Fueling for success - whatever your goal

What you eat before you train - no matter what type of training you do - can make the difference between a great session, an ok session, or a wasted session.

Why's that important? If you are well fueled you will have more energy, which will likely mean that you will get more out of that session.

You don't have to be an athlete - this is as important if you are going to the gym to lose weight, to build muscle, or simply to be healthier. A better fueled body will work better, you will be able to put more in to your session, and you will get more out of it in terms of results. Of course consistency is also key - you need to fuel properly for every session to maximise the benefits.

Think of yourself as a car - you wouldn't run your car on empty all the time. If you did, at best you'd just chug along, but sooner or later you would be likely to run out of fuel. Yet, many people will go to the gym, go for a run, go for a ride/swim/play sport without taking on board some kind of food (fuel).

Fueling doesn't need to be complicated. A carb based snack 30-60 minutes before you train is enough to give most people the energy they need for a one hour session. A couple of bananas, some fruit and yogurt, or a toasted bagel is ideal.

If your session is longer that an hour - or you are trying to maximise performance goals for a sport or a race that you are preparing for - you will need some extra fuel during your session and a more tailored strategy to suit your goals. Why not talk to a sports nutritionist, like one of our coaches, who will put together a plan that could just see you achieve that PB/medal/ranking/ team selection that you've been working towards.