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Foods To Skip Before Your Workout

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Looking to feel good or increase your energy during your workout?

What you eat before you head to the gym could make all the difference.

Lydie Langevrn is training to be a personal trainer, so she's extra careful about what food she puts in her body before her feet hit the treadmill.

"It matters. It gives you more energy, gives you fuel to workout," she said.

Her coach, celebrity trainer Harry Hanson, completely agrees. He says eating the wrong foods right before you get your sweat on can drag you down.

Of course, fried or fatty foods are a big 'no no' but high fiber foods such as vegetables can also cause problems.

"You don't want to eat anything that's going to sit in your stomach trying to break down while you're training, especially if it's an intense training session," said Hanson.

Spicy foods can cause heartburn or cramping while carbonated drinks can leave you feeling gassy or full. Experts say nuts are another food you may want to avoid right before a workout. That's because nuts have a high-fat content and it takes longer to digest foods high in fat.

Hanson recommends his clients eat a banana 20 minutes before a workout.

"Because it's a light carbohydrate, a complex carbohydrate which will sustain insulin into your, or sugar into your system over a long period of time," he said.

Hanson adds that what you eat after a workout is just as important. A protein bar or lean meats and veggies will help your body recover and repair itself.

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