There is this myth that one must not eat/drink anything right before a workout. But, in reality, our body needs to have enough energy for working that hard. Whether you are doing cardio or lifting weights, you’ll need to fuel your body with the required energy. To get that energy boosting fuel right before the workout, you can rely on the health benefits provided by using a juicer. It is both an easy and tasty way to carry forward with an effective workout.
The benefits of drinking a healthy glass of juice before hitting the gym-
- Improves the respiratory function, so that you can have better endurance training
- Neutralizes the oxidative stress that is induced by intensive exercises
- Repairs cellular damages and reduces inflammation due to physical stress
Here are some wonderful pre-workout juicing recipes that you can follow-
Ultimate Green Juice
Know your juice
- Apples boost exercise endurance through their antioxidant properties that makes oxygen more available to the lungs
- Kale has plenty of phytonutirents which help combat inflammation
- Spinach has a high nitrate content which helps with strength training workouts. The nitrate acts on certain proteins that are known to be associated with calcium regulation and when the level of these proteins increases, more calcium is released in the body which in turn increases muscle contraction.
- Romain lettuce has a high content of vitamin C which increases the absorption of iron in turn increasing the oxygen carrying capacity of the cells. Also rich in potassium which improves muscle strength
- Cilantro enhances flavour to your juice and has the ability to cleanse the body of toxic metals
- Ginger provides the natural property of easing pain and stiffness
- Mint provides the additional anti-inflammatory properties needed before a gym workout to deal with pain post-workout
Ingredients
2 green apples
3-4 leaves of kale OR a bunch of spinach
bunch of Romaine lettuce
handful of cilantro
1/4 lemon
thumb sized ginger (optional)
a few leaves of mint
Procedure
Juice the ingredients into a fine juice using a masticating juicer. To adjust the taste, squeeze some lemon. Your pre-workout energy drink is ready!
Carrot Juice
Know your juice
Carrots contain super high levels of beta-carotene, which helps in oxygenating your blood, body and brain tissues and has antioxidant properties.
Ginseng powder provides extra energy, stamina and strength for your workout.
Ingredients
8 oz. freshly pressed carrot juice
1/2 clove blended ginger
1 tsp. ginseng powder
Method
Juice the carrots and add the blended ginger juice and ginseng powder to your carrot juice. As simple as that!
Beetroot, Carrot and Ginger Juice
Know your juice
Carrots contain super high levels of beta-carotene, which helps in oxygenating your blood, body and brain tissues and they are high in Vitamin A & C.
Beets are an excellent source of inorganic nitrates. Our body needs nitric oxide (NO) to function well. Though it is made naturally in our bodies, but we can synthesize it by eating nitrate-rich food as well. It increases the size of our blood vessels, hence allowing more oxygen to flow.
Ingredients
3 medium beets cut
into pieces of 1-inch each (trimmed & peeled)
2 carrots cut in 1-inch pieces (washed well)
3-inch fresh ginger piece (peeled & chopped into 1-inch pieces)
Method
Pass beets, carrots, and ginger through
the juicer. Strain into a large bowl using a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the drink into your glass and enjoy!