What should I eat before a workout?

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
What should I eat before a workout?]

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[Text on screen: Sarah Wick
Registered Dietician
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center]

Sarah Wick: So the best foods to eat before a workout, typically what we say is three to four hours before a workout, you want a small meal or a meal that contains carbohydrate, protein, and minimal fat. 

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Carbohydrate gets digested very quickly, protein is next, but fat kind of sits in your system and could cause some gastrointestinal distress. The same with fiber. So we like to keep it low fat and low fiber. So an example might be a turkey and cheese sandwich on white bread with an orange or a banana and a glass of milk. Then about 30 minutes prior to going into your workout, your activity, just some carbohydrate to top off those stores. That could be something as simple as crackers, half of a bagel. It might be cereal, it could be some fruit, but just some carbohydrate. You're topping off those energy stores. 

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So at the top, so you have all the energy you need to go into your fueling or into your activity.

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
For more information, visit:
go.osu.edu/sportsnutrition]

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