Maximise your workout results by avoiding these five foods before gym
Choosing what to eat before a workout is essential to getting a good routine going. It’s the fuel you need to keep your body going through a gruelling, yet rewarding workout. However, have you thought about the foods that you should be avoided before a workout?
Baked goods: If you are used to grabbing a blueberry muffin before a workout, please stop this habit right away. High glycemic foods that are made with white sugar and refined flour causes insulin to spike and also cause a drop in blood sugar levels. This can make you feel sluggish during your workout.
Milk: Like a bit of coffee with milk before hitting the gym? Skip the milk in your coffee and opt for just plain black coffee. Milk can make you feel bloated and lethargic. It’s best to avoid milk and milk-based products right before a workout. Some people also suffer from lactose intolerance, which may cause bloating, gas and diarrhoea from bacterial fermentation of lactose.
Alcohol: This one’s a nobrainer. When you’re working out you are already losing water in the form of sweat. So when you add alcohol to this mix, it can cause further dehydration. At the same time, exercising under the influence of alcohol is not safe.
Soda: Caffeine is great for a workout, but not when it comes in the form of soda. Carbonated beverages contain gas bubbles that can easily fill you up. Feeling full during a workout can hamper your performance and make you feel tired, too.
Fruit juice: Fruit juice is liquid fructose, which can overwhelm the liver and cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. The liquid fructose will reach your small and large intestines quickly causing quick fermentation and influx of water in the colon could lead to bloating and diarrhoea.