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Have you ever hit a wall in the middle of training? Yep, been there, done that. And before I knew any better, I thought it had to do with me not sleeping enough, maybe my period coming (may be TMI), or perhaps even too much added sugar the night before.
I. Did. Not. Know. And for the record, I didn’t care what the reason behind it was; I just wanted my energy returned to me so I could be ready when the lights came on.
Come to find out, my energy during training and competition had everything to do with what I was eating pre-workout. From hours to minutes before – it matters. Today we will touch on immediately pre-training or competition. But first, why carbs?
Let’s do a little science and anatomy lesson. For moderate to high-intensity intermittent or prolonged training, glycogen (stored energy in muscle and liver) and blood glucose is going to be hooking you up with the power you need.
Unbeknownst to me back in the day, fueling with carbs pre-workout can top off your stored energy in your muscles. This energy is typically used first in training, depending on how hard you are going and what kind of exercise you are doing.
Why are carbs better than protein or fat pre-workout?
The most straightforward answer to this is that your body prefers carbs. Period. But other macros have a place; it just may not be in the way you think!
Let’s start with fat. If your body is not trained to use fat as its primary substrate – it ain’t gonna do much for ya! On the flip side, even if your body is trained to be metabolically efficient – research supports providing carb-loading pre-workout to ensure you can go all out. But post-workout and between sessions? Absolutely!
For protein, there is nothing wrong with providing your body with amino acids, as they can help build and maintain muscle mass. However, to use these amino acids as energy, something called gluconeogenesis needs to happen-meaning you have to make the glucose.
Believe me, by the time you pronounce that correctly, your body could have already used carbs instead. You ain’t got time for that! So those of you thinking those BCAA’s are going to give you a boost of pre-workout energy, it is probably just the caffeine (check the ingredients lol). You can, however, add a bit in with your pre-workout carbs to help with muscle growth.
Best High-Carb Pre-workout Snacks
Okay, now that ya’ll have the details. Let’s get to what you came here for – my top seven high-carb pre-workout snacks that are best utilized about one hour pre-workout. As I mentioned, you want to have about 1-4g/kg carb around this time!
Banana – Easy to digest carbs, portable, and of course delicious. Are you desiring another type of fruit? Feel free. You just want to watch out for too much fiber as it could cause stomach cramping. So, if the skin is edible, removing it may be even more helpful.
Dates – Compact, travel well, shelf-stable and super high carb – Long lasting energy for long runs or training.
Rice Cakes + jam – May be a little more filling! But we are looking at a solid 20-40 g in a tiny jam-covered cake.
Pretzels + Cuties – Another portable snack that can take you from 0-100 real quick! Plus it’s got the sweet and salty combo. The sodium from the pretzels adds an extra layer of performance love on the hydration side.
Fruit Leather – Okay, for those of you that came up on fruit roll-ups like me…this should speak to you. It’s not just for kids either! Dried fruit packs a carb punch which is great for pre-training or competition.
Applesauce – Don’t want to chew? No problem, apple sauce is ready to slurp and digest. You are fueling your performance one spoonful at a time.
Energy Chews – ProBar Blot, Skratch Labs, Cliff Bar – many sports brands have glucose and fructose in them (this is incredibly awesome for during exercise).
To wrap things up (now that you have my handy dandy list), remember when it comes to immediately pre-workout, in most circumstances, for sessions lasting longer than one hour, choose carb first. You’ll want to limit fat, protein, and fiber around this time as well to ensure quick absorption and comfort.
Looking for some individualized help in this area because you are tired of reading blogs trying to figure it out? Reach out to us about 1:1 coaching. We got you!
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ASSOCIATE DIETITIAN, RD, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Francine Hoffman graduated with her Master’s in Nutrition with an Exercise Science specialization from South Dakota State University. She plans on working towards the sports nutrition specialization (CSSD) as she continues on her path of being a Dietitian!
Francine is passionate about helping athletes with several aspects of performance.  She enjoys educating on proper fueling and seeing that translate to success on and off the field. In addition, Francine is looking forward to building her clinical nutrition skills to better serve future athletes and clients.  She also has her CSCS, NSCA-CPT and she’s experienced with training a variety of individuals!
Francine loves spending her free time in the gym, exploring the outdoors, cooking, and playing the piano!
Stefanie is a University of Southern California graduate with a degree in human performance, having played women’s college basketball at both USC and New Mexico State University. She went on to play professional basketball for two years in Portugal and Germany. After spending her off-seasons in advertising at Gilbreath Communications Inc., Stefanie took on a full-time position as director of social media marketing and accounting at Gilbreath. In pursuit of another passion, Stefanie joined forces with her sister, Briana, to launch Power Portions, a healthy meal prep company developing nutritional meals for the athletic community as well as the general public. With her experience in business, accounting and athletics, Stefanie brings an excellent multi-faceted dynamic to Power Portions.
She has maintained a dedication to community service dating back to her college years, having been a volunteer for organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica (as a nutrition leader), Sports Buddies (Jewish Boys and Girls Club of Glendale), Elementary School Girls Basketball Camps in Lousada, Portugal, Feeding America, Save the Children and Ascent Humanity Outreach, among many others. Along with her dedication to healthy meal prep, Stefanie believes her faith has led her to serve children struggling with obesity and applies her experience in this area into Power Portions’ efforts to give back to society.
CEO, MCN, RDN, LD
Briana Butler is a registered dietitian nutritionist and former professional athlete serving the Houston area. Briana holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Performance from the University of Southern California and a masters’ degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The latter of which she received after playing in the WNBA and overseas for three years. Upon retirement from professional sports, Briana followed her passion for health and athletics by pursuing a career in performance dietetics, believing from experience that nutrition efforts and performance are congruous. Since switching careers, Briana has worked with collegiate, professional (NFL, NBA, WNBA, NBA G-League, Ultra Marathon & Cyclist), NFL combine, NBA combine, and health and wellness clients in private practice and under world-renowned brands such as Southern Methodist University, EXOS, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, and the Dallas Cowboys. Above all, Briana finds purpose in being a wife to her husband Brice and full-time mom to her son Braiden.
ASSOCIATE DIETITIAN, MS, RD, LDN
Marissa is a registered dietitian from the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas with a passion for helping individuals reach their goals with an ALL foods fit mentality. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition & Dietetics from Immaculata University, Marissa went on to receive her master’s degree in Nutrition & Food Science from the University of Southern Mississippi. While completing her undergraduate degree, Marissa was a part of the women’s volleyball team and quickly implemented her knowledge learned in the classroom into personal goals of achieving success on the volleyball court. Witnessing small changes in her own lifestyle make large impacts on the court, strengthened her passion for sports nutrition and educating others to fuel their own athletic performances. Throughout her time as a registered dietitian, Marissa has worked in a variety of diverse settings while impacting the lives of individuals to meet their goals, large or small. Most recently, in her position as a sports & performance nutrition fellow at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, she was exposed to many experiences with both collegiate and professional athletes. Including but not limited to, team-wide and athlete-specific nutrition education, management, and administrative duties in order to provide all teams with the attention they need to thrive. Her specialties include individual and group nutrition counseling on sports nutrition, weight-related goals, gastrointestinal diagnoses, diabetes, allergies, and much more! When not immersed in the nutrition and sports world, Marissa finds herself cooking up new recipes in the kitchen, enjoying quality time with friends and family, or discovering new hiking trails to explore with her puppy, Miley!
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