Just wandering what (if any) people eat before a work out, iv just started having oats banana and spoon of penut butter blended 1hr 30 mins before work out, and feel such a difference than a pre alone just after some light on belly pre workout meals
Cheers
Some do, some do not. Your question is too black and white
Training Fasted:
Some people train fasted and find they have superior energy and mental clarity when they do so. People who practice IF you may see do this more often then those who spread out their meals throughout the day. The factor here is convenience and your schedule. Some people work 9-5 jobs, so they will train first thing, go to work, and then come home so they can food prep, spend time with family etc.. Some train early to avoid the crowded gyms. So they will follow their training with Meal #1 and use BCAA's during fasted training to help flip the catabolic switch of an overnight fast. I would still use a BCAA even if you meet your macros on a daily basis I would not engage in weight training without some form of protein or BCAA to help stay anabolic during a catabolic activity.
Training Fed:
This varies way too much from person to person. You have to play the elimination game on your digestion.
Some people can eat a fiber heavy meal (oats) 5 minutes before training and feel fine, while some may need to wait 90 minutes for it to settle.
If you have a stomach of steel you could get away with any carb source honestly as long as you feel it digests well, and gives you enough energy. How much will you need? Well again varies on your goal, what you need to give you enough energy, and how you handle that carb source.
I find these carb sources settle great for me and a lot of clients I do work with
Rice Cakes, Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat, Rice (White & Brown), Pasta (White and Whole Wheat), Bagel's, English Muffins, Potatoes & Bananas
I am a fan of potatoes and banana's due to the potassium which can help electrolyte balance and also aid in pumps. Some people find potatoes are way too heavy on their stomach so they avoid them.
Other sources you could use and you could just vary the amounts to meet your macros and what settles easy
Honey, Cereal, Trail Mix, Granola
Some people who need just a little bit of calories or energy will settle with a protein bar, this again is risky. Some of them contain a ton of sugar alcohols or sweeteners which can cause bloating and indigestion.
Again this is an experiment you have to figure out. There is no 1 size fits all for any human. You may need food 2 hours before, 5 minutes before, or train without any . I would try different situations, food sources, and then run them for 4-8 weeks and see how you respond. Then switch it up and see how you do with something different. Take notes and adjust amounts on what gives you
Optimal performance