A leading sports and exercise expert, Dr. Amos Ogunkoya, a general practitioner, identifies three common nutrition pitfalls before workouts: exercising under-fueled, chasing quick sugar highs, and mistiming meals. These errors hinder workout effectiveness, performance, and long-term progress.
Key Insights from Recent Poll
A survey of 2,000 adults who exercise at least twice weekly reveals many choose coffee, biscuits, or chocolate for a pre-gym sugar boost. Dr. Ogunkoya emphasizes timing, noting these choices can disrupt energy levels if consumed improperly.
“For anyone trying to keep fit, there is so much food-related information out there it’s hard to know exactly how to structure your exercise routine,” Dr. Ogunkoya states. “You do not need anything complicated, but many people rely on guesswork when it comes to fueling exercise. In clinic and in sport, I commonly see three key pitfalls. These are training under-fueled, relying on quick sugar fixes, and mistiming nutrition, all of which can impact performance.”
Four in 10 respondents lack clarity on whether their pre-workout snacks aid performance. Common choices include pasta, energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster, and sweets. Gen Z adults aged 18-29 are nearly three times more likely to select sugary drinks (13% vs. 5% average).
Peak exercise times fall between 10:00-12:00 (22%) and 07:00-09:00 (21%). Walking dominates (73%), followed by running (29%), weightlifting (27%), and cycling (18%).
Twenty-seven percent often train on an empty stomach, and 46% skip breakfast when rushed. This leads to energy crashes for 20% frequently and 37% occasionally. Twenty percent report feeling “running on empty” in daily life.
Post-Workout Recovery Choices
After exercise, fruit tops the list (26%), followed by proteins like eggs (19%) and whole foods (15%). Seventy-six percent believe they refuel adequately, though time shortages, lack of appetite, or fatigue sometimes interfere.
Barriers to Long-Term Fitness Goals
Forty-two percent cite time constraints as the main hurdle to goals like marathon training, weight loss, or new sports. Twenty-five percent lack motivation, and 18% struggle with required lifestyle and dietary shifts.
Flora’s Food Tour Supports Balanced Nutrition
A food tour promotes simple, balanced choices—including plant-based options—for energy, performance, and recovery. It launches in Birmingham on April 16 and tours the UK, culminating in London for the TCS London Marathon.
Dr. Ogunkoya adds: “Caffeine can improve performance, but timing matters. Ideally this should be taken 40 to 60 minutes before exercise, rather than immediately before starting. Energy drinks and sugary snacks might give a short-term boost, but they are often followed by a dip in energy. For most people, simple carbohydrates and good hydration are far more effective. Some people prefer training fasted, and that can work depending on the session, but for higher intensity exercise, being under-fueled will usually limit performance. Most people are trying to do the right thing, but small adjustments to how you fuel before exercise can make a meaningful difference to both energy levels and overall results.”
Top 25 Pre-Exercise Foods and Drinks
- Water
- Piece of fruit or vegetable
- Coffee
- Porridge
- Yogurt
- Toast
- Eggs
- Protein bar
- Protein drink/shake
- Fruit smoothie
- Biscuits
- Sports drink (e.g. Lucozade)
- Chocolate
- Pasta
- Energy drink (e.g. Red Bull or Monster)
- Cheese
- Sweets
- Hydration gel sachet/electrolytes
- Pre-workout
- A plant-based meal
- Rice cakes
- Cold meat
- Pizza
- Creatine
- A roast dinner
Top 15 Workout Mistakes
- Not stretching
- Skipping a warmup
- Skipping water or not hydrating enough
- Overdoing it knowing I will be sore tomorrow
- Exercising too soon after eating
- Training on an empty stomach
- Not having a plan
- Not varying exercises
- Eating too much before a workout
- Not eating enough nutritious meals
- Not wearing the right trainers
- Not wearing the right clothing
- Not fueling for the type or intensity of the workout
- Not taking long enough between sets
- Overdoing it on pre-workout or caffeine
