perform properly at work and at the gym. But more importantly, it is dependent on what you eat before your workout. Your pre-workout meal should be energising and not too heavy. If you feel acidic and bloated during workout, what you ate before your workout is likely to be blamed. In this article, we are going to talk about some of the worst pre-workout foods. Some of these are going to leave you surprised!

Pre-workout foods: 5 foods you must never have before your workout

1. Milk

Now this is surprising. There might be many who gulp a glass of milk or banana shake before workout. However, milk, cheese and yogurt are foods that you can have after your workout. They are rich in protein and can help you feel full and stable after a workout session. Dairy products are high in fat. They are digested slowly and may make you feel nauseous during a workout. Having milk or any other dairy product before workout can also make you feel sluggish, gassy and sleepy after a workout.

Avoid having milk before workout
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2. Aerated drinks of energy drinks

Aerated drinks, even zero-calorie or diet sodas are loaded with calories. They contain no nutrition and have the capability of making you feel bloated during exercising. You might think that an energy drink can make you feel energetic during a workout, but they might end up making you nauseous instead. Stomach cramps are another side effect of consuming aerated drinks after a workout. The best drink to have before a workout is a plain water, indeed.

3. Sugar

Not just pre-workout but intake of refined sugar must be avoided by those on a weight loss regime. The so-called sugar-rush may only be true for kids. Sugary foods and drinks like desserts and aerated drinks are empty calories that can ruin your weight loss goals. What's more is that their consumption results in instant spike in blood sugar followed by a sudden drop. This can make you feel fatigued while exercising. It can also hamper performance and cause headaches.

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4. High fibre foods

While high fibre foods are usually considered to be great for inducing weight loss and improving digestion, they might not be the best-pick for you before a workout. High-fibre foods like oats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables take longer to digest and may cause gastrointestinal issues if consumed in excess. Eating high fibre foods before your workout can cause stomach cramps, gas and bloating. All of these side effects can impact your exercise performance and make you feel tired sooner than usual.

5. Nuts and seeds

Surely nuts and seeds are rich in protein and tend to be the ideal snack for weight loss. They are easy to carry and are good high protein snacks you can have on-the-go. However, apart from being rich in protein, nuts and seeds are also rich in fat. Like high fibre foods, high fat foods also take longer to digest and may cause bloating and gas during exercising.

Nuts and seeds may not be such a great food option to have before your workout
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Best pre-workout foods for weight loss 

If you want to feel energetic and pumped up throughout your workout, then following are the foods you should eat at least 2-3 hours before exercising:

• 2-3 egg whites
• Protein smoothie (medium-sized glass)
• Black coffee (small cup)
• Fruit juice prepared at home
• Low-fat cottage cheese cubes
• Roasted black chana (handful)
• Peanuts (handful)
• Keep yourself hydrated and drink water before exercising

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.