Pre-workout nutrition is the X factor when it comes to training performance. Most people skip it completely. Either due to a lack of time or due to not understanding nutrition completely. Most people obsess over eating clean all the time. Due to that, they miss out on foods that could boost their performance tremendously.
Let’s take a look at 2 options of pre-workout nutrition you can use before your sessions. But also, what is required for the perfect pre-workout meal?
Pre-workout essentials.
A pre-workout meal has to meet the following 3 requirements:
- easy digestible
- a mix of glucose and fructose (2:1 ratio is ideal)
- eaten 45-90 minutes pre-workout
We use a mix of glucose and fructose because they are absorbed through different transport pathways in the intestine.
Glucose enters the bloodstream quickly and is used directly by working muscles. Fructose is processed in the liver and contributes to maintaining blood glucose levels over time.
The result is both rapid and sustained energy availability.
For explosive sports like combat sports, where repeated high-intensity efforts rely heavily on muscle glycogen, this matters. Stable blood glucose and topped-up glycogen levels mean you delay fatigue and maintain output deeper into the session.
Now, how does this look in practice?
Pre-workout nutrition made easy.
The one deciding factor for what to eat is time. So I’ll give one example for when you have time and two examples for when you’re busy.
The pre-workout sandwich
- One piece of bread
- One to two tablespoons of Nutella on top of the bread
- One banana
- Top with two tablespoons of honey
This is one of the most commonly used pre-workout snacks. Easy to make and easily digestible. But what if you don’t have time or go to the gym straight after work?
Pre-workout when busy
We have two options.
You can use
- 45 grams of Haribo
- 1 banana
or
- Gatorade or a similar sports drink that contains sugar.
- 1 banana
As you can see, pre-workout nutrition is not that hard. But whether you use it or not will determine how hard your session is.
If something as simple as pre-workout nutrition changes how your sessions feel, imagine what happens when your entire camp is structured properly.
I work with fighters and serious hobbyists to build nutrition plans that support performance across every phase of camp.
I only take on a limited number of athletes per camp.
If you have a fight booked or you’re training with intent, you can sign up on Gumroad or message me directly.
Until next time
Alex
