In recent times, an increasing number of people are concerned with all aspects of their health – including fitness and nutrition. Maintaining a proper diet has become a major priority of most of these fitness conscious individuals. Our body requires sufficient amount of the right foods to ensure that we can exercise and achieve the best results.

Advantages of eating fats and carbs before working out
If you are going to the gym or have joined a health club you must have seen many health-conscious individuals debating advantages of eating fats and carbs. Here are some of the notable benefits of consuming carbs and fats before starting with your workout session:

• Carbs and fats are a rich source of energy . Energy is one of the essential factors which determine the intensity and results associated with a particular workout session. So, if you want to achieve the best results, then you need to consume the recommended amount of carbs and fats before your workout. The amount of energy produced depends on the carbohydrates consumed by the body. The glycogen gets converted into glucose, thus helping in the functioning of muscles during workouts. So, as you can see, the consumption of carbs and fats are the base for building up of energy in our body.
• Recovery is an essential function of our body which needs to occur after exercise. A pre-workout meal helps to create a supply of the required nutrients, which lead to the proper and timely recovery of the body. This ensures that you can exercise on a regular basis without affecting your performance during workouts.
• If you consume the recommended pre-workout foods well on time in the recommended quantities, you will observe that your body functions at a much better pace than before.
• You require endurance for longer workouts, especially those who have athletic sports features in them. So, you need to consume suitable and available healthy fats in your everyday diet, preferably before your workouts. Keep the proportion of fats under control, so that you can reap the benefits of fats in the best way during and after the exercise routine.

Disadvantages of eating fats and carbs before working out
Virtually every food you can consume comes with some disadvantages. Fats and carbs need be to consumed before workouts in moderation. This will ensure that you do not face any adverse effects from them for your body. Here are some of the disadvantages of consuming carbs and fats before starting your workout session:

• If you cannot control the amount of carbs and fats that you consume, then you will not be able to reap the best benefits of these nutrients during your workouts.
• If you don’t control and stay on track in the consumption of the fats and carbs, then you will only gain weight, rather than achieving your desired goal of getting lean.
• You need to stay consistent with the quantity of carbs and fat you consume. Otherwise, if you avoid carbs altogether, and then start consuming them suddenly; you will gain weight at a much faster rate than before.

Types of carbs which should be consumed before a workout:
There are several types of carbs and fats which provide various benefits to the individual during the exercise.

• Brown rice: Brown rice is a rich source of energy, recommended for people who workout and for those who want to lose weight.
• Bananas: Are you going to hit the gym for weight lifting workouts? Then eat a banana or two before hitting the gym.
• Proteins: Eggs and chicken are specific sources of carbs and proteins . You can consume them in controlled proportions to ensure that you reap the best benefits for your health.
• Natural protein bars: You can eat protein bars before hitting the gym or workout session. Homemade protein bars are easy to make and are highly nutritious.
• Oatmeal: The beta glucan present in the oatmeal helps in digesting consumed foods throughout the day. If you want, you can add protein powder to it to make your pre-workout food more nutritious and useful.
• Nuts: Almonds can be consumed sometime before commencing your workouts. They are health-friendly, and you need not spend any time preparing its dishes.
• Greek yogurt: If you consume Greek yogurt an hour before your workout, you will be able to get a good amount of protein and energy for your workouts.

Proportion/amount of fat and carbs recommended in a pre-workout meal:
It is recommended to consume around 40-50 grams of carbohydrates and around 15-20 grams of proteins depending on your weight.

Last, but not the least, it is important for you to understand that everyone’s body is different. Make sure you do not compare your workout routine and diet with anyone else’s. This is because every individual has his or her own body structure and ability to workout. Just focus on the pros and cons of the carbs and fats so that you can reap the best benefits of these core components of diet in your workout routine.