Our goal should be to perform in the wod of the day, in this article we will talk about improving performance in CrossFit, focused specifically on pre-workout intake. 

What should I eat before a WOD to perform? 

First we must keep in mind that the time between training and food intake should be between 50 and 90 minutes, to avoid gastrointestinal problems or discomfort. 

Speaking of food, focusing solely on the WOD and seeking to maximize performance, it is important to provide carbohydrates in the hours before training to maintain a good state of glycogen stores, basically having a meal that provides carbohydrates. Some examples could be half a handful of dried figs, bananas, or in another texture, maltrodextrin or amylopectin. But, this intake must be done with enough time so that those foods that require more digestion are digested well. 

Let's imagine that we have an athlete weighing 70 kilos of body weight, he should ingest 0.3-0.5 g of carbohydrates per kilo of body weight, that is, between about 21 and 35 grams of carbohydrates.  

Some examples:  

• 44 grams of dates or 6 dates that will provide about 30 grams of carbohydrates 
• 1 banana, which will provide us with about 20-35 grams of carbohydrates 
• A dose of 20 grams of maltrodextrin or amylopectin with 500 ml of water 

In short, what are we looking for with this pre-wod intake?  

1. Optimize glycogen stores with high-moderate carbohydrate diets, this amount will depend on the number of weekly training sessions, duration and intensity that is individual and a specific contribution of carbohydrates before training. 

1. Optimal state of hydration with the intake of water and hypotonic drinks. Being hydrated before a workout will prevent a drop in performance and problems associated with it.  

On the other hand, what happens if we are tired?, or need some stimulant. 

You were all waiting for the moment of coffee, or energy drinks. 

The effective dose of caffeine would be between 3 and 6 mg/kg body one hour before training, since it improves performance in endurance activities, short-term sprints, etc. 

 If you continue reading, you will find five recipes suitable for your wod with the characteristics that we have mentioned before. Either in the form of a snack or in the form of a denser meal. 

French toast with banana and honey  

Ingredients:  

• Slice of bread 
• Banana 
• Honey 
• Egg 

Preparation: 

1. First you must beat the eggs in a deep bowl with a fork or spoon, the next step is to introduce the bread into the beaten eggs, leave it for a few seconds, round and round in the eggs so that it soaks well.  

1. Then you must put the plan with egg in the pan until it browns on both sides, without burning.  

1. Subsequently, plate the bread and add the cut banana on top, plus honey to each person's taste.

Gnocchi with turkey, parmesan cheese, and broccoli 

Ingredients: 

• Gnocchi 
• Turkey breast 
• Parmesan 
• Broccoli 
• spices 
• Salt and oil 

Preparation: 

1. You must cook the Gnocchi in water or directly put them in the pan over medium heat. 

1. Once cooked, we add the chopped turkey breast, Parmesan cheese and cooked broccoli to taste. 

Cream of rice with oat drink, figs and chocolate 

Ingredients: 

• Cream or rice porridge 
• Oatmeal or soy drink 
• Figs 
• Dark chocolate (+85%) 

Preparation: 

1. In a deep container, first add the cream or rice porridge, then add the oatmeal drink, and mix until it becomes a homogeneous paste. 

1. Next we add the figs and the dark chocolate, preferably more than 85% cocoa. 

Smoothie with oat flakes, dates, whey protein and milk or vegetable drink 

Ingredients: 

• Cereal oat flakes or ground oat flakes 
• Dates 
• Whey protein, whey or pea protein 
• Milk or vegetable drink 

Preparation: 

1. In a deep container, first introduce the milk or vegetable drink, and then the solid ingredients. You can put them in a blender or beat everything together by hand. 

1. Tip: if you consume it after two hours in the refrigerator, it is tastier in summer 

Ingredients:  

• White rice 
• Hake or other white fish 
• Eggplant, carrot, peppers… 

Preparation: 

1. On the one hand, first we cook the white rice in a pot with boiling water for at least 10 minutes. If you don't have time, you can also use packaged rice for the microwave or frozen rice in the pan.  

1. The next step is to cook the hake, either by steam, in a lekue or in the pan or in the oven, any option is valid. 

1. If you add lemon and parsley to the hake, you help the absorption of iron from this food. 

1. You can also add the vegetables either raw, steamed, or sautéed. 

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