These Foods Will Help You Burn Twice as Many Calories at the Gym
Ready to turn your body into a calorie-burning machine? We’ve targeted four pre-gym snacks that [...]
Ready to turn your body into a calorie-burning machine?
We've targeted four pre-gym snacks that will help you burn calories like crazy during your workout. It's time to make the most of your barre or spinning class by setting yourself up for success with energy-boosting foods.
"If I don't have my pre-exercise meal, my workout isn't the same and it feels like a waste," Manuel Villacorta, the author of Eating Free, told Men's Fitness. "If you fuel correctly, you'll work out harder."
Check out the four ways to burn more calories at the gym.
Bananas
Sarah Waybright of WhyFoodWorks, LLC encourages women to snack on a banana 15 to 30 minutes before they hit the gym.
"During your workout, your body uses carbohydrates it has stored, so your snack will help replenish and preserve those stores to help minimize damage to your muscles and increase endurance," Waybright told SheKnows.
Bananas are nature's power bars, and will fuel your workout because they're packed with potassium, a mineral that we often lose when we break a sweat.
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Coconut Water
If bananas are nature's power bars, then coconut water is nature's Gatorade. The carbohydrates in coconut water are easy to digest, and will fuel your workout without giving you the extra dose of sugar found in most sport drinks.
Coconut water is nutty and high in potassium, which means you're less likely to experience muscle cramping on the treadmill.
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Greek yogurt and fruit
Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt, which means your muscles are getting the nutrients they need to recover after a grueling workout—plus you won't be starving once you leave the gym.
"People tend to skip fruit and other foods that are high in carbs," Villacorta says, "but protein doesn't break down fast enough to become fuel for a workout. The carbs from fruit break down quickly and the protein is used later to prevent muscle damage."
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Water
There's no one-size-fits-all guideline when it comes to staying hydrated, but a good standard is to drink eight glasses of water a day, or 64 ounces.
Staying hydrated is a smart and easy way to make your workout easier, while simultaneously burning major calories. Drink two cups of water two hours before your workout, and then another cup before you go in the gym. The more you sweat, the more you should drink.
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