Eating Around Workouts

Everyone knows that eating healthy is vital for our health, well-being, and fitness results.

But what about food timing? Does the when matter as much as the what? If so, what does it mean in a practical sense? 

While research surrounding nutrient timing is a bit of a hit or miss, most experts agree that eating around workouts is important for optimal performance and recovery. 

The question is, how do we pull that off effectively? Let’s see.

When Should We Eat Around Workouts?

Trainees should pay special attention to:

• Pre-training nutrition
• Post-workout meals

Pre-training nutrition is vital because it provides us with energy, allowing us to control muscle protein breakdown, feel well, and perform optimally. Similarly, a good post-workout meal supplies the body with the nutrients it needs to begin the recovery process and prevent muscle loss. 

Some athletes, such as those doing longer or more strenuous workouts, can also benefit from intra-workout nutrition in the form of carbs (sports drinks, gels, ripe fruits, and similar). The reason is that long bouts of exercise deplete muscle glycogen, leading to fatigue and a performance decline. Carbs provide an immediate energy source, allowing us to perform better and make quicker progress with our training.

Post-workout nutrition is also necessary because it provides nutrients that kickstart the recovery process, allowing us to make positive adaptations to our training.

What Foods Should We Consume Before Working Out?

Pre-workout nutrition should consist of some protein and carbs. The protein portion of your meal will provide your body with amino acids to support your muscle, kickstart the recovery process, and prevent significant breakdown. Similarly, the carbs will also support the recovery, prevent significant glycogen depletion, and supply your muscles with glucose (fuel). As a result, you’ll be able to perform better, make quicker progress, and recover more effectively.

Good pre-workout foods include:

• Oatmeal
• Rice
• Pasta
• Meat
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Bananas, apples, pears, etc.

You don’t have to stress too much about your meal, so long as it offers some protein and carbs, and doesn’t cause any stomach distress. On that note, we recommend that you avoid dairy before training, as it can lead to nausea during your workouts. Similarly, avoid having too much fat (such as fatty meat)  because it takes longer to digest and can ruin your training experience.

As for food timing, eat a large meal 2.5 hours before training or a small one an hour before your workout.

How to Fuel Ourselves For Optimal Recovery After Training

The importance of your post-workout meal will depend on what you eat before training. For example, you don’t need to stress much about eating immediately after training if you have a sizeable pre-workout meal. Some of the nutrients will still be in your system, supporting the post-training recovery. In contrast, you should eat soon after training if you can’t eat a good meal before a workout.

As for composition, your post-workout meal doesn’t have to be much different from the one you have before training. Carbs and protein should still make up most of the meal to kickstart the recovery process. Chicken with rice, a steak with roasted potatoes, and fish with a carb source are great options.

The only difference is, your post-workout meal allows more freedom because you don’t have to worry about eating a bit more or avoiding certain foods (such as dairy).