When and what you eat before exercise is a personal choice. For some, eating before exercise is uncomfortable and makes them feel nauseated, but it's an individual thing...and it also depends upon how long you're exercising and how intensive your exercise is.
- If you're working out fairly intensively and doing aerobic exercise as well, it's best to eat 1-2 hours before exercising. Digestion involves blood "pooling" in your gut for up to 2 hours after a large meal to facilitate digestion and absorption.
The initial source of energy for exercise is glycogen, stored in your muscles and liver. Eat a low fat; high carbohydrate food 30 minutes to an hour before you exercise...this will increase your energy level and your endurance.
- You can eat part of your breakfast before you exercise...a piece of fruit or a fruit smoothie is a good idea if you're exercising early. Within 30 minutes after your workout, eat the rest of your breakfast...complex carbohydrates are a good choice...hot cereal or cold, high fiber cereal with nonfat milk, or a yogurt with cold cereal stirred in is handy and convenient.
If you're exercising later in the day, whole grain bread and a slice of lean meat or low fat cheese, a baked potato with 1/4 cup of yogurt, a bowl of cereal with nonfat milk will be quickly digested and absorbed as glucose for energy. Eat something else within an hour to replenish the glucose lost.
Drink your water, not only during your exercise, but after as well! Replenishing your fluids is very important and should not be ignored.