Best Pre-and Post-Workout Snacks for Every Workout
Looking for the perfect pre-workout and post-workout snacks to add to your diet? Not all foods are created equally when it comes to fueling your body before and after a workout. While carbs fuel your body and protein is essential for muscle growth, certain foods are better for you depending on what kind of muscles you are using and the extent to which you are using them.
However, no matter the exercise you are doing, have your pre-workout snack one to two hours beforehand to stave off hunger and to feed your body without weighing you down. After your workout, refuel within 30 to 45 minutes to give your body the nutrients needed to restore your muscles and rehydrate your body.
HIIT
Pre-Workout Snack: Fruit & Nut Bar
HIIT workouts, like Xperience Fitness’s Q sessions, are the perfect workout for those short on time. Naturally, an easy-to-grab snack is perfect for those on the go.
Bars with nuts and dried fruit, like Larabar and Kind, are perfect to fuel up before a session. They not only provide carbs to fuel your muscles, but are also great sources of fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
As a rule of thumb, be sure to choose a bar that is about 200 calories with at least 4 to 5 grams of protein and fiber. Watch out for added sugar.
Post-Workout Snack: Vegetables, Quinoa, & Chicken
For after your HIIT workout, you can eat 1 cup cooked vegetables or 2 cups raw vegetables, 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, and 3 oz. cooked chicken. This snack will not only reduce your post-exercise hunger, it is perfect for what your muscles are craving. The antioxidants in the vegetables and the protein in the chicken serve to repair muscle damage and the quinoa’s carbs will restore glycogen.
Strength Training
Pre-Workout Snack: Plain Low-Fat or Nonfat Greek Yogurt Topped with Granola
Yogurt is the perfect snack for when you engage in strength training workouts. Carbs are stored in the muscles and when those reserves are depleted your ability to produce power will be reduced.
Greek yogurt contains both fast- and slow-digesting proteins, which provide amino acids. Aim for about 20 grams of protein.
Post-Workout Snack: Tart Cherry Juice Smoothie with Fresh Ginger & Whey Protein
Research suggests that ginger and tart cherry juice help with soreness and decrease inflammation after strenuous exercise. Aim for 30 grams of whey protein to kickstart muscle protein synthesis and growth.
Yoga
Pre-Workout Snack: Smoothies
To make smoothies, use 1 piece of fresh fruit or 1/2 to 1 cup frozen fruit, 6 oz. plain yogurt, and 4 oz. milk or unsweetened almond milk.
Smoothies are both healthy and delicious! Not only are smoothies light, hydrating, and will satisfy your sweet tooth, but they will also fuel your workout by providing carbs to your muscles and calcium to help with muscle contraction. Find out the health benefits of smoothies here.
You can opt to use fresh fruit or frozen fruit for your smoothie. Berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries provide a burst of flavor to get your day started out right! Check out one of our many yoga-inspired classes before you make this snack.
Post-Workout Snack: 1 Orange & 1 Hardboiled Egg
Following your yoga sessions, you’ll want to eat and orange and a hardboiled egg. Oranges will rehydrate you through their high quantities of water and potassium while its carbs will help replenish your energy. The egg’s protein works to aid in muscle repair.
Sprints & Short-Distance Running
Pre-Workout Snack: One Slice Whole-Wheat Toast & A Thin Layer of Jam
Eating a light, easy-to-digest carb a few hours before sprints or short-distance running will ensure your body uses those carbs for fuel.
We recommend eating one slice of whole-wheat toast and a thin layer of jam with your choice of flavor.
Toast with jam is a delicious way to start your morning routine!
Post-Workout Snack: 8 oz. Nonfat or Low-Fat Chocolate Milk
If you are sprinting or running just a few miles a week, replenish with a glass of chocolate milk.
According to research from the University of Texas at Austin, chocolate milk rehydrates, provides protein to aid in the repair of muscle fibers, and offers sugar to restore glycogen post-workout.
Long-Distance Running
Pre-Workout Snack: High-Protein Energy Bar
Look for a protein bar with about 10 grams of protein per 100 calories for sustainable energy throughout your run.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to high-protein energy bars. Not only are they high-energy, they are delicious and are great for keeping in your backpack or taking with you to the gym. Here’s a list of the best protein bars.
However, you’ll want to stay away from ingredients like sugar alcohols, glycerol, or inulin, which can cause bloating, cramps, and abdominal pain.
Post: 8 oz. Nonfat or Low-Fat Chocolate Milk with Whole-Grain Salted Pretzels
The more miles you log, the more you will need to replenish with something more than chocolate milk. The pretzels will replace the sodium lost through sweat and glycogen.
Pilates
Pre-Workout Snack: 2/3 Cup Berries & 6 oz. Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
The berries provide you with carbs that will get you through your workout while the nonfat, protein-packed yogurt will keep you satisfied for hours to come. This is the perfect snack to eat before one of our relaxing pilates classes.
Post-Workout Snack: 1 Glass Water with Lemon, 1 Red Grapefruit, 30 Roasted Pistachios
Restore your body’s fluid with the potassium in the grapefruit and pistachios and a glass of water.
Barre
Pre-Workout Snack: 1/2 Cup Dried Oats, Cooked with Almond Butter Mixed In
The oatmeal provides carbs for energy to last you the entire class and the almond butter will leave you satisfied while providing you with magnesium, a nutrient necessary for muscle contraction and relaxation. Eat this delicious snack before trying out one of our sweat-inducing barre classes.
Post-Snack Workout: 6 oz. Organic Firm Tofu Scrambled with Carrots & Yellow Bell Peppers, Sauteed in Sesame Oil
Protein found in soy contains high amounts of leucine, an amino acid shown to increase muscle growth and repair.
