As you could probably guess, before a hard workout I always take Pro JYM for a high-quality protein source as well as Pre JYM for energy and a performance boost. But as for my preferred pre-workout carbohydrate source, it doesn’t get much better than one simple food you can find in the produce section of any supermarket:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away by providing great health benefits. That’s why most of my diet plans include an apple in the meal leading up to a workout. It all comes down to nutrition science.

First off, apples are a very low-glycemic carbohydrate source, so they provide energy during exercise. More than that, the skin of the apple is rich in polyphenols, particularly quercetin, phloridzin and ursolic acid. Emerging research shows that certain polyphenols may impact a wide range of outcomes, including performance.

All of these reasons make the apple a no-brainer pre-workout carb source. So my take-home advice here is simple: eat a medium or large apple within an hour before training and ALWAYS make sure to eat the skin of the apple. If you’re on a low-carb diet and don’t want all the sugar, consider peeling the apple and eating only the skin, since that’s where a majority of the polyphenols reside. As for what type of apple to eat, I recommend either Red Delicious or Fuji apples.

I hope this info helps convince you to start eating apples, particularly before workouts, if you aren’t already.