“If you have breakfast or a snack before your workout it will help you train harder for longer compared to exercising on an empty stomach,” she says, adding that it will also likely also help you recover faster after your session as energy reserves will not be depleted.
“A long or hard session on an empty stomach or low energy reserves also means your body's stress response is higher and your immune defence is compromised. This is not ideal particularly if you're doing several training sessions in a week or do more than one session in a day,” she says.
So if you train often, Viljoen says the timing of your post-workout snack is also critical and could help boost recovery and performance.
“The golden rule is to consume a meal or drink high in carbohydrates and protein as soon as possible after your session followed by a regular pattern of wholesome snacks and meals for the remainder of the day. We are not suggesting that you ingest a full English breakfast or a protein shake-type of breakfast; the best pre-training breakfast contains a wholesome source of carbohydrates - something like oatmeal for instance. Adding a small amount of protein to the carbohydrates assists in muscle building if this is your goal. Scientific studies show that this could be as little as six grams to give you maximum effects.”
