“Consuming wrong food and drinks before a workout or gym session, or even working out on an empty stomach, can damage your body system and can also cause cramps,” said Jim White, spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Diabetics, as reported by mensfitness.com.
Do you know that workout comes with some do’s and don’ts? Isn’t it? If you do workouts on an empty stomach, then you will not get enough energy to perform well. But it doesn’t mean that you eat too much or the wrong food before a workout.
The top reason behind this is that your energy will go towards digesting the food. Here, we bring to you a list of some foods that you can avoid before exercising: –
#1 Fibre Rich Foods
Generally, fibre rich foods are great for our health because they keep up fuller for a long period and improve our digestive system. Some foods which are rich in fibre are oats, whole-wheat pasta, and wholegrain bread. But they are no-no foods before a workout because you can not digest them easily. So, it is better to avoid them while exercising.
#2 Spicy Foods
However, most of us love to eat spicy foods, but you should avoid them before workout because they can cause heartburn and indigestion. As well, they can increase cramping and as the resultant, you have to abandon your workout.
#3 Nuts & Seeds
Eating high-fat snacks or meals like nuts is good for our health. But before exercising, you should avoid eating them otherwise you have to compromise your workout. The reason is that they have fats that can slow digestion. If you want to add them in your pre-workout, then you should ensure to consume them 1 and a half or 2 hours before exercising.
#4 Fizzing Drinks
These can be the wrong food choices as your pre-workout drink because they have high sugar content as well as carbonation which make you bloated and gassy. Hence, you may experience nausea and stomach cramps while doing workouts.
#5 Refined Sugar
Before exercising, taking an inadequate amount of carbohydrates and sugar can make you fatigue and lethargy. Instead, you can consume glucose which is found in fructose or carbohydrate-rich foods usually found in fruits and vegetables. This type of sugar can be used by your body more efficiently and effectively.
#6 Dairy Products
Everybody should consume dairy products like yogurt, cheese and milk after a training session. Such products have high-fat content which can make you feel lethargic and therefore, it can increase the acid content in your stomach during exercises. If you eat diary products before a workout, then you may feel extra gassy.
#7 Cruciferous Vegetables
If we talk about cruciferous vegetables such as sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, they come with potent anti-cancer properties and are very healthy. But if you eat a bowl of these veggies before your workout, then it will make a digestive double whammy.
Going to hit the gym? Just eat simple carbohydrates that you can digest easily! Some of the best options are a banana or an apple, a slice of toast with jam, a few swigs of a sports drink or a small box of raisins!
