Leading a step class and spinning session hours apart, Tamara Grand estimates she burns about 1,400 calories - equal to what some people eat in a whole day.
It's a particularly heavy stretch of cardio for the fitness trainer and exercise enthusiast, who works at the Port Moody Recreation Complex. Well before suiting up for classes, Grand has nutrition on the brain, prepping meals and snacks to ensure she stays energized.
One recent day, following a breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, Grand planned to have a smoothie containing a scoop of protein powder, fruit and a few handfuls of raw spinach an hour before spin class. She says the beverage gives her the carbohydrates she needs postworkout to refuel and replenish for spinning, along with the protein needed for muscle-building.
On days where she's training on her own, the mother of three likes to get an early start when her energy is highest. But whether it's a lengthy day of exercise or a solo session lifting weights, breakfast is always a must, such as teaming fruit with oatmeal or toast and eggs.
"If I don't eat properly - I notice within about 30 minutes of the workout I start to lose my energy, and I'm looking for ways to cut corners and get out of it faster," says Grand, a resident of the Vancouver suburb of Port Moody who blogs about fitness and nutrition at fitknitchick.com.
For many trying to integrate exercise into their weekly routines, it can be tough enough to fit in a workout - let alone musing about what to nosh on ahead of time.
As a result, some individuals heading out for a run, bike ride, swim or fitness class may give little thought to what - and how much - they should eat before and after exercise.
Nicole Springle, a registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinic Canada in Toronto, advises leaving a maximum of four hours between last meal and workout, and eating within about two hours of training.
"You want to have something that's going to have some low-sugar carbohydrates - not too high in fibre, which can sometimes be difficult to digest," Springle says.
Options for a pre-workout snack could include a slice of whole-grain bread with peanut butter, crackers with lowfat cheese or fruit with yogurt.
"It's something that's got the carbohydrates to lift the energy stores, because carbohydrates are what you're burning during exercise. It's what you need to lift your energy and your blood sugars, but also the protein in there just to basically kind of keep your energy running until you get to your workout."
Those with an hour or less to spare before a workout can often ditch the protein, Springle says, because the body will probably be fine in terms of feeling full.
"You're going to be burning during your workout the carbohydrates that you ate the night before or the day before," she says. "The purpose of [eating beforehand] is actually to give your body the energy to get you to the workout and get you started and to keep you going through."
Ashley Charlebois, a registered dietitian and certified exercise physiologist in Vancouver, sometimes suggests clients heading to the gym after work split their lunch in two, eating at noon and then again at 2: 30 or 3 p.m.
She recommends following the plate rule: half the dish represented by vegetables or fruit, and one-quarter each of lean protein and whole grains, such as a tuna or egg salad sandwich with a side salad or veggies.
For individuals exercising longer than 60 to 90 minutes, Charlebois says they'll want to have a high-carb food source to help re-energize them and stave off fatigue.
After about an hour of training, she says, exercisers will want about 30 to 60 grams of carbs, like a banana, three Fig Newtons, onethird of a cup of dried apricots or a sports drink. You can make your own sports beverage by combining a half-litre of 100 per cent fruit juice and a half-litre of water, with one-third of a teaspoon of salt for electrolytes.
Those breaking a sweat in the wee hours may find they don't have the stomach to eat ahead of time.
Charlebois recommends phasing in a pre-workout snack.
"That could be starting with a glass of juice and then working your way up to a fruit and then working your way up to a slice of toast with peanut butter."
Those able to wake up an hour ahead of their workout may be able to handle cereal and half a banana.
Twenty to 30 minutes before early exercise, a glass of juice is likely the easiest option, Charlebois says.
