This month, the coaches of Breaking Muscle UK were asked to consider strength as the focus of our articles. This is pretty easy for me to cover as a recipe contributor, as my advice for building strength is simple: fuel your workouts properly to get the best results in the gym.
Chocolate milk is a popular and convenient choice for pre-workout fuel. And a quick hit of sugar and some easy-to-digest protein does check some of the boxes for a solid pre-workout shake. But why buy a bottle of engineered-to-last-a-year, store-bought crap when you can make it yourself? If it’s strength and health you’re after, we can do far better with some nutrient-dense but just as delicious ingredients.
Inspired by a simple homemade chocolate milk recipe of cocoa powder, icing sugar, and a drop of vanilla extract, enter The Best DIY Pre-Workout Shake. Instead of sugar, this recipe uses a ripe banana for a sweet hit of carbohydrate and an added potassium boost to stop you cramping mid-workout. I’ve also mixed in almonds to maximise your energy levels and pack an extra punch of protein and magnesium.
For the final flourish, I’ve added chocolate’s best bedfellow, coffee, for a perfect pre-workout pick-me-up. Enjoy.
The Best DIY Pre-Workout Shake
Prep Time: 2 mins
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: 1
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana
- 300ml milk of your choice
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 20 whole almonds, or 1 dessert spoon of almond butter
- 1 shot of espresso or your favourite freeze dried coffee dissolved in a little boiling water
- Dash of vanilla essence
Method:
- Load all the ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until thick and creamy.
- Boom. Done.
More Like This:
- 3 Quick and Easy Snacks for Your Pre-Workout Arsenal
- Kilner Jar Noodles: Convenient Carbs for Athletes
- Salads For Athletes: 4 Recipes to Boost Your Nutrient Intake
- New on Breaking Muscle UK
Photo courtesy of Tim Harrison.
