Your body needs fuel to burn and generate energy during your workout. Ideally, a pre workout meal should be eaten at least three quarters to an hour before you begin your workout while your post workout replenishment should happen within two hours of ending your session at the gym. Here’s what you need to know about your pre and post workout diet and what you should be eating…

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Pre workout

Drink up!
Hitting the gym without being adequately hydrated is like trying to drive a car without fuel. Your water reserves are pulled into action the minute you begin your workout. So drink at least half or three quarters of a litre of water before you begin. This will keep dehydration at bay, maintain your body temperature and most importantly, increase resistance to injuries.

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Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich
We know it sounds too good to be true but this actually is an expert recommended option before you hit the gym. The combo of the whole wheat toast, peanut butter and fruit makes for an energy fuelled yet light snack to keep you going for the next two hours.

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Boiled Egg Sandwich
If you’re the kind who really believes in having a good, healthy meal before you sweat it all out, a hardboiled egg on toast is your best bet. Eggs are a powerhouse of protein, which is especially great if you’re doing some heavy lifting since it’ll help in muscle recovery as you work out.

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Post Workout

So you packed in an hour or more at the track or the gym, sweated it out and are now somewhere between ravenous hungry and wanting to purge? However, it is extremely essential that you refuel your body within two hours of finishing your workout in order to restore your glycogen levels and rebuild tissue that has broken down during exercise.

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Dry Fruits and Nuts
Go back to the basics and eat the natural, healthy stuff immediately after your workout. Keep a box of dry fruits and nuts handy so you can munch on them on your way home. Include walnuts, almonds, raisins and the like to beat that post workout exhaustion. Nuts are rich in protein while dry fruits have simple carbs that can easily replenish your muscle glycogen.

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Chocolate Milk
Probably the yummiest and easiest thing to drink post your heavy duty workout, chocolate milk scores high on both, carbohydrates as well as protein content. If you’re feeling gutsy, you can always add a spoon full of Nutella to your drink to up the delish quotient.

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Spinach omelette and toast
Since post workout recovery is all about protein, whip up a double egg omelette with spinach and other veggies of your choice. It’s healthy, it’s nutritious and you can even have it with a slice of brown bread on the side.