One of the more common questions I receive about nutrition pertains to what should be consumed before a workout. If you run a search on the Internet you’re likely to find thousands of answers, many of which will seem relatively similar. The truth though is they are inaccurate. It isn’t that their suggestions are necessarily wrong, it’s simply that it all depends on what you’re doing. The question, ultimately, is just too broad.

Here’s a common example:

Question - “What should I eat before practice?”

Answer - “Slow-burning carbohydrates like oats make a great choice.”

Now, old-fashioned or steel cut oats are definitely an adequate source of carbohydrates for your training. But it’s impossible to tell you how much to eat, or when, without knowing how long your training is, what type of training you’re doing, and there also isn’t enough information to tell you what to couple with it. An ultra-endurance athlete, for example, may do better with some fats added in their pre-workout meal, whereas that isn’t something I personally would normally suggest for someone training one-hour with a sprint-oriented workout.

To put it simply, pre-workout nutrition isn’t a cookie-cutter solution it sometimes comes off as being. For the average swimmer there are common elements to look at: quality carbohydrates and a quality source of amino acids are a must, and supplements like The Race Club’s Thunderbolt can give you that extra edge. But when it comes to quantity and consistency, everyone is different. In that sense, I highly recommend you try out a variety of good foods and find what works best for you and keeps you comfortable. I’ve had many clients who just could not stomach a pre-workout meal that had bread in it, whereas they thrived with a whole grain breakfast cereal. Trial and error is an effective method and certainly one you should play around with. There really is a seemingly infinite amount of meals you could put together to fuel your workout, so try a bunch and see how your body responds.

So, now that you know it’s ok to experiment with your fuels, we’re led to the point of today’s column: What not to eat before a workout. We’re going to go with the premise you are an age-group or Master’s swimmer with a workout that lasts somewhere around 90 to 120 minutes and it contains a mix of middle-distance and sprint swims.

As I alluded to before, I suggest staying away from fats like peanut butter immediately prior to this workout. The reason is that fats are slow to digest and won’t be utilized as the main source of fuel during training. I have also seen a number of athletes that have experienced discomfort during exercise if they’ve eaten a meal with a moderate to high amount of fat content. One solution could be to just eat quite a bit earlier prior to workout, but you may find yourself quite hungry in the middle of your session if you do so. Most hamburger patties, many cuts of steak and other red meats are all going to be slowly broken down by the body and should be eaten a couple of hours prior to training or saved for later.

Additionally, avoid foods with high sugar content such as candy bars (that includes Snickers), soft drinks, even some fruits. The reason for this is they cause a spike in your insulin levels which shortly thereafter will cause a significant decrease that will leave you feeling tired and empty. Even when coupled with slower-burning carbohydrates the effect on blood sugar remains, so do your best to avoid sugary snacks.

Finally, and a point as important as any, make sure you only eat what actually works for you. I have seen far too many incidents where athletes eat something in particular, even if it makes them feel horrible, because their coach tells them to. Your coach doesn’t have to train with the discomfort, and if a food doesn’t sit well, it’s going to hurt your performance a lot more than your coach thinks it will help. It’s your body, listen to it, and treat it well.