Worst Pre-Workout Foods

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• Skip high-fat choices. They’ll sit in your stomach while you exercise, making you uncomfortable and preventing you from doing your best. While omega-3 fats are good for brain health, snack foods like potato chips and cookies are more likely to contain saturated fat, which is linked to memory problems.
• Avoid high-sugar foods. You may crash from a sugar high before you’re done exercising, leaving you feeling sluggish instead of energetic. Some studies show that high-sugar diets have been linked to problems with memory and reasoning.
• Steer clear of processed foods. They’re likely to be high in sugar and unhealthy fats, as well as low-nutrient white flour, which your body digests quickly and which acts like sugar, spiking your blood-sugar levels.
• Skip high-fiber foods. Be wary of high-fiber carbs like raw vegetables before a workout, because they take longer to digest, making your body devote energy toward your gut. A banana or whole-grain crackers are ideal.

Why

If you grab the wrong snack before you work out, you may have trouble meeting your exercise goals. Some people reach for sweets, thinking that sugar will energize them. But blood-sugar levels drop after an initial spike, causing low energy mid-workout. High-fat foods take longer to digest, which diverts your body’s efforts toward your stomach and away from your muscles, plus certain types of high-fat foods are also linked to problems with memory. Instead of unhealthy options before working out, reach for healthy carbohydrates — fruits or whole grains — or perhaps a moderate portion of lean protein.