News
What to Eat During a Workout
Published
2 years agoon
By
Robert King![](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/woman-working-out-h.webp.webp)
“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote”} }”>
Get access to everything we publish when you
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>sign up for Outside+.
You’re halfway through a workout and crushing it. Then, your stomach starts churning. You keep moving, figuring the discomfort will pass—but soon you’re doubled over in pain, desperately scanning for the nearest bathroom.
Experiencing this type of GI distress during exercise is “more common than people realize,” says sports dietitian Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD, founder of Eleat Sports Nutrition and author of Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance. There are a number of reasons why your stomach or bowels may misbehave mid-workout, including dehydration and eating too much protein, fat, and fiber shortly before you break a sweat, according to Jen Scott, RDN, LD, a Road Runners Club of America running coach.
Having a carb-rich snack before or during your workout can decrease your chances of an upset stomach, while also giving your body the energy it needs to perform its best. That’s because your body digests carbs and metabolizes them into glucose–the energy source for your muscles–more quickly than it does protein, fat, and fiber.
Quick caveat: Nutrition isn’t one-size-fits-all. Scott, for instance, has worked with hundreds of runners and says that people’s fueling plans differ from one person to the next. Factors including individual food intolerances and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease can impact what sits well for you. That said, “your gut is highly adaptable, and there is evidence you can actually ‘train the gut’ to better tolerate food and drinks around exercise,” Asche says. So just because you can’t stomach a mid-workout snack right now doesn’t mean you can’t gradually work your way up to it.
Below are five expert-recommended foods to eat during or within 60 minutes of starting a workout. For many, these foods will provide the quick energy you need without upsetting your system.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a great source of carbs, offering 27 grams per serving with only 4 grams of fiber. Eating it before exercise can tame rowdy bowels, since the fiber in oatmeal is a soluble fiber called beta-glucan that attracts water, forms like a gel-like substance within your gut, and reduces your chances of diarrhea, explains Scott. Just be sure to use instant or traditional oats instead of the steel-cut variety, since the latter is higher in slow-to-digest fiber. Also, keep toppings simple (think: brown sugar, maple syrup, or bananas). “When you start adding things like seeds or nuts, you might get into that territory where it’s a little too much fat or protein,” Scott says.
RELATED: What We Can Learn About Endurance Fuel From Ancient Greece
Potatoes
Boiled, peeled, and salted potatoes are great exercise fuel. Peeling makes them low in fiber (a small potato has less than 3 grams) and salting helps replenish sodium lost through sweat, Scott says. In addition, potatoes contain resistant starch, a type of fiber that helps feed the good bacteria in your gut and can improve digestive health, Scott adds. Most athletes rely on potatoes as a pre-workout snack, but “I have seen runners pull them out of their pockets in marathons and eat them too,” Scott says.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup can be a great fuel source and alternate to sports gels during an endurance event, Scott says. It’s a carbohydrate that is mostly sucrose, which is a disaccharide, meaning that it’s made up of two monosaccharides–in this case, glucose and fructose. Research shows that we have limited absorption sites in our intestines for monosaccharides, but multiple sources of monosaccharides are more easily absorbed, Scott says. That makes maple syrup a solid fueling choice before or during exercise. Companies like Endurance Tap and UnTapped sell it in drinkable packets.
Bananas
Bananas are rich in carbohydrates (about 27 grams per serving) and somewhat low in fiber (3 grams per serving), making them an easily digestible option. “When I have runners that seem to have more sensitive stomachs, we’ll look at bananas,” Scott says. Another plus: They come in their own package, making them a convenient snack to tote with you. For even easier mid-workout fueling, consider baby food pouches with bananas, suggests Scott.
Dates
Dates are a portable and quickly digestible snack. Just two Medjool dates have 35 grams of carbohydrates and only 3 grams of fiber, Scott says. Any type of date can be good fuel, but opting for larger-size Medjools means you don’t have to carry as many with you–ideal if you’re eating on the go.
RELATED: How To Fuel With Purpose
Recent News
![Time Tracking](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Time-Tracking-400x240.png)
![Time Tracking](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Time-Tracking-80x80.png)
The Power of Effective Time Tracking The Essential Role of Time Management in Today’s Workplace
With the pace of today’s business world, managing time effectively has become crucial. As professionals juggle multiple tasks and projects,...
![Car Accident](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Car-Accident-400x240.jpg)
![Car Accident](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Car-Accident-80x80.jpg)
How a Car Accident Law Firm in North Carolina Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be incredibly stressful, especially if you’re trying to navigate medical bills,...
![Recruitment Agency in Qatar](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Recruitment-Agency-in-Qatar-400x240.jpg)
![Recruitment Agency in Qatar](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Recruitment-Agency-in-Qatar-80x80.jpg)
How a Recruitment Agency in Qatar Can Transform Your Hiring Process
A recruitment agency in Qatar can be instrumental in transforming your hiring process. They can help you understand the hiring...
![](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot_2024-08-30-02-16-58-73_a1b1bbe5f63d5b96c1a0f87c197ebfae-400x240.jpg)
![](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot_2024-08-30-02-16-58-73_a1b1bbe5f63d5b96c1a0f87c197ebfae-80x80.jpg)
Top Benefits of Using Nadra Solutions for Renewing Your Pakistani Passport from the UK
Renewing a Pakistani passport while living in the UK can often be a complex and daunting task. From navigating bureaucratic...
![Taylor Kitsch wife](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Taylor-Kitsch-wife-400x240.jpg)
![Taylor Kitsch wife](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Taylor-Kitsch-wife-80x80.jpg)
Taylor Kitsch Wife, Rumours or Reality?
Is Taylor Kitsch married? Is there any lucky girl who is legally Taylor Kitsch wife? This article will provide in-depth...
![Tolly Saivanidis](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Tolly-Saivanidis-400x240.jpg)
![Tolly Saivanidis](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Tolly-Saivanidis-80x80.jpg)
Tolly Saivanidis and Trademarks: A Saga of Intellectual Property Protection
In the realm of intellectual property, trademarks stand as the stalwarts guarding the identity and reputation of businesses. From iconic...
![Headhunter Services](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Headhunter-Services-400x240.png)
![Headhunter Services](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Headhunter-Services-80x80.png)
How Can Headhunter Services Transform Your Hiring Strategy?
Hiring the right people is super important for any business. But sometimes, finding the best candidates can be challenging. This...
![Hire React](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Hire-React-400x240.jpg)
![Hire React](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Hire-React-80x80.jpg)
Why Should You Hire React Developers?
A user-friendly and modern architectural website is an essential requirement for businesses. Worry not; in a robust digital world, ReactJS...
![Mr. Harrigan's](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mr.-Harrigans-400x240.webp)
![Mr. Harrigan's](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mr.-Harrigans-80x80.webp)
‘Mr. Harrigan’s Telephone’: Stephen King’s long-awaited adaptation opens with ONLY 38% approval
The horror ‘Mr. Harrigan’ (Mr. Harrigan’s Phone), adapted from the eponymous short story by Stephen King, hits Netflix tomorrow (05),...
![](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-Walking-Dead-negan-maggie-1.jpg)
![](https://designerwomen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-Walking-Dead-negan-maggie-1.jpg)
“ The Walking Dead ”: Maggie returns in the teaser for season 10
AMC a teaser of the first of additional episodes of the 10th season of “The Walking Dead”. After years of...