- Avoid fried foods before workouts as they slow digestion and cause discomfort
- High-fibre foods can cause bloating, cramps, and nausea during exercise
- High sugar foods lead to energy spikes followed by crashes during workouts
What you eat before a workout can have a significant impact on your energy levels and overall performance. While many people focus on the best foods to fuel their exercise routine, some choices can actually slow you down or cause discomfort during training.
Celebrity fitness trainer Siddhartha Singh, who has worked with actress Tamannaah Bhatia, recently shared three foods that are best avoided before hitting the gym. In a video posted on Instagram, he explained how these foods can negatively affect your workout.
The side note read, "3 Worst Foods to Eat Before a Workout. If you want better gym performance, what you eat before your workout matters. Many people unknowingly eat foods that slow digestion, cause bloating, or crash their energy mid-workout."
Foods You Should Avoid Before A Workout
1. Fried foods
"Fried foods have high fat, so they basically slow down digestion," Siddhartha said. They slow digestion, which leads to sluggishness, cramping and discomfort. These, along with other high-fat and greasy items, can cause digestive distress during exercise.
2. High-fibre foods
High-fibre foods are generally avoided before a workout because they are harder and slower to digest. Consuming them too close to physical activity can lead to gastrointestinal distress such as bloating, gas, stomach cramps, nausea and general discomfort that may force you to halt your exercise.
3. High sugar foods
Siddhartha explained, "These are going to give you a kick of energy when you eat them, but as soon as you reach the gym, there's going to be an energy crash." This can leave you feeling fatigued, dizzy or nauseous just as your training intensifies.
Instead, the trainer recommended eating high-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-fibre, moderate-protein-rich food before the gym. "At the end of the day, you want to eat things that give you energy in the gym and not the other way around.. Eat a good meal and have fun in your next gym session," he concluded.