Pre-workout nutrition for women
To achieve your fitness goals, you’ll need to train to the best of your ability and make every rep count. For this, your body requires a lot of energy – and women are no exception. Whether it’s a high intensity workout, or endurance training, you’ll need to keep your protein and carbohydrate levels high so that your muscles have sufficient levels, which is why your pre-workout nutrition is so important. Snacks, meals and supplements before your workout should be considered carefully to support your performance and goals.
There is a misconception that pre-workout nutrition is only for men – that is not true. Women too can take pre-workout to aid their workout.
What are the main benefits for women?
Whether you are male or female, your body needs energy for optimum performance. If your pre-workout contains carbohydrates and protein, then you are essentially fuelling your body with the required energy for exercise.
If your pre-workout contains creatine then you are helping to saturate creatine stores in your muscles; 3g/d creatine has been shown to increase physical performance during short-term, high intensity exercise. Creatine can be found in protein sources like meat and fish, or can be supplemented. Creatine stores deplete rapidly during exercise, so if you provide your muscles with creatine before your workout, stores become saturated.
If your pre-workout contains BCAA then you are providing your body with additional essential amino acids that it can’t produce naturally. BCAAs are the building blocks of protein.
Pre-workout snacks that contain simple carbohydrates and proteins also help support your workout. What you eat before your workout can be simple but plays a big role in providing your body with energy. Your carbohydrates contain glucose, which increases glycogen levels for later use in the body. If protein levels are high in the body, this can also help provide energy.
When to take pre-workout
You could say, it does what it says on the tin – of course, it should be taken pre-workout, but how long before? Generally, pre-workout supplements, or snacks should be taken between 30 minutes and an hour before your exercise begins – giving it time to digest in your system so that it can be put to good use.
