When it comes to learning how to eat to optimally fuel yourself for the gym, it can often feel like there is so much to understand. For those who are new to the gym, knowing what to eat and when to eat can be overwhelming and difficult to get your head around. Should you eat right before the gym? Do you need to consume protein before the gym? Are carbs important? What should you be eating before you train?
To have the best gym session possible, you need to be sure that you fuel your body with the nutrients that it needs to function optimally, so that you can perform at your best. This means that you need to understand what to eat before a session to have the most energy possible.
Our team at Urban Fitness has put together this post outlining how you can best fuel yourself for a gym session to achieve optimal results. Urban Fitness is a state-of-the-art gym based in South Dublin and we offer our clients group coaching, small-group personal training and one-to-one personal training to help them reach their fitness goals. To learn more, read on and for further information on our gym in Dun Laoghaire – head over to our website.
Consume a Carb-Rich Meal 2-3 Hours Before your Gym Session
You want to make sure you consume a carb-rich meal about 2-3 hours before your session to give you plenty of energy. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel and they are what give you power, strength and stamina to keep going during your workouts. When it comes to what carbs to eat, it’s best to opt for complex carbs that release slowly – like sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats and wholewheat bread or pasta. These foods will slowly release into your bloodstream, giving you the energy you need during your workout.
Have a Light Snack Pre-Workout
About 30 minutes before your workout it’s best to have a light snack, in the form of simple carbs. Simple carbs differ from the complex carbs that we mentioned before, they digest quickly and release faster into your bloodstream to give you the boost of energy that you need right before your session. Think toast or a bagel with some jam, rice cakes, fruit or even a granola bar. You don’t want to eat anything too heavy right before your session, so ensure that you only have a light snack that won’t leave you feeling sick.
Stay Hydrated
Another thing to focus on is hydration and being hydrated is essential to having an optimal workout. When you exercise and sweat, your body loses fluids that are essential to you performing at your maximum ability. So it’s important to drink plenty of water during your session as well as after your session to replace the lost water. It’s also key to drink water before your gym session, as this will ensure that you are properly hydrated going into your workout. If you’re dehydrated during your workout you might feel tired, lethargic, faint and dizzy, so ensure you have a bottle of water on hand.
Looking to Join a Gym in Dun Laoghaire?
We hope that you feel more confident about how to best fuel yourself for an optimal gym session after reading this post. If you’re currently looking for a gym to join in Dun Laoghaire, then why not join us at Urban Fitness?
Here at Urban Fitness, we help both men and women get in the best shape of their lives so that they can look, feel and perform at their very best. Whatever your goals are, whether you’re looking to lose weight, gain muscle, improve your stamina and endurance, or just increase your confidence, we can help you to achieve them. We provide our members with a variety of membership options at our gym, so you can choose what best suits you – whether that’s group training, small group personal training or one-to-one personal training.
If you enjoy training in a group environment surrounded by like-minded and motivated individuals, then our group training would be ideal for you. We have a variety of group training sessions throughout the week, where you can push yourself, sweat and work hard whilst being coached by our team of experts. If you’d prefer a bit more attention, then you might want to look into our small group personal training or our one-to-one personal training, where you work closely with a personal trainer to help you reach your goals.
Contact Our Team at Urban Fitness Today
If you’d like to learn more about joining our gym in Dun Laoghaire, you can get in touch with us today. You can fill out our online contact form and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly. We don’t provide a ‘one size fits all’ plan, we work with our members to create plans that are carefully tailored to them so that they can achieve their fitness goals.
To learn more about our gym in Dun Laoghaire, head over to our website today.