Pre and Post Workout Nutrition
by Lisa Bender Thiel
How to keep it simple and fuel for success!
“If you don’t eat before your workout, you won’t get the results you want”
“The only way to burn fat is fasted cardio.”
“Eating donuts post workout is optimal for recovery”
“You need 80 grams of protein after your workouts to gain muscle”
“You need to drink BCAA or carbs during your workout”
YIKES! Information overload….so what is really best for your and your goals?! The statements above depend a lot on context.
Meal timing or what you eat before and after your workout is an important part of helping you perform well, recover well, and meet your personal goals. Like a lot of things, you can easily get sucked into a rabbit hole and end up confused on how to properly fuel for your fitness. We have put together a few key points to help you simplify and succeed!
Pre-Workout Nutrition
Ideally you are able to eat a meal 1-3 hours before your workout that includes protein, fat and carbs. This meal will help you feel energized to perform, keeps you hydrated, and gives you fuel to preserve muscle.
Each macronutrient plays a unique role in preparing your body for working out. Pre-workout meals (or snacks) should include all three macronutrients to optimize performance and recovery.
Protein helps preserve current muscle, can reduce muscle damage during workout (aiding in recovery), and gets amino acids into your bloodstream which are the building blocks for increasing muscle!
Carbohydrates fuel your training with “quick energy,” preserve glycogen stores telling your brain you’re “well fed” and that you can keep muscle you have, and stimulates insulin release helping to prevent protein breakdown
Fats are not found to improve or hamper performance in pre workout meals. They do slow digestion, helping to balance energy levels!
Q: So how much protein to I need before workouts?
Men – aim for 40-60g
Women – aim for 20-30g
Q: Should I load up on carbs to have energy?
The maximum amount of carbs that can be absorbed during exercise is 60-80g per hour. We find most clients succeed and feel best on about 20-40g carbs pre-workout.
Q: What about early morning workouts?
When eating a meal 1-3 hours before training is not an option, consider consuming BCAA (amino acids) in the form of a drink or supplement before your workout.
Post-Workout
After your workout, your body tries to rebuild its glycogen stores as well as repair and regrow those muscle proteins. Eating soon after you exercise can help your body get this done faster.
Your prime window of opportunity to refuel is 45 minutes to 2 hrs post workout. It’s especially important to eat carbs and protein post-workout!
Doing this helps your body:
Decrease muscle protein breakdown
Increase muscle protein synthesis (growth)
Restore glycogen stores
Enhance recovery
Protein helps repair and rebuild muscle tissue. Carbohydrates help replenish glycogen stores during exercise. Fats slow digestion. It’s generally encouraged to have a low fat post-workout meal.
Post workout is considered one of the best times to enjoy higher glycemic nutrient dense foods like fruits, sweet potatoes, rice cakes, etc. Try consuming the two in a ratio of 3 to 1 (carbs to protein). For example, that’s 40 grams of protein and 120 grams of carbs.
Eating plenty of carbs to rebuild glycogen stores is most important for people who exercise often, such as twice in the same day. If you have 1 or 2 days to rest between workouts this becomes less important.
Q: How much protein and carbs should I have post-workout?
Similar to the pre-workout goals
Men aim for 40-60g protein and 120-180g carbs (3:1)
Women 20-30g protein and 60-90g carbs
Q: Should I have a shake or “real food” post workout?
YES, this is a personal preference. You may find that your body responds to one form of nutrients better than another post workout. Important thing is to get it in!
If you prefer a shake be sure to experiment with different proteins ie: whey, vegan, whey isolate. These all digested a bit differently, find the right fit for you.
Intra-Workout Nutrition
Staying hydrated during workouts is key. Unless you are doing extremely long (over 2 hour) workout sessions you most likely do not need to worry about intra workout nutrition. If you feel like you need something during your current workout sessions consider trying a BCAA or electrolyte supplement.
In Summary:
Pre and post workout meals should include a combination of quality protein, carbs, and healthy fats 1-3 hours before and after sessions. The amounts depend on personal preference and tummy tolerability.
Post workout your body is ready for protein and carbs, aim for 3:1 ration (carbs to protein).
The total amount of protein and carbs consumed over the day is most important, however adjusting meal timing can improve energy, performance, and recovery.
Note: If you are training for the below you should consider consulting with a coach for a personalized pre and post workout nutrition plan.
Competing in a high level endurance event (ie: Marathon, Ironman, etc)
Training as a bodybuilder (ie: add muscle)
Preparing for fitness competition (ie: need specific body composition)
Remember no two people or goals are created equal. If you need help determining what would work best for you the LIFTOFF Nutrition team would love to help you create a plan based on your goals, body size, digestive system, and duration/intensity of workouts!
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