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Knowing what, when and how much to eat isn't just important for weight goals. A common question a lot of clients ask us, is when and what should I eat to optimise my workout? Nutrition timing and correct fuelling is both important to improve a workout, but also to optimise recovery and repair of muscle tissue. A lot of studies and research has been conducted on this topic, resulting in ideas such as the optimal 'protein window' post exercise. In this blog we are going to cover what and when you should eat both before and after a workout, using modern studies, analysis of research and data from leading universities and researchers.
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Pre-Exercise Nutrition
Why are macronutrients important for pre exercise meals
Pre-exercise nutrition is not necessarily about demand for calories, but fuelling the body with the correct macro-distribution to optimise energy usage and availability. Carbohydrates are an important macro when it comes to energy supply. For a more in-depth look on how our bodies use different macronutrients at different times, lets look at the information below...
Glycogen (carbohydrates)
At rest 35%
Light - moderate exercise 40%
High intensity (short duration) 95%
High intensity (moderate duration) 70%
Fats
At rest 60%
Light - moderate exercise 55%
High intensity (short duration) 3%
High intensity (moderate duration) 15%
Protein
At rest 2-5%
Light - moderate exercise 2-5%
High intensity (short duration) 2%
High intensity (moderate duration) 5-8% (source)
So the majority of total calories burnt during exercise comes from carbohydrates. Depending on what type of exercise you are doing (e.g.. high or low intensity) fats also play a part in energy supply during training.
So what and when should you eat before exercise.
When and what time is the best to eat pre-exercise?
To answer the question, when and what is the best thing to eat before exercise, we reviewed a 2022 article from the International society of sports nutrition position stand on nutrient timing. It is important to understand that different types of exercises demand different amounts of energy at different intensities, so recommendations what and when you should eat is slightly different.
When should I eat before exercise
The general rule for most moderate intensity workouts is to have a balanced meal 3-4 hours post exercise, plus a high carb snack 1-2 hours post exercise. This is a general rule of thumb that will not only optimise energy during a standard workout, but will ensure adequate recovery and repair of damaged tissues post exercise. This applies to any general weight lifting session and/or moderately intense cardio workout.
The perfect pre-exercise meal plan
2-4g of carbohydrates per kg of bodyweight within 3-4 hours of exercise
10g of fats 1-4 hours pre exercise
10-20g of protein 1-4 hours post exercise
+ 60-100g carbohydrate snack 1 hour pre-exercise
If rapid restoration of glycogen is required, such as instances with less than 4 hours of recovery, like a sports game or long distance run, or even intense weight lifting sessions, aggressive techniques can be used to ensure enough energy supply. If this is the case, we recommend increasing your carbohydrate intake to 4-5g per kg of bodyweight in your post workout meal. Additionally, caffeine can be used to elevate performance. 3-8mg per kg of bodyweight is the recommended caffeine dosage before exercise.
Extended cardio workouts (>60 minutes) at high intensities, for example sports games or 10+km runs, can majorly deplete glycogen stores and hydration levels. In these cases, intra-workout snacks can be a method of maintaining sufficient energy stores during exercise. We recommend 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour of exercise during lengthened workouts, as well as a minimum of 150ml of electrolyte solution every 10-15 minutes of exercise. A simple and cheap electrolyte solution is a teaspoon of table salt and 80-100ml of concentrated squash in 500ml of water. This should last you just under an hour of exercise. 2-3 of these solutions is sufficient for a 2-3 hour cardio workout. Other electrolyte solutions ( that might taste a bit nicer) include energy drinks and rehydration drinks.
Post exercise nutrition
The importance of post-exercise nutrition lies in optimising recovery through re-fuelling glycogen stores and repairing muscle tissue by increasing muscle-protein-synthesis (mps). When we exercise, whether we lift weights or go for a 10km run, our bodies use up energy, and as we discussed above, predominantly use glycogen stores. Additionally, we create micro-tears in our muscle tissue that require repair (mainly through resistance exercise but also minor amounts through different types of cardio). So the goal of post exercise nutrition is to supply our bodies with the right tools to do these jobs.
Replenishing glycogen stores
Our bodies have the capacity to store 90-120 minutes of steady state cardio, of glycogen in the liver at any one time. After this time, glycogen stores will be low, and, unless re-fuelled, the body will struggle to keep up with moderate activity. This is why it is important to ensure we replenish our glycogen stores post-exercise. Ultimately, the timing of this isn't too important, the longer you go without eating after a workout, the more hungry and tired you will feel, but as long as you replenish your glycogen stores within 2-4 hours post exercise, you should be okay.
To effectively do this, you should search for foods with a moderate to high glycaemic index. The glycaemic index is a scale from 0-100, that indicates how fast blood sugar levels increase after digestion of a certain food. For example, things like carrots, lentils and beans have a very low glycaemic index of sub 10. This means blood sugar levels increase very slowly when eating these foods. Moderate to high glycaemic index foods (59-79), and foods that should be considered for replenishing your glycogen stores post exercise include, corn, white rice, couscous and sweet potatoes. A meal containing these foods will ensure your glycogen stores are sufficiently restores after exercise.
Optimising muscle protein synthesis (mps)
MPS is the process by which our bodies repair and grow muscle tissue. Post exercise, our muscle tissue is damaged and in need of repair. This process is not instant and complete recovery can take 24-72 hours after a workout. This is why it is recommended to rest muscle groups 48-72 hours before training it again. The main tool our bodies require for optimal mps is protein. A recent myth was that for the best msp results, you should consume a serving of protein within 15-20 minutes of you workout. The research on this idea is fairly new, and most studies don't show a massive difference in muscle growth between 15-20 and 2 hours
We recommend you eat a serving of good quality protein (whey/animal proteins) within 2 hours of your workout for optimal mps. A serving of protein should be 25-30% of your personal daily protein goal (1.6-2.2g /kg of bodyweight /day).
To summarise
Pre exercise nutrition should be focussed on fuelling the body for the upcoming activity.
A balanced meal 3-4 hours pre-exercise
2-4g/kg of carbohydrates
10-20g of protein
10g of fats
+ A high carb snack 1 hour pre-exercise
Post exercise nutrition should be focussed on replenishing the bodies energy stores and giving it the right tools to recover and repair.
A balanced meal up to 2 hours post exercise
containing moderate to high glycaemic carb sources.
one serving of high quality protein
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