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How Pre-Workout Smoothies Fuel Your Workout
Slurping down a smoothie before a workout is a quick way to give your body essential macronutrients to feel strong while also hydrating you. Yet not all smoothies are equal when it comes to helping your body perform. A pre-workout smoothie should contain a good mix of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber.
I love to run far distances— I’ve done 6 marathons, 2 x 50ks, 100k and lots more. I’m one of those strange people that actually likes to run…for hours at a time. I’ve learned that having a smoothie before, during and after a long run improves my performance and recovery.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pre-workout smoothie is my-go because it’s packed with quick energy to help my body perform. 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 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.
- Peaches: Frozen peaches are picked at the height of freshness and flash-frozen to preserve as many nutrients as possible, making them irresistibly sweet and healthy.
- Banana: Adds natural sweetness to your smoothie and is rich in vitamin C and potassium, which supports muscle function and helps prevent cramps, making it an ideal pre-workout ingredient. A frozen banana chills down your creamy smoothie.
- Coconut oil: If you are looking to shed a few pounds then healthy fat is actually your friend, not your enemy. It helps 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 protein boost.
This is one of my favorite smoothie combinations. It’s lightly sweet, I don’t even notice the spinach, and I can definitely feel the energy boost that helps me run faster and lift better during a workout.
Plant-Based Protein Powder
Protein can assist with muscle growth, muscle recovery and boost energy levels. I like 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. It’s a blend of hemp protein, chia seeds, and flax.
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 my green smoothies for the best result, every time:
- 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.
- 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. I’ve been blending smoothies for 13 years now and this method hasn’t let me down yet! When it comes to blenders, I recommend getting a high-speed Vitamix blender.
Common Questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Healthy Pre-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.
- Almond Smoothie: Almonds and strawberries combine for a delightfully smooth snack.
After you sweat it out, I recommend having a protein-rich Post Workout Smoothie to help build and repair skeletal muscle.
Please rate and review this recipe once you’ve blended it. I can’t wait to read how it turned out!
Healthy Pre-Workout Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- ½ cup coconut water
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup peach frozen
- ½ banana
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, unrefined
Instructions
- Blend the spinach, coconut water and water until smooth.
- Add the pineapple, peaches, banana and coconut oil and blend again.
Equipment
Notes
- Use frozen fruit to make a refreshingly cool smoothie.
- Boost with your favorite plant-based protein powder for extra protein and healthy fats.
- Swap spinach with the leafy green of your choice.
- For a smoothie with less natural sugar, swap out 1/2 banana for 1/4 avocado.
Awesome idea! Will try tomorrow before training 🙂
HI Irene,
Rawesome! Let us know how you feel during your workout!
I just made it..awesome. I only added a packet of truvia for added sweetness for my daughter. We both love it.
Hi Renee,
We’re so excited to hear you loved this recipe! Looking to add extra sweetness, next time try adding on of our favorite natural sweeteners…
I made this about 1.5 hours before my boot camp class. I had missed the pervious 2 classes so wasn’t sure I would make it through the class, but this smoothie gave me energy and no burping up! LOL, but when doing ab work or jumping jacks or whatever, that can be an issue. Recommended this website to my co-exercisees!
Hi Mb,
Thank you so much for reaching out! We love hearing our recipe gave you the energy to get through your workout! Rawk on!
Hi can i use low fat milk as substitute for Almond milk?
Hi Chiun,
Of course! We personally avoid dairy for our family, but feel free to swap in low-fat milk in place of almond milk in this recipe. It’s all about finding what works for you!
If I don’t have an apple what can I use in its place for this recipe?
Hi Amora,
Don’t have an apple on hand, no worries! Try swapping in any variety pear, red grapes, black grapes, cherries, blackberries, blueberries into this recipe!
Cheers 🙂
What can I use to replace coconut oil?
Hi Kenny,
Looking to replace coconut oil, reach for another healthy fat option. Here are our favorites…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/healthy-fats
I was wondering can if the almond milk with water
I was wondering if the almond milk can be replaced with water
Hi Elizabeth,
Of course! We love switching up our liquid base! Here are a few of our favorites…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dairy-free-smoothies
How much should I drink before my workout
Hi Shannon,
We suggest enjoying one (16 oz) serving prior to your workout, + enjoy your smoothie at least 30 minutes before hitting the pavement or weights.
Cheers 🙂
Can green tea somehow be substituted for almond milk? or incorporated in some way?
We love blendin’ with green tea! It’s a great liquid base option, and can be substituted into any of our recipes! Its caffeine makes it a great morning green smoothie, especially if you’re trying to transition your routine from coffee to green smoothies in the morning.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dairy-free-smoothies
Just wondering what your opinion is on actual pre workout supplements? I’ve been taking c4 from cellucor and i’ve been a mad man in the gym
Hi Mike,
Thanks for reaching out! We prefer to supplement our diet with specific herbs, leafy greens, + fruits to meet our personal nutritional needs. What benefits are you looking to gain from C4? We’ll be happy to help you to identify what natural smoothie boosters can help you meet your needs.
Cheers 🙂
I’m allergic to apples. What could I use instead that would compliment this recipe. I’m also allergic to peaches, pears, plums, cherries & kiwi 🙁
Hi Christine,
Thanks for reaching out! Allergic to apples, no problem! Any variety of grapes, blackberries, blueberries all make a great replacement in this recipe!
Cheers 🙂
What other pre-workout smoothies do you recommend? I tried this one and I didn’t like it 🙁 maybe it was the apple and banana combo? Any substitutions you recommend? Thanks. I do love the post-work smoothie though!
Hi Brenda,
We’re so sorry to hear that you didn’t like this smoothie! Any smoothie can be a pre-work out smoothie with the right boosters. Check out our 5 favorite pre-workout boosts here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/pre-workout-smoothie
Would love to try this recipe, but could I use just regular low fat fortified lactate milk? Or would that taste terrible? Any experience with that?
Hi Kris,
Thanks for reaching out! We personally don’t use dairy products in our smoothies, as we’ve talked with a lot of nutritionists who have told us that milk isn’t all that it’s been hyped up to be. Dairy is one of the highest diet allergies (and often goes undiagnosed), yet can cause inflammation and if you aren’t buying organic milk, you’re also getting doses of antibiotics, hormones, etc that can tip your own body out of whack. We just avoid milk for our family (and opt for almond milk).
It’s definitely a personal choice, and you just have to decide what works best for you and your family. 🙂
Happy blendin’!
would quinoa flakes be a suitable GF replacement for oats?
Hi Kylie,
Great question! You can most definitely use quinoa flakes as a replacement for oats! Feel free to make any other substitutions as needed! 🙂
Hi, I would like to know when is the best time to drink the juice, sould I wait like half an hour to exercise or can I drink it immediately before exercise?
Hi Maria,
We suggest enjoying your Pre-Workout Green Smoothie 30 minutes prior to beginning your exercise!
Tried my first green smoothie today and it tasted great and filled me up for several hours. My concern is the lack of protein…anyone boosting theirs with protein?
Hi Brandon,
Here are our favorite ways to boost our smoothies with protein…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-protein-powder