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An espresso can give you a great kick-start to any workout. Shutterstock/Subbotina Anna
workout fuel

3 kick-start breakfasts for a better workout

Getting it right can make a big difference.

GETTING YOUR PRE-WORKOUT meal right is tricky business. The bottom line is you want something that’ll sustain you throughout a tough session but won’t make you sluggish.

It’s important to remember that, if you’re fuelling for an intense endurance activity, more carbs should be added while, if you’re lifting weights, you should add more protein.

Fat takes the longest to digest, so a pre-workout meal should be relatively low in this — but you should still include a little.

Everyone has different preferences; some need to eat 60 minutes before exercise while others can get away with chowing down less than half an hour before hitting the gym or pavement.

Getting this right takes trial and error but generally, sub-300 calorie meals can be eaten an hour before you work out but you should experiment with the timing and meal size to suit your individual needs.

Here are three simple suggestions…

Porridge and protein

You know the drill by now and we’re not going to suggest you stray from Ireland’s favourite breakfast.

However, might we add three recommendations?

1) Add a scoop of whey protein
2) Make it with water
3) Eat far less oats, a 50 gram serving is LOADS for a morning session.

Selling points: Porridge is cheap and is an outstanding fuel source. Protein adds flavour.

Vegetable omelette

Shutterstock / Nataliya Arzamasova Shutterstock / Nataliya Arzamasova / Nataliya Arzamasova

We’re big fans of the omelette here at The42 and with good reason. They’re easy to make, take little time and meet all our nutritional requirements. You can see the one we, ahem, made earlier above.

Selling points: Egg whites provide one of the best natural sources of protein. You can make any number of different flavoured omelettes.

Espresso with a protein bar

The beauty of protein bars is they’re convenient.

The downside, of course, is they are not cheap but at least you know exactly what you’re fuelling up with. It’s important to be able to read the nutrition labels, or at least know you should be looking for a bar that contains upwards of 20 grams of protein.

Some bars are little more than sugary treats so ensure there’s more protein than carbs in whatever you eat. A little fat is okay too. Something like 20g protein; 10-15g carbohydrates and 10-15g fat is okay.

Wash it down with an espresso to give yourself that badly-needed kick-start.

Selling points: Coffee is almost a rite of passage. The protein bar feels like a treat… and often tastes likes one too.

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