Is It Better to Eat Before or After a Workout? (3 Easy Tips)

I advise my clients to eat any larger meal two or three hours before exercise and smaller meals and snacks for pre-workout within a two-hour window. Overeating before working out can make you feel sluggish, or you may experience an upset stomach during exercise.

However, studies show eating or drinking carbohydrates before exercise can improve performance [5].

Let’s take a look at some excellent food options before your workout.

A few hours before exercise:

• Turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread and a side salad
• Egg omelet with whole-grain toast and fruit (avocado spread or nut butter on toast)
• Lean protein, roasted vegetables, and brown rice as a pre-workout meal

Within two hours of exercise:

• Drinking a protein shake before or after a workout or pre-workout smoothie for weight loss that is made with milk, protein powder, and berries
• Whole-grain cereal and milk
• Oatmeal topped with banana and almonds
• Nut butter with fruit preserves on whole-grain bread

Within an hour of exercise:

• Greek yogurt with fruit
• A protein bar
• whole-grain toast with nut butter
• A piece of fruit like an apple, orange, or a banana as a pre-workout snack

Eating before a workout can help to mediate insulin response, which in turn can help burn fat as opposed to muscle.  Regulating insulin levels and managing blood sugars, even for those without diabetes, can be an important key for people who want to lose fat and build muscle.

- Michelle Saari, registered dietitian and founder of The Dietitian Prescription

Many of my clients don’t feel like consuming a meal immediately after a workout. If you feel the same way, a good snack can jumpstart recovery.

Some good post-workout snacks that provide carbs to refuel and protein to repair include:

• Crackers and canned tuna (or other canned fish)
• Fruit smoothie
• Turkey with string cheese and apple slices
• Hummus and raw vegetables
• Cottage cheese and fruit

If you are looking for something more substantial, a meal with a combination of carbs, complete protein sources, and foods containing healthy fats will replenish your energy stores and have your muscles on the road to recovery.

You can try:

• Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables
• Salmon with a sweet potato
• Loaded veggie frittata
• Grilled chicken or salmon with quinoa, kale, and feta salad

Not only is getting the proper nutrients after exercise critical to rebuilding muscle proteins and replenishing stored energy, but the timing of getting those nutrients is also equally important.

Traditionally, the recommended window to consume your post-workout nutrients was 45 minutes.

A newer Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition research shows the window may be larger, as much as three to four hours, depending on several variables, including whether a pre-workout meal was consumed [6].

“Adequate food and fluid should be consumed before, during, and after exercise to help maintain blood glucose concentration during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time. Athletes should be well hydrated before exercise and drink enough fluid during and after exercise to balance fluid losses.”

- The American College of Sports Medicine

How and when fueling your body depends on your workout and preference.

Exercise duration is a significant factor so let’s look at how I advise my clients for each scenario.

A sports medicine publication titled “A Step Towards Personalized Sports Nutrition: Carbohydrate Intake During Exercise” supports that there is no hard and fast rule to carbohydrate consumption during exercise, but dependent on several variables, including tolerance, preference, and exercise duration.

The publication recommends that athletes test their nutrition strategy of gels, bars, drinks, and low-protein, low-fiber solid foods in training to reduce the chances of gastrointestinal discomfort and increase the intestine's absorptive capacity [7].