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I love how light yet energizing this pre-workout smoothie feels. It’s lightly sweet, incredibly refreshing, and I’ve even snuck some spinach in for extra nutrients. I can genuinely feel the energy boost during my workouts—whether that’s running faster, lifting stronger, or simply feeling more focused and less fatigued as I move.

After your workout, finish up with my post-workout smoothie recipe.

Table of Contents

Women in forest running on a trail in workout clothes.

Why Pre-Workout Smoothies Actually Work

Making green smoothies your pre-workout fuel is one of the quickest ways to deliver essential macronutrients while also hydrating your body. But not all smoothies are created equal. A solid pre-workout smoothie needs a smart balance of carbohydrates for quick energy, a little protein for muscle support, healthy fats for staying power, and fiber to keep blood sugar steady. That’s exactly what this blend delivers.

I’ve learned this firsthand through years of endurance training. I love running long distances—I’ve completed six marathons, four 50Ks, a 100K, and ran the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim 9 times. Somewhere along the way, I realized that what I fueled with mattered just as much as the miles themselves. Having a smoothie before, during, and after long runs has consistently improved both my performance and my recovery, and this recipe has become one of my go-to blends.

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Ingredients for a pre-workout smoothie including banana, coconut oil, spinach, peaches, coconut water, and pineapple.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This pre-workout smoothie is packed with quick energy to support your fitness goals. The combination of greens and fruit blended together in this smoothie delivers the workout nutrition you need to keep you fueled for a long run, deep yoga session or a HIIT workout.

  • Spinach: Leafy greens vegetables are powerhouse plants that provide nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and protein to any smoothie, to help you build muscle.
  • Coconut water + water: Coconut water acts like natural Gatorade, providing hydrating electrolytes your body needs to replenish the energy lost during workouts.
  • Pineapple: Naturally fights inflammation, helping your muscles recover faster after a workout. When you cut pineapple, be careful to remove the outer shell completely (or use store-bought frozen to save time).
  • Peaches: Frozen peaches are picked at the height of freshness and flash-frozen to preserve as many nutrients as possible, making them irresistibly sweet (while still being a low-sugar fruit).
  • Banana: This natural sweetener is rich in vitamin C and potassium, which supports muscle function and helps prevent cramps, making it an ideal pre-workout ingredient. I like to freeze bananas to have on hand to chill down the smoothie.
  • Coconut oil: This healthy fat break down the natural sugars from fruit to aid in your digestion and actually keeps you full longer. Feel free to swap it for chia seeds or hemp hearts if you want healthy fats with a subtle protein boost.
Green pre-workout smoothie in a glass jar surrounded by fresh produce featuring banana, spinach, and pineapple.

How to Make a Pre-Workout Smoothie

I can’t stand a chunky smoothie. If I’m going to put the work into buying good ingredients to make something at home then I want it to be smoothie and creamy. Here’s how I blend smoothies for the best result, every time:

  1. Puree the spinach, coconut water and water until smooth. If you aren’t using a high-powered blender then stop and scrape down the sides as needed to get rid of all those leafy chunks.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth. If you’re using frozen ingredients, let them sit out for about 15 minutes before blending to help soften them a bit.

Using this two-blend method you’ll actually save time and get a better pre-workout smoothie as a result. Check out my in-depth guide on how to make a smoothie for more blending tips.

Tip: When it comes to blenders, I recommend getting a high-speed Vitamix blender on sale.

Jar filled with a green pre-workout smoothie surrounded by fresh produce with banana, spinach, and pineapple.

When to Drink a Pre-Workout Smoothie

This pre-workout smoothie works best about 30–60 minutes before exercise, giving your body time to absorb the nutrients without feeling heavy. It’s ideal for runners, yogis, gym lovers, or anyone who wants to move their body feeling fueled instead of flat.

More Workout Smoothie Recipes

Looking for a high-protein pre-workout recipe? I’ve got a few that’ll enhance your workout. Blending smoothies is easy and affordable— and make the perfect pre-workout smoothies at home.

  • Vanilla Protein Shake: More delicious than any powered version you can find, this easy smoothie is tasty and fueling without artificial vanilla protein powder.
  • Chocolate Protein Shake: This will give you great natural energy as well as keep you full while exercising with this almond butter and chocolate banana smoothie.
  • Flaxseed Smoothie: A great energy and fiber boost with unsweetened almond milk and flaxseeds.
  • Caramel Protein Shake: A dessert wrapped up in a smoothie, protein powered and delicious.

If you make this pre-workout smoothie recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your feedback helps me and all the readers in this community. And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.

Jar of green smoothie surrounded by fruits and greens.
4.68 (259 votes)

Pre-Workout Smoothie

This pre-workout smoothie has a bright, lightly sweet flavor with a refreshing tropical finish. Juicy pineapple and peach bring natural sweetness, banana adds creaminess, and coconut water keeps it clean and hydrating, while the spinach blends in unnoticed for a smooth, fresh taste that goes down easy before a workout.
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Prep: 3 minutes
Blend: 2 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Author: Jen Hansard

Ingredients 

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Instructions 

  • Blend the spinach, coconut water and water until smooth. 
  • Add the pineapple, peaches, banana and coconut oil and blend again. 

Helpful Tools

high-speed blender
smoothie blender

Notes

  • Make frozen meal prep smoothie packs to have pre-workout smoothies on hand at all-times.
  • Boost with your favorite plant-based protein powder for extra protein and healthy fats.
  • Swap spinach with the leafy green of your choice. 
  • Reduce sugar by swapping out 1/2 banana for 1/4 avocado.

Nutrition

Serving: 16 oz | Calories: 272 kcal | Carbohydrates: 38 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 167 mg | Potassium: 862 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 25 g | Vitamin A: 3150 IU | Vitamin C: 59 mg | Calcium: 79 mg | Iron: 2 mg

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Common Questions

Are smoothies good before a workout?

Yes! Smoothies are a great pre-workout fuel to give you quick and lasting energy for activities such as a long run or high-intensity workout.

When should I drink a pre-workout smoothie

It’s best to consume a pre-workout smoothie 1-2 hours before exercising, giving your body time to digest it and absorb the nutrients.

Which smoothie is best before a workout?

My go-to smoothie before workout contains coconut water, fruit, spinach, and coconut oil for a super fast snack that gives me the energy to maximize my workout without weighing me down.

What should I put in a pre-workout smoothie?

Coconut water is loaded with natural electrolytes, fruit provides a great energy boost, spinach and coconut oil provide protein and healthy fat and fiber to help your body break down the natural sugar into usable energy.

Do I need protein in a pre-workout smoothie?

Protein can assist with muscle growth, muscle recovery and boost energy levels— leaving it up to you. I prefer to boost my post-workout smoothie with protein and leave my pre-workout smoothie lighter. If you want to add more protein to this recipe, try my homemade protein powder.

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Comments

  2. Hi,
    I am new to juicing and smoothies and have never been too keen on green veggies. In fact, the thought of eating them makes me go ugh!
    What can I add to the greens to make the taste more tolerable for this newbie?
    Thanks so much! ♥

    Reply

  3. A lot of the smoothies make 2 or more servings (which I love!) but am curious if it is ok to refrigerate or freeze for later? I’m working on getting my kids to drink with me, but until then…

    Reply

    1. I find that refrigerating my smoothies makes them taste a little… off afterwards. Just not as delicious. But it depends on the smoothie for that.

      Nutritionally, it’s nothing too much to worry about 🙂 Maybe some air/light sensitive nutrients might break down a bit, but nothing compared to a juice (which must be sipped up asap!)

    2. Yes, you can store them in the fridge for 2 days or just half the recipe if you prefer a fresh blend. 🙂

    2. I use avocado instead of a banana which is higher in sugar.

  6. Hi!

    Can you tell me, when do we need to eat/drink this smoothie?
    I mean, how long before workout?
    When I eat something right before, I don’t feel good during exercise. But I didn’ try these smoothies so I don’t know for them

    Reply

    1. Hey Rafaela.

      Thanks for the comment. I am with you, I prefer not to eat before I work out, listen to your body.

      We have other SGS team members that love to fuel their body before they work out, which is great. You just do what is best for your body. 🙂

    2. I always try to eat something at least an hour before my workouts. I feel energized during them and not sick from eating right before.

  7. This is a delicious smoothie recipe! I didn’t have any ripe bananas so I substituted a very ripe mango I had in the fridge. It turned out great and my daughter loved it too. Keep up the good work 🙂

    Reply

  8. Hi. Thanks for the recipe. I’ve been looking for a great pre-workout smoothie. You mentioned in the 5 boosts article that almond butter can be added…can we add it to this recipe? My other question is it a such thing as too much? Now that my kitchen is stocked with chia, hemp and flax seeds I will throw all three in my smoothie…is that overboard and about how much of each would you recommend? Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Nakia.

      Thanks for reaching out. We would suggest using one or two in each smoothie, one serving of each. Hope that helps. 🙂

  9. I love your smoothies but I have one comment. Eating kale and spinach every day is not recommended because it can mess with the thyroid. I know substitutes can be made anytime but I feel that since there are people that don’t know that about kale and spinach, smoothy recipes should include other greens as the first choice. It’s not just your site, its almost all the juicing and smoothy sites and it worries me.

    Reply

    2. That’s an awesome link! Appreciate it, but still would like to see in the actual recipes other greens instead of the kale and spinach listed. I just think it’s an important change that needs to be addressed by all. Thanks!

  10. Hi there, I enjoy the green smoothies first thing in the morning. I often add raw egg whites and a little organic raw cacao powder for the extra protein, energy and chocolatey taste.

    Reply

  11. SGS Godesses, I’m a registered dietitian, LOVE what you do, and I give every walking/talking patient and client this awesome website. Stacey, kale and spinach are both super high in vit K.

    Reply

    1. Cheers, you rawk! Thanks so much for spreading the green smoothie love!

  12. Stacey, I’m a registered dietitian (I give every walking/talking patient this awesome website), kale and spinach are 2 of the highest food sources of Vit K.

    Reply

  13. Hello,
    I wanted to know is there a smoothie I can make that’s loaded with vitamin k. I heard vitamin k helps with the dark circles under the eyes.
    Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hey Stacey!

      Great question. Vitamin K foods are packed in leafy greens, especially kale. 🙂

    1. Hi Tammy.

      We personally don’t count calories, so we don’t include them in our recipes at this time. You’ll find that when you consume more nourishing whole fruits and veggies, you will not only feel full longer, but you’ll also have lessened cravings for high-calorie, nutritionally empty foods. So in the end it balances out. But we know many people would like to have calorie info. Three great resources for tracking calories are Self Nutrition Data and the phone apps My Fitness Pal and Lose It.

  18. Stacey, I have used mangos (usually frozen) as a banana substitute and they work great!

    Reply

  19. I have been putting a few fresh basil leaves in my smoothies. I bought a plant and was trying to figure out what to do with all the basil. Just a few leaves gives the smoothie a very elegant taste. It seemed strange at first but now I love the soft basil undertones!

    Reply

  20. This is a great smoothie recipe but I am allergic to bananas. What do you suggest as a substitute?

    Reply

    1. Stacey, I have used mangos (usually frozen) as a banana substitute and they work great!

    3. Hey Stacey!

      Some great banana substitutes are:

      Mango
      Papaya
      Pear
      Chia seeds
      Fresh dates
      Nut Butters
      Unsweetened applesauce
      Avocado (won’t add the sweetness, but will definitely add the thick and creamy texture)