Whether exercising outdoors (which many of us are doing right now) or at home (which some of us are doing) or in the gym (which hardly anyone is doing), the question of what to eat close before exercising is an important one.
I get asked this question a lot, both concerning what to eat and how close to working out to do so. My sense is that the question revolves around the issue of fuel, energy and focus when exercising. Put bluntly, when working out it should all be able the technique, objectives and deliverables, and not about what is going on in the stomach!
For myself, I try to avoid eating around 45 to 60 minutes before exercising to be able to work out with maximum effort and minimal distraction. Plus, when working out you want the body to be doing one thing (delivering the sets or exerting itself to its best ability) and not digesting food. The body can do both, but it is better and healthier to do one thing over the other.
What to eat is another matter.
My principle is that a modest amount of dark chocolate or nuts, together with a short coffee is great for delivering an energy bump going into a workout without over-straining the body when doing so.
I am not a fan of pre-workout drinks, powders or supplements, simply because I favour natural and wholesome food and fuel, as does the body in general principle in my option!
So, go easy on the food, both in terms of its composition, portion size and timing concerning exercise, and focus on the workout instead. Your body (and particularly your stomach) will thank you for doing so.