12 pre-workout energy boosters guaranteed to improve your performance

1) Smoothies!

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If you are in too much of a hurry to sit on a table and snack before going to gym, just make yourself smoothies with some of your favorite fruits. Fill up your bottle and keep taking a sip or two before your workout and you will not complain about dehydration, indigestion or fatigue.
Michael Phelps, the most successful and decorated Olympian ever, eats a bowl of oatmeal, bread with
cream cheese and some fruits before a big race and never eats proteins because they're not a source of immediate energy. And for someone who eats 12,000 calories a day, he looks pretty lean and ripped, standing at 6'4". Of course, he is an elite athlete and what he eats matters to him as that can be the difference between victory and defeat.

You may be trying to lose weight, gain muscles or increase stamina, but you should never fill your tummy with anything that you can get your hands on, especially just before a workout!

There are some foods that will help you boost your performance and help your body replenish important nutrients during workouts. This exclusive list of food items will give you an added advantage and keep you a step ahead of your competitors!

So, let's get started:

2) Never say 'Nah!' to Banana

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Bananas are loaded with digestible carbohydrates which give you immediate energy during a workout. As you go into intense training, you sweat, and with that your body loses potassium- an excellent electrolyte regulator that maintains nerve & muscle function. As an added bonus, dietary fibre in bananas helps in digestion as well!
3) No Yolk, Only Egg Whites

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Maths will helps you understand this better than words:
Whole Egg (71 Calories) = Yolk (55 Calories) + Egg white (16 Calories)

Throw that yolk away and all you have is low calories, fats and cholesterol, but a high quantity of proteins, vitamins and minerals - need I say more? Egg white contain Riboflavin aka Vitamin B-2, which helps in maintaining carbs, fats and proteins, that supports a nervous system and again, its potassium content helps in maintaining fluids and mineral levels. However, if you are trying to gain weight or grow muscle, you can eat yolk, but do remember that it has very high cholesterol.

4) Oats

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A great source for much-needed carbohydrates (means, energy) during your workout, oats are filled with soluble fibre, making you feel full even when eaten in moderate amounts, helping you lose weight as well.

Bonus trivia: It also controls blood sugar and insulin levels!

5) Sporty Fruity

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Remember that time when you hit the gym, and 20 minutes into your workout were already tired? Such a drop in energy can easily be prevented with a fruit snack just 30 minutes before your fitness routine. Yes, this will also keep a check on your waistline and will give you that bright and glowing skin you always wanted. Fruits help clean your blood and are an abundant source of antioxidants.
6) Brown Bread

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A slice of wholegrain bread topped with cheese or jam is not just a tasty, quick and healthy snack before your workout, but is also a bank of carbohydrates. That's right, more energy!

7) Cottage Cheese

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Cottage cheese is not very well known for a healthy food item. 1 cup of cottage cheese will give you 18 percent of calcium recommended for daily intake. It also contains Vitamin B12, that helps in preventing any cardiovascular disease. So, if you like s
pending time on the treadmill, you must eat cottage cheese.8) Energy Bars

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If you have seen those Discovery shows which show us how the US Army always has those energy bars during their long and strenuous drills in deep and dense forest for days, with no food and little water, then you know what I am talking about!

These bars will give you a sustained release of energy, maintain blood sugar, a punch of glycogen, and will prevent any post-exercise fatigue.

9) Never forget yogurt

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Proteins
have amino acids which help in muscle recovery, and yogurt has an excellent ratio of proteins to carbohydrates, which puts it on our list of must-haves. As far as hydration is concerned, experts say that the proteins in yogurt help in the amount

of water absorbed by the intestine.

10) Coffee

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Seriously, you say? Yes, not only does it kick away your lazy bones and keep you active, but if you drink black coffee, it increases your metabolism and helps you burn those fat cells. One more thing, make sure that the smoothies/coffee don't have any caramel, whipped cream or any of those mischievous sugary additives you had in mind!

11) My Milky Way

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Milk consumed before or during exercise can help you perform longer workouts than drinking water alone, according to a research published in 'Nutrition' in 2008. It also replenishes your fluid demands and carbohydrates stores. Take with chocolate for high-intensity workout and better recovery.
12) Fruits

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Filled with concentrated carbs, fibres, potassium, vitamins and minerals, dry fruits like apricots or raisins help you maintain your energy levels.

So, pick your favorite, start your routine and do let us know if this list helped!