Workout Nutrition
Eating for workouts depends on your goals, the type of exercise you’re doing, and the timing of your meals. Here's a guide to optimize your pre- and post-workout nutrition for energy, performance, and recovery.
Pre-Workout Nutrition
Your pre-workout meal should provide you with energy to fuel your workout, focus, and help prevent muscle breakdown. Focus on a mix of carbohydrates and protein, with minimal fat.
When to Eat Pre-Workout:
1–3 hours before your workout.
If you eat 2–3 hours before, aim for a balanced meal with carbs, protein, and a small amount of fat.
If you eat 30–60 minutes before, keep the meal smaller and focus on fast-digesting carbs and protein to avoid digestive discomfort.
Best Foods to Eat Pre-Workout:
Carbohydrates: Carbs provide quick energy and help maintain glycogen levels during your workout.
Options: Oatmeal, banana, rice cakes, whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, or fruit.
Protein: Eating protein before a workout helps maintain muscle mass and boosts recovery.
Options: Chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or a protein shake.
Light Pre-Workout Snacks (30–60 minutes before):
Banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter.
A protein smoothie with fruit and almond milk.
Rice cakes with a slice of turkey or chicken.
Greek yogurt with berries and a drizzle of honey.
Sample Pre-Workout Meal (2–3 Hours Before):
Grilled chicken with brown rice and steamed vegetables.
A turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with avocado.
Oatmeal with protein powder, berries, and nuts.
Post-Workout Nutrition
Post-workout nutrition is key for muscle recovery, repair, and replenishing glycogen stores. Focus on a combination of protein and carbohydrates to refuel and repair muscles.
When to Eat Post-Workout:
Ideally, eat within 30–60 minutes after your workout for optimal recovery.
Best Foods to Eat Post-Workout:
Protein: Helps repair muscle fibers and stimulate muscle growth.
Options: Whey protein, chicken breast, lean beef, eggs, fish, tofu, or cottage cheese.
Carbohydrates: Replenishes glycogen stores used during exercise and aids in recovery.
Options: Sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, or fruit (banana, apple, berries).
Post-Workout Snacks (immediately after):
Whey protein shake with a banana.
Greek yogurt with honey and berries.
Rice cakes with peanut butter and a boiled egg.
Sample Post-Workout Meal (30–60 Minutes After):
Grilled salmon with quinoa and roasted vegetables.
Chicken stir-fry with brown rice and mixed vegetables.
Scrambled eggs with whole grain toast and avocado.
Key Macronutrients for Pre- and Post-Workout Meals
Carbohydrates:
Pre-workout: Provides energy for performance.
Post-workout: Replenishes glycogen stores to aid recovery.
Protein:
Pre-workout: Helps prevent muscle breakdown and primes muscles for recovery.
Post-workout: Supports muscle repair and growth.
Read more about protein here.
Fats:
Pre-workout: Keep fats minimal as they slow digestion, which can cause discomfort during intense workouts.
Post-workout: Small amounts of healthy fats (like avocado or nuts) are fine but prioritize carbs and protein.
Hydration:
Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout. You may need electrolytes (like sodium, potassium, and magnesium) after intense or long-duration exercise, so consider a sports drink or coconut water for replenishment.
How to Work Out Fasted
Fasted workouts are typically done after several hours without eating, often in the morning after an overnight fast. Here's how to effectively work out in a fasted state:
Stay Hydrated: Drink water or unsweetened beverages like black coffee or green tea before and during your workout to stay hydrated.
Keep It Moderate: If you're new to fasted workouts, start with moderate-intensity exercises like cardio or weight training. High-intensity exercises while fasted can be challenging and may lead to fatigue.
Shorter Workouts: Aim for 30–60 minutes of exercise to avoid feeling overly fatigued, especially if you're not used to training fasted.
Post-Workout Meal: Consume a balanced meal with protein and carbohydrates soon after your workout to aid recovery and replenish energy stores.
Benefits of Fasted Workouts
Increased Fat Burning:
When exercising in a fasted state, your body is more likely to use fat as a primary fuel source since glycogen (stored carbs) is lower. This can lead to enhanced fat oxidation.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity:
Fasted training can help improve insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial for metabolic health and glucose regulation.
Potential for Muscle Endurance:
Some research suggests fasted workouts can improve mitochondrial efficiency, potentially enhancing endurance over time.
Convenience:
For those who don’t like eating early in the morning, fasted workouts are a simple way to get a workout in without needing to worry about digestion or timing meals.
Benefits of Non-Fasted Workouts
Better Performance:
Exercising after eating (especially after consuming carbohydrates) gives your muscles readily available energy (glycogen), which can boost performance, strength, and endurance, especially during high-intensity or longer workouts.
Muscle Preservation:
Eating protein before working out provides amino acids to the muscles, reducing muscle breakdown during exercise. This is particularly important for strength training and muscle-building goals.
Higher Energy Levels:
Having fuel in your system can help you maintain higher energy levels during your workout, allowing you to lift heavier or run longer.
Which One Is Better?
Fasted Workouts: Great for fat loss, metabolic flexibility, and early morning workouts if you don’t like eating before. Ideal for low-to-moderate intensity activities like walking, jogging, or steady-state cardio.
Non-Fasted Workouts: Better for maximizing performance, muscle growth, and recovery. Ideal for strength training, high-intensity intervals, or endurance events where performance is a priority.
In the end, it depends on your goals and how your body responds. Fasted workouts are typically best suited for fat loss and endurance, while non-fasted workouts are better for building strength and performance.
Incorporating amino acids (especially essential amino acids or branched-chain amino acids) before or after a fasted workout can significantly improve both performance during the workout and recovery afterward.
Benefits of Amino Acids Before a Fasted Workout
Prevents Muscle Breakdown:
In a fasted state, your body is more likely to break down muscle protein for energy. Consuming amino acids before your workout provides your body with a readily available source of amino acids, preventing muscle breakdown and preserving muscle mass.
Enhanced Energy and Focus:
Amino acids, especially BCAAs (like leucine, isoleucine, and valine), help prevent mental fatigue during workouts. Leucine, in particular, plays a crucial role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis, giving you a slight energy boost even when fasted.
Improved Performance:
Amino acids can improve your strength and endurance during the workout by ensuring your muscles have the building blocks to perform optimally, even without prior food intake. This is particularly helpful for moderate-to-high-intensity workouts.
Benefits of Amino Acids After a Fasted Workout
Faster Muscle Recovery:
After a fasted workout, your muscles are primed for repair. Consuming amino acids immediately post-workout helps kickstart muscle protein synthesis (the process of building new muscle tissue) and accelerates muscle recovery.
Prevents Excess Muscle Breakdown:
During a fasted workout, your body may break down muscle proteins for energy. Consuming amino acids post-workout helps counteract this by quickly delivering the raw materials needed for muscle repair, limiting muscle loss.
Supports Muscle Growth:
Consuming amino acids after a workout (especially leucine-rich sources) maximizes muscle protein synthesis, which can enhance muscle growth over time. This is particularly important for those doing resistance or strength training.
Improved Fat Loss:
By preserving lean muscle mass through amino acid consumption, you support a higher metabolic rate, which helps with fat loss. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, so the more muscle you preserve or build, the more calories you burn at rest.
How to Use Amino Acids Before/After Fasted Workouts
Before Workout:
Take 5–10 grams of BCAAs or essential amino acids (EAAs) about 15–30 minutes before your fasted workout. This will provide your body with enough amino acids to protect muscle tissue during exercise.
After Workout:
Consume another 5–10 grams of BCAAs or EAAs immediately after your workout, or combine them with a protein shake or meal containing at least 20 grams of high-quality protein.
Pre-Workout Amino Acids: Prevent muscle breakdown and improve performance.
Post-Workout Amino Acids: Accelerate recovery, muscle repair, and growth.
For fasted workouts, supplementing with amino acids can help you achieve the fat-burning benefits of fasting without sacrificing muscle mass or workout performance.
Check out our favorite supplement for amino acids that can be taken pre or post-workout and will not break your fast here. Do your research on supplements and check with your doctor before starting any.
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