Let’s Find The best High Carb Sources For Pre CrossFit
CrossFit athletes rely on consuming carbohydrates before their training, relying on the best healthy food sources, because carbohydrates are not quickly emptied by the body and help increase the body’s ability to use glycogen in order to continue performing high-intensity CrossFit exercises.
It is important to know the best sources of carbohydrates and rely on them in your diet, because they are good fuel for the body and ensure that the muscles remain steadfast in the face of long CrossFit exercises while reducing the feeling of fatigue, and help build a strong body and muscles
Let’s discover together the best natural foods that contain significant amounts of carbohydrates.
The best sources of carbohydrates
All the foods that I will mention here are 100% natural and healthy that you can incorporate into your diet because you will benefit from them well and they are not very expensive, most of them are available in all markets at cheap prices.
High carb grains
It is important to include grains in your food list because they not only contain carbohydrates, but also contain many important nutritional sources such as: (iron, fiber, magnesium, selenium).
Getting used to eating whole grains may benefit your health and may reduce the incidence of some chronic diseases, as it will give you a positive boost and will keep your body full throughout the exercise period.
1- Brown Rice
Brown rice differs from white rice in that brown rice increases the secretion of insulin in the body, and fiber and fats help reduce it, and one of its benefits is that carbohydrates do not turn into a fat tank on the days when you do not train, unlike white rice.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 44 | 216 |
2- Oatmeal
Oatmeal should not be excluded from your diet, because it is a complex carbohydrate and greatly helps to provide enough energy to complete the long CrossFit exercises.
Oatmeal also helps repair and strengthen muscles, because it is a high-protein carbohydrate and contains fiber and keeps the body full throughout the training period.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 51 | 303 |
3- Navy Beans
Navy beans are also full of complex carbohydrates, and they help stabilize blood sugar and provide muscle energy to support muscle-building exercises, as well as contribute to improving lean muscle mass and muscle growth.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1/2 cup | 10 | 110 |
4- Lentils
Lentils alone are equivalent to a complete and balanced meal of carbohydrates and protein, because it contains many healthy nutritional elements and an important amount of fiber that helps provide sufficient energy and keep the body full throughout the training period.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 39.9 | 230 |
5- Quinoa
Quinoa is one of the best plant sources of carbohydrates and pure protein because it contains all the essential amino acids, and these two nutrients make up a great muscle building duo effectively, and this is what makes quinoa an essential in your dish before and even after your workout.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 39 | 222 |
High carb fruits
Fruits have a special place in any diet, whether it is to lose weight, gain weight or stay healthy, and athletes tend to eat fruits before and after exercise because they provide energy and many vital nutrients, and they also help improve performance inside the box and help to recover quickly.
1- Banana
Bananas are the most popular fruits that athletes rely on before their training. They not only contain carbohydrates, but also contain an important percentage of potassium, which helps muscle function and prevents them from contracting.
Bananas also contain uncomplicated and easy-to-digest carbohydrates that give you energy and strengthen you without causing problems in your stomach during training to the extent that you can eat one or two bananas 5 to 10 minutes before training.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
6 “-9” | 30-45 | 110 |
2- Raisins
Raisins are dry fruits that contain a high percentage of natural sugar. They can be used as a snack 30 to 60 minutes before exercise. They provide the energy needed to keep the body steadfast against the fatigue caused by CrossFit training.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
2 tbsp | 15 | 60 |
3- Mango
Mango is a tropical fruit rich in carbohydrates and natural sugar. It can be relied on as a good source of energy before exercise. It is also quick to digest and provides the body with instant energy and helps the muscles to recover and benefit from exercises. This is what makes it good food to rely on 30 minutes before exercise.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1/2 cup | 15 | 99 |
4- Pineapple
You can rely on pineapple slices as a snack before training because it contains a good amount of carbohydrates that enhance your activity and improve performance during CrossFit sessions, and the bromelain in pineapple helps you recover wonderfully.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup, diced | 20 | 83 |
5- Apple
Apples contain an important percentage of water that reduces the feeling of dehydration during exercise. It also contains easily digestible carbohydrates and gives you the energy you need to perform exercises without much trouble.
Apples have several benefits that need a full article to talk about the details.
Portion | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 medium | 15-30 | 95 |
High carb vegetables
Vegetables contain complex carbohydrates, which makes them slow to digest, but they contain fiber and many important nutrients, and this is what makes them important and effective in keeping the body full throughout the training sessions.
Note: You should allow vegetables to settle in your stomach for a longer period of time because they are not quickly digested, so try to eat them from 1:30 to 3 hours before training.
1- Broccoli
You need to add broccoli to the menu to ensure that some fiber is consumed, in order to benefit more, allow some time between a meal that contains vegetables such as broccoli and exercise, as it contains fewer calories and this is what makes it effective in weight loss plans.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 6 | 31 |
2- Carrots
Carrots contain many benefits and several vitamins, not just carbohydrates, this makes them a good boost of energy and ideal in motivating you to integrate with exercises at a high rate of activity.
Just make sure to eat carrots 1:30 to 3 hours before your workout.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 7.2 | 45 |
3- Sweet Potatoes
Many CrossFit athletes rely on preparing a meal of sweet potatoes before going to workout to benefit from a positive boost of energy and improve performance within the CrossFit box.
The nutritional elements in potatoes also help manage blood sugar levels, which leads to providing a flow of energy throughout the day.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 medium (5 oz) | 19.8 | 105 |
4- Onion
Onions are a great addition to your meal before you go to exercise. Onions alone contain a good amount of carbohydrates compared to other vegetables, and this is what makes them an important source to help you complete long exercises and also helps to deal with problems related to breathing.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 12.4 | 64 |
5- Tomatoes
Tomatoes have tremendous benefits and have been proven by nutritionists, as tomato juice may be better than many energy drinks and helps the body recover quickly after exercise and well improves the performance level of athletes.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 cup | 4.6 | 32 |
High carb snacks
Snacks can be counted on as a quick source of energy and a good boost of carbs, because they give you the energy and fuel needed to exercise after a few minutes or sometimes some snacks that include cereal can leave you waiting for more than an hour to start exercising.
Snacks are broken down into glucose and then converted into muscle, and that’s what makes you exercise at your full potential.
1- Baked Potatoes with chili
Baked potatoes with Chili make a great duo to get a strong boost of carbs and a medley of energy, but the Chili may take longer to digest and it may not be a good idea to start exercising right after a snack contain sweet potatoes with chili, you should allow some time Between one and two hours.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
baked potato : 170g | 37 | 161 |
chili: 1 cup | 16.3 | 242 |
2- Frozen Yogurt with low-fat Granola
Relying on a snack of frozen yogurt and fruit granola before exercise ensures that you get a strong and quick boost of carbs coming from the sugars in the granola fruit, then the yogurt pumps more protein and this equals getting high energy that will help you complete the exercises as much as possible Vitality and activity.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
frozen yogurt : 0.5 cup | 20 | 100 |
granola : 1/2 cup | 40 | 195 |
3- Cereal with low fat milk
A snack of cereal and low-fat milk can be a good combination of fast energy and getting enough carbohydrates to ensure that the muscles have enough energy to continue with long CrossFit exercises, it is recommended to eat this meal 30 to 60 minutes before training.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
cereal : 1 cup | 27 | 150-180 |
low-fat milk : 1 cup | 13 | 110 |
4- French Toast
French toast is a great source of pure carbs that provide the body with adequate energy and ensure that the muscles remain solid throughout high-intensity CrossFit workouts and prevent the loss of muscle protein that occurs due to the body entering a fasting state during exercise.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 slice | 6.3 | 37 |
5- Smoothie made with fruits
It is one of the easiest and most effective snacks in providing the body with energy and many great foods. Yes, the fruit shake is a fast-digesting protein shake and has great effectiveness in building and strengthening muscles.
Portion size | Carbs (g) | Calories |
1 fl oz | 4.9 | 25 |
Why carbs are important for per CrossFit workouts?
Over the past decades, the healthy diet for the world was that diet that contains low carbohydrates, but research has shown that relying on carbohydrates as a main source of energy in parallel with protein can increase the body’s endurance to perform exercises effectively and improve performance within Crossfit boxes.
====> Learn about the famous Zone Diet for CrossFit athletes < ====