What to Eat Before and After a Workout: An Evidence-Based Guide

Does nutrient timing really matter?

For years, gym lore said you had to drink a protein shake within 30 minutes of training or 'lose your gains'. The research has since softened that idea a lot. In a 2013 meta-analysis, Schoenfeld, Aragon and Krieger found that the apparent benefit of consuming protein right around training largely disappeared once total daily protein intake was taken into account. In other words, people who ate protein near their workouts often just ate more protein overall.

The muscle-building response to a resistance session lasts many hours, likely a day or more, so the 'anabolic window' is much wider than once believed. Aragon and Schoenfeld suggest that a protein-rich meal eaten within a few hours before training, and another within a few hours after, covers the practical needs of most people. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on nutrient timing reaches a similar conclusion: timing can add a small edge, but meeting your daily energy and protein needs comes first.

What to eat before training

The goal of a pre-workout meal is to arrive at training with energy, without feeling heavy. A normal meal with carbohydrate, some protein and moderate fat and fiber, eaten about 2–4 hours before, works for most people. The closer you get to training, the smaller and simpler the snack should be, with more easily digested carbohydrate and less fat and fiber, which slow digestion.

For long or intense endurance sessions, the joint position statement from the American College of Sports Medicine and dietitian organisations (Thomas and colleagues, 2016) suggests about 1–4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the 1–4 hours before exercise lasting more than an hour. For a typical 45–75-minute strength workout, a regular meal a few hours earlier is usually enough.

• 2–4 hours before: rice or potatoes with chicken, fish or tofu and vegetables; or oatmeal with milk, fruit and eggs.
• 1–2 hours before: a wholewheat sandwich with turkey or cheese and a piece of fruit; or Greek yogurt with oats and banana.
• 30–60 minutes before: a banana, a couple of rice cakes with honey, toast with jam, or a small yogurt.

Carbohydrates: how much do you need for performance?

Carbohydrate is the main fuel for hard, repeated efforts, from heavy sets to sprints. The ACSM statement links daily carbohydrate needs to training load: about 3–5 g/kg a day for light or skill-based training, 5–7 g/kg for about an hour of moderate exercise per day, and 6–10 g/kg for 1–3 hours of moderate to high-intensity training. Strength training alone usually sits toward the lower end.

During sessions longer than about an hour, especially endurance ones, 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour (a sports drink, banana or dried fruit) can help maintain performance. For shorter gym sessions, it isn't necessary. Low-carb diets can work for body composition, but people doing a lot of training volume often notice lower performance on them.

What to eat after training

After training, focus on protein to support muscle repair and growth, plus carbohydrate to refill glycogen, the stored carbohydrate your muscles used. The ISSN recommends about 20–40 g of high-quality protein, or roughly 0.25–0.4 g/kg, in meals across the day, including after training. Animal proteins, dairy and soy provide plenty of leucine, an amino acid that helps switch on muscle protein synthesis.

How quickly you should eat depends on your last meal. If you had a solid meal 1–3 hours before training, your next regular meal is enough. If you trained fasted or ate more than 4–5 hours earlier, try to eat within an hour or so. If you train again within 8 hours – double sessions or competitions – the ACSM statement suggests about 1.0–1.2 g/kg of carbohydrate per hour for the first few hours to speed up glycogen recovery.

How much protein per meal and per day?

Daily protein is the foundation. For active people who want to gain or keep muscle, we recommend about 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight per day. Schoenfeld and Aragon (2018) suggest spreading it over at least four meals of about 0.4 g/kg each, which matches the 0.3–0.4 g/kg per meal most experts use. Larger servings are not wasted, but distributing protein helps most people hit the total comfortably.

For a 70 kg person, 0.3–0.4 g/kg means about 21–28 g per meal. That's roughly 90 g of grilled chicken breast, 100 g of drained canned tuna, a 170 g pot of plain nonfat Greek yogurt with one egg, or 150 g of firm tofu.

• 60 kg: about 18–24 g of protein per meal.
• 70 kg: about 21–28 g per meal.
• 80 kg: about 24–32 g per meal.
• 90 kg: about 27–36 g per meal.

Hydration before, during and after

Even mild dehydration can make training feel harder. The ACSM statement suggests drinking about 5–10 mL per kg of body weight in the 2–4 hours before exercise – roughly 350–700 mL for a 70 kg person – so you start well hydrated and have time to use the bathroom. During training, sip water with the goal of avoiding a loss of more than about 2% of body weight.

After long or sweaty sessions, you can weigh yourself before and after training: the ACSM suggests drinking about 1.25–1.5 L of fluid for each kg lost, spread over the following hours. For long sessions in the heat, a drink or snack with sodium helps you retain fluid. Pale yellow urine is a simple everyday sign that you're drinking enough.

Meal and snack ideas

You don't need special products. Ordinary meals built around a protein source, a carbohydrate and some fruit or vegetables work well before and after training. Adjust the portions to your calorie target and your appetite.

If you have diabetes or another medical condition, or take medication that affects blood sugar, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian how to plan meals, carbohydrate and medication around exercise.

• Pre-workout meal: chicken, rice, beans and salad; or oatmeal made with milk, a banana and two eggs.
• Quick pre-workout snack: a banana, toast with honey, rice cakes or a small yogurt.
• Post-workout meal: salmon or tofu with potatoes and vegetables; or scrambled eggs on wholewheat toast with fruit.
• Post-workout snack: Greek yogurt with fruit and oats; a milk and banana smoothie; or a protein shake with fruit if it's convenient.