Especially for athletes , a good morning often starts with a cereal . It provides important nutrients and a lot of energy for the day and also keeps you full for a long time.
So it sounds like the perfect meal for a buoyant start to the day, right?
We will show you in this blog why cereal can be so healthy, what to look out for when preparing it, and how you as an athlete can benefit even more from cereal.
Should I have breakfast before exercise or after?
After getting up, the so-called glycogen store, i.e. the carbohydrate reserves, is almost empty. If you exercise in this state, the metabolism resorts to the fat reserves.
The body thus burns more fat, as at low insulin levels no more sugar is used as energy. In addition, the body learns to use the available energy more slowly and effectively.
On the other hand, the lack of energy in sports can become a danger. Especially for recreational athletes who are not very trained, a lack of water or hypoglycemia can quickly occur.
This can lead to dizziness or perception disorders, which should be avoided in any case, especially during sports. Therefore, it is advisable to have breakfast before exercising. Still want to boost your fat burning? Of course, this is possible.
In this case, your breakfast should simply be smaller. A simple porridge or overnight oats are delicious alternatives. If you want to lose weight, you should definitely not skip breakfast, because after exercise you usually have a greater hunger and then eat more, resulting in no negative energy balance.
Precisely because of this, the extra pounds on the hip will not tumble but will multiply. It is likely that this will increase even further.
Even if you are a trained athlete, it is better to have breakfast before exercising. If you skip breakfast once a week, that's no problem either. The trained body will still have enough energy left to cope with this. It just shouldn't become a habit for every day. You can easily make the healthy Bircher muesli yourself!
Muesli recipe: Basic muesli without added sugar
Ingredients
- 50 g oatmeal (you can of course also use cereal flakes from spelt or another grain as a variant – wholemeal flakes are always the most valuable)
- 150 ml milk or a plant-based alternative
- 1 tbsp. yoghurt (insider tip)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Fruits and nuts of your choice
- Honey (to taste)
Preparation
-
The oatmeal comes in a bowl.
-
Pour the dairy product of your choice into the bowl as well.
-
Stir in the yogurt.
-
Next comes the lemon juice.
-
Now let your cereal steep for 5 minutes.
-
Finally, you can garnish your cereal with fresh fruit, nuts or seeds of any kind. A few suggestions at this point: hazelnuts, cashews, almonds or walnuts, flax seeds or even chia seeds and sunflower seeds give your cereal a fine touch.
-
If the cereal is not sweet enough for your taste, you can use some honey as a sweetener.
Nutritional values
Why is cereal good before exercise?
The Bircher Müsli is an invention of the Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner. The basic ingredients are cereal flakes and dried fruits, which provide important vitamins, minerals, and lots of fiber.
Hence the good satiety and a good prevention of food cravings. Various nuts and seeds also provide the body with unsaturated fatty acids.
So this combination is not only a good basis for an athlete and their training, but also for everyone else who wants to promote their health.
Muesli before exercise is particularly good if it really consists of the natural basic ingredients and is not loaded with extra fats or sugars.
Although there is a huge selection of muesli with a wide variety of flavors in the supermarket, unfortunately, many ready-to-use blends hide a lot of thickeners.
Per serving, such a mixture can contain up to one day's recommendation of sugar. So be careful what you buy! Or it’s best to put together the breakfast yourself. Then you know exactly what's in it.
When it comes to ingredients, there are a few things to keep in mind
The basis for your healthy cereal is clearly oatmeal . You can easily order the oat flakes in organic quality online at Verival. Oatmeal is suitable for many different dishes, and you can combine it wonderfully with various fruits, nuts, seeds, and other ingredients. If you compose your own cereal, ideally, use unsweetened dried fruit.
However, especially in the summer months, you can also enhance your breakfast with fresh fruits, such as berries . You don't always need exotic superfoods for this.
Your cereal is then mixed with milk or yogurt. But milk alternatives such as rice milk, almond milk, or oat milk are also suitable.
This is a good option for environmentally conscious, vegan, and allergic athletes. For a change, you can simply try out the different milk alternatives.
Muesli gives you a lot of energy for sports
If you have taken a close look at your cereal and checked that it is really a healthy breakfast , it will provide a lot of energy for your workout and for the day ahead. At first glance, this seems to be the case with all cereals, but you have to be careful and strict, as you have already learned.
Can I eat cereal after exercise?
Of course, you can also eat cereal after exercise. Muesli is even a very healthy way to satisfy your subsequent hunger and, according to a US study, is at least as efficient for muscle regeneration as an expensive sports drink.
Oats – healthy proteins for the muscles
Whole grain cereals, such as oats, are particularly suitable for sports muesli. Oats contain a particularly high number of proteins , which are especially important for building muscle.
But cereal flakes also contain long-chain carbohydrates that provide the body with energy steadily over a long period of time. Oatmeal is also one of the most protein-rich plant foods.
Which athletes should eat cereal before exercising?
For anyone who wants to pay attention to their diet, muesli is suitable as a sports breakfast. Long-term studies show that a healthy cereal can help significantly reduce the risk of diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. Of course, the size of the cereal varies depending on the sport, daily routine, and activities or exercise in everyday life.
Do you already know your BMI value?
It does not matter whether you want to lose weight, just want to do something for your health, or are currently engaged in muscle-building training. The Body Mass Index is often the first measurement that shows you whether you have your body weight under control.
With the BMI calculator , you can calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index ) in a few seconds and find out more about this value.
Sport muesli from Verival – Healthy energy, proteins & full of flavor
For an even better cereal enjoyment for a sporty start to the day, Verival has put together a whole range of sports cereals. Whether gluten-free, with a focus on protein or without toppings – there should be something for everyone.
No matter which one of the many you choose, they will all provide you with the necessary energy for your workout and the rest of the day.
