Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before and After Training

Workout nutrition is one of the most over-complicated topics in fitness. The supplement industry has turned simple concepts into a fog of "anabolic windows," proprietary blends, and timing protocols that generate sales more than results. The reality is straightforward: total daily intake of calories and protein matters far more than the timing of specific meals. That said, pre- and post-workout nutrition does have a meaningful impact on energy during training and recovery afterward.

The Most Important Thing: Total Daily Intake

Before optimising meal timing, ensure the fundamentals are in place:

- **Calories:** Are you eating enough to support your goal (surplus for muscle gain, deficit for fat loss, maintenance for recomposition)? - **Protein:** Are you hitting 1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight per day? - **Carbohydrates:** Are you eating enough carbs to fuel training sessions?

Use the [TDEE Calculator](/tools/tdee-calculator) and [Macro Calculator](/tools/macro-calculator) to answer these questions before worrying about timing.

Pre-Workout Nutrition

The goal of the pre-workout meal is to provide energy for the session and reduce muscle protein breakdown.

**Timing:** 1–3 hours before training.

**What to include:** - **Carbohydrates:** Primary fuel source for high-intensity training. Oats, rice, bread, fruit, potatoes — all work well. - **Protein:** 20–40 g to reduce muscle catabolism and kickstart protein synthesis. - **Fat:** Moderate; fat slows gastric emptying, so too much fat close to training can cause discomfort.

**Sample pre-workout meals:** - Oatmeal with whey protein and banana (1–2 hours before) - Rice with chicken breast and vegetables (2–3 hours before) - Greek yogurt with fruit (30–60 minutes before if eating a larger meal isn't possible)

**Training fasted:** Many people train effectively in the morning without a pre-workout meal. If you do this, total daily nutrition is more important. Consider a protein shake immediately after the session.

Post-Workout Nutrition

The "anabolic window" concept — the idea that you must consume protein within 30–45 minutes of training or lose your gains — has been largely debunked. Current research suggests the window is closer to 4–6 hours after training.

That said, eating protein and carbohydrates within a couple of hours of training is beneficial: - **Protein:** Stimulates muscle protein synthesis; 20–40 g is sufficient to maximally stimulate MPS - **Carbohydrates:** Replenish muscle glycogen (important for next session performance) - **Fat:** Less critical post-workout but not harmful in moderate amounts

**Sample post-workout meals:** - Chicken, rice, and vegetables - Protein shake with oats or fruit - Eggs with toast - Greek yogurt with granola

Intra-Workout Nutrition

For sessions under 60–75 minutes: unnecessary. Water is sufficient.

For sessions over 90 minutes (e.g., long strength sessions or endurance training): consider a carbohydrate drink or banana mid-session to maintain blood glucose.

Hydration

Often overlooked: even mild dehydration (2% body weight) significantly impairs strength and power output. Drink water consistently throughout the day.

**Guidelines:** - Pre-training: 400–600 ml in the 2 hours before - During training: 150–200 ml every 15–20 minutes - Post-training: Replace fluid lost through sweat

Supplements Worth Considering

Most supplements are overpriced and undersupported. Three have genuine evidence:

1. **Creatine monohydrate** — 3–5 g daily. Improves strength and power output, well-tolerated, cheap. 2. **Whey protein** — a convenient source of high-quality protein to hit daily targets. 3. **Caffeine** — 3–6 mg per kg of body weight before training reliably improves strength, power, and endurance.

Everything else is mostly noise.

Log your workouts alongside your nutrition in the [Dashboard](/dashboard) to identify patterns between how you eat and how you perform.