My Pre- Intra- and Post-Workout Fuel (and Supplements)
Someone asked me in a Q&A recently what I take pre-and post-workout, so I thought it would be a good idea to write a short blog about it.
First thing first: fuel.
Although I did exercise fasted many moons ago, I would never do that today. Especially as a woman, the stress imposed on a fasted body while exercising is something I do not want for myself. Not only is my performance compromised, but adding to stress and inviting chronic stress leads to weight gain, hormonal imbalances, and poor sleep… nothing I’m interested in! I always eat before I workout. These days I’ll typically have at least breakfast (grapefruit, meat, a fruit smoothie, a collagen and fat-rich coffee that has some creatine in it) before working out. If you can get your hands on this creatine, it’s the best (but they’re often sold out). Often when I work out a little bit later in the morning, I’ll also have some more fruit or banana bread before I exercise. I want to make sure the stress imposed on my body from a hard workout isn’t compounding on a depleted body!
There’s a huge misconception (again, especially for women) that working out fasted helps you burn more fat. Focusing on burning fat is like chasing your tail… by focusing on building muscle, you naturally burn fat all day long (muscle is more metabolically active than fat). You can’t build muscle when you’re depleted.
Pre-Workout
Like I mentioned, I’ll usually have some sort of ‘last minute’ fuel about 10 minutes before I exercise (after already having eaten well that morning). Pre-workout may be half a dragon fruit, a slice of banana bread, or a tablespoon of honey with salt on it. Simple to digest, easy carbs.
Intra-Workout
All the products I actually use are linked!
During my workout, I sip on a 1L mason jar with filtered water, lots of ice, and:
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp l-citrulline
1/2 tsp potassium
1/2 tbsp beetroot powder (I omit this sometimes if I don’t want the flavor)
Basically, a simple, mineral-rich, and vasodilating (i.e., promoting blood flow) drink!
Sometimes if I’m mid-workout and feeling a little flat, I’ll have another tablespoon of organic honey with salt on it.
Post-Workout
More food! I eat a proper meal after I exercise. Usually something like beef and roasted potatoes. I always have a big batch of roasted potatoes waiting in the fridge, so it’s super easy to warm those up, throw a burger pattie or some ground beef in the cast iron, and call it a day. Oh! I also love adding a few glugs of organic maple syrup to my beef. I’ve been doing this most meals, but it’s especially satisfying post-workout. Lots of salt on everything, and I’m well nourished and back into rebuild mode after exercise. The focus post-workout is lots of protein and lots of carbs.
Our garage gym :)
As you can see, I keep it quite simple! My focus is whole foods, and I like a mineral-rich drink while I exercise that supports good blood flow. What do you consume pre-intra-and post-workout? Let me know in the comments!
