What to Eat Before and After a Workout: Guidance from a Sports Nutrition Dietitian

By: Alexander LeRitz MSc RDN CDN CNSC

Fueling properly around your workout is one of those simple habits that can completely change how your training feels. I see it all the time; people push themselves in the gym but still end up feeling drained, light-headed, or unusually sore afterward. It’s rarely a lack of effort. More often, it’s that the body just isn’t getting the right fuel at the right time.

When you dial in what you eat around your workouts, everything tends to click. Energy feels steadier, strength work starts to progress, and recovery doesn’t drag on for days. I often tell clients that smart nutrition timing isn’t about perfection or complicated rules; it’s about giving your muscles what they need to actually respond to the work you’re putting in.Once you understand how much of your performance depends on the fuel you give your body, it becomes clear why nutrition timing plays such an important role in both your workouts and your recovery.

Why Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition Matters

When you think about how the body responds to training, the timing of your nutrition becomes just as important as the workout itself. Eating before exercise gives your muscles a readily available source of energy so you can perform at your best. After you finish, your body shifts into repair mode and it needs protein to rebuild muscle tissue and carbohydrates to refill the glycogen you used during your session. This combination supports smoother recovery, less soreness, and better progress over time.When you consistently give yourself the right fuel at the right moments, you tend to feel stronger in your workouts and more prepared for the next one.

These ideas aren’t just practical coaching, they’re supported by major organizations like Dietitians of Canada, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American College of Sports Medicine, all of which highlight that appropriate nutrient timing can enhance performance and support training adaptations.To put this into practice, it helps to start with what you’re eating before you train, because that first meal or snack sets the tone for your entire workout.

What to Eat Before a Workout

Knowing what to eat before a workout can make a noticeable difference in how strong, steady, and energized you feel once you start moving. A well-planned pre-workout meal or snack helps prevent dips in blood sugar, supports stamina, and gives your muscles the fuel they need to sustain effort, especially during longer or more intense sessions.

Key Nutrients for Pre-Workout Fueling

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred and most efficient energy source during exercise. Research consistently shows that consuming carbs before training improves endurance, power output, and overall performance, particularly for longer or moderate-to-vigorous sessions. 

Protein

Including some protein before a workout helps support muscle maintenance and reduces breakdown during training. There’s also emerging evidence that having amino acids available; especially when paired with carbohydrates, may support early muscle protein synthesis.

A Small Amount of Fat

A bit of fat can help with satiety and provide slow, steady energy. The key is not overdoing fat right before exercise, since higher-fat meals digest more slowly and can leave you feeling heavy or uncomfortable.

When to Eat Your Pre-Workout Meal

2–3 hours before training

This is the ideal window for a balanced meal. Aim for:

• Carbohydrates

• Lean protein

• A small amount of fat

• Optional vegetables

This timing gives your body enough space to digest and absorb nutrients without feeling overly full. 

30–60 minutes before training

If your last meal was earlier, a lighter snack tends to work better. Choose easy-to-digest carbohydrates plus a small amount of protein or fat if tolerated. The goal here is quick energy without stomach discomfort.

Right before your workout

When you’re heading into a session soon, stick with fast-digesting carbohydrates, foods that your body can use immediately. Think fruit, toast, or a quick smoothie.

Pre-Workout Snack Ideas

Here are simple, practical options that tend to sit well:

• Oatmeal with fresh fruit

• Greek yogurt with berries or honey

• Whole grain toast with nut butter and banana

• A fruit-and-yogurt smoothie

• A lower-fibre granola bar

A Quick Note on Digestion

Try to avoid heavy, high-fat, or high-fibre meals immediately before training. These foods take longer to digest and can lead to bloating, cramping, or a general feeling of sluggishness once you start your workout.

Dialing in your pre-workout meal is only half the equation. What you eat after a workout is just as important for recovery, muscle repair, and restoring your energy stores, so let’s break down how to approach post-workout nutrition.What to Eat After a Workout 

Once your workout wraps up, your body shifts straight into recovery mode. This is when your muscles repair the micro-damage from training, rebuild glycogen stores, and rehydrate. What you eat after a workout can make this process more efficient, helping you recover faster and feel ready for your next session.

Key Nutrients for Post-Workout Recovery

Protein for muscle repair

Protein is essential after a workout because it provides the amino acids your muscles need to recover and grow. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) notes that consuming protein before or after resistance training helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis and supports long-term training adaptations. This is one of the most important pieces of post-workout nutrition.

Carbohydrates to restore energy (glycogen)

Exercise, especially strength training, interval work, and longer endurance sessions, uses glycogen as a primary energy source. Replenishing it with carbohydrates supports better recovery and preserves performance for your next workout. Research also shows that pairing carbohydrates with protein improves glycogen re-synthesis more effectively than carbohydrates alone.

When to Eat Your Post-Workout Meal

Aim to eat within one to two hours after finishing your workout. The old idea of a strict “anabolic window” isn’t as rigid as once believed, but early refueling still supports recovery and helps your body adapt to the training you just completed. And if you have another session later in the day, this timing becomes even more important.

Post-Workout Meal Ideas

Here are balanced, practical meals that offer protein, carbohydrates, and hydration which are all important after a workout:

• Grilled chicken with rice and vegetables

• Salmon with quinoa and roasted vegetables

• Turkey or tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread with fruit

• Eggs with whole-grain toast and berries

• A protein smoothie made with milk or yogurt and fruit

• Chocolate milk (a surprisingly effective rapid recovery option)

A Quick Note on Timing

If you can’t sit down for a full meal right away, don’t stress. What matters most is your overall daily nutrition. That said, giving your body some nutrients shortly after training does support better recovery and helps you feel more prepared for your next session.

Alongside your post-workout meal, hydration plays a major role in how well you recover, so it’s worth taking a moment to look at what you need after a training session.

Hydration: Key to Performance and Recovery

Hydration is one of the most overlooked parts of training, yet it has a huge impact on how you feel during and after a workout. Even mild dehydration can affect strength, coordination, endurance, and overall performance. I often tell clients that staying hydrated isn’t just about drinking water when you’re thirsty, it’s about supporting your muscles, your energy levels, and your recovery.

A good approach is to start your workout already well hydrated, sip water throughout your session, and refill what you’ve lost afterward. For most workouts under an hour, plain water is typically enough. But if you’re training for longer than 60–90 minutes, exercising in heat or humidity, or you’re someone who sweats heavily, an electrolyte drink can make a meaningful difference.

Replacing sodium and other electrolytes helps maintain fluid balance and supports muscle function.

Research on recovery nutrition consistently shows that effective rehydration plays a role in muscle repair and glycogen replenishment, both of which influence how quickly you recover and how prepared you feel heading into your next workout.  

Putting It All Together

When you fuel intentionally before and after your workouts, you give your body exactly what it needs to perform well and recover efficiently. Most people notice improvements quickly such as more stable energy during training, less soreness afterward, and a smoother time building or maintaining lean muscle. It’s one of the simplest ways to support your fitness goals without adding more time or complexity to your routine.

Consistent nutrition that matches your training schedule removes guesswork. It helps you feel stronger, recover faster, and show up to each session with the energy you need to make progress. Small changes in pre- and post-workout nutrition often add up to meaningful performance benefits, especially when paired with regular training.

Support From a Sports Dietitian

If you’re unsure about what or how much you should be eating to fuel your workouts, personalized guidance can make the entire process easier. At MA Nutrition Consulting, I work with active individuals and athletes to build fueling strategies that are both evidence-based and realistic for day-to-day life.

If you’re looking to get more out of your workouts, recover with less frustration, and feel grounded in your nutrition choices, I’m here to support you. Together, we can build a fueling plan that strengthens both your performance and your long-term health.

🍎 Schedule your nutrition counselling session on sports nutrition with Alexander today!