Question: What should I eat or drink if I only have an hour before a workout?

Answer: What to eat before you exercise should be largely determined by timing and personal preference. Generally speaking, a large meal takes 4-5 hours to digest, a smaller meal takes 2-3 hours, and a large snack takes 1-2 hours.

If you don’t digest food well enough prior to an activity, you can end up with a stomachache and cramping. This often occurs because blood (which plays a key role in digestion) is shunted to your arms and legs during activity, thereby slowing down the digestive process. Therefore, if you only have an hour to fuel yourself, it would probably be best to stick with a liquid carbohydrate/ protein shake. Liquids are processed faster than solid foods and will provide the energy you need in a shorter timeframe.

Keep in mind, we’re not talking about those ice cream-based shakes from fast food restaurants. We’re talking about a sports nutrition shake that is designed for active individuals and athletes. If you want something lighter, a traditional sports drink would be a viable option as well. There are a number of products on the market in each category, so do some taste-testing to see which ones work best for you.

Cliff Gray is the club owner at Anytime Fitness in Richfield. To submit a question for future articles, please contact the author at email@anytimefitness.com. Please like us on Facebook at Anytime Fitness Richfield and follow us on Twitter @AnytimeFitRich.