If you’ve just decided to hop onto the interval training bandwagon, you may be wondering how you should go about eating for success.

You know that you need to eat right before your weight lifting workout sessions, but what about before cardio training?

What’s the protocol there?

If you’re doing interval sprints, there are a number of key things that you need to know and remember so that you are fueling your body properly. Let’s go over what you must know for success.

Eat Carbs And Protein

The first thing that you’ll need to do is make sure that you are eating both carbohydrates as well as protein before your sprint training workout. The body will need to have glucose present in the blood stream in order to work at an intensity level that’s high enough to get proper interval sprints in.

If you’re not eating carbs, you won’t have this glucose present.

Protein is also needed as this is what will supply the building blocks to kick-start the repair process after the workout is completed.

Know Your Meal Times

Moving along, also make sure that you know how your body responds to consuming meals at various points before the sprint session.

Most people will find they need at least 60 minutes after eating before hitting the gym for an interval training session. If you don’t give your body time to digest that food, cramping may result and this will clearly have a negative influence on performance.

If you’re using a liquid shake, then you may be okay to consume it around 30 minutes prior to the session.

Watch Beverage Consumption

Finally, speaking of beverage consumption, you must make sure that you’re drinking regularly before your sprint session so that you are well hydrated, but yet not drinking too close to when you actually do the sessions.

If you’re taking in too much water before you go to perform the workout, you can rest assured you’ll be experiencing some pretty severe cramps taking place.

Focus on drinking well up to about 30 minutes prior and then tapering back. Then rehydrate once you’re finished the session again.

So keep these nutritional tips in mind so that you can ensure that you go into each interval training cardio workout you do well fueled and ready to work hard.