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Depending on your workout goals, whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or maintain a healthy lifestyle, knowing what to eat and when is just as important as arriving at the gym regularly for your workout. Having amuscle-building meal plan in place is a good strategy for anyone following a workout regimen to improve muscle strength.
To be honest, there are no hard-and-fast rules. People have different needs and inclinations, such as not being a morning person or hating breakfast. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
So, this blog will help you understand what to eat and when to eat it, before or after a workout. As a matter of fact, drinking water and staying hydrated are just as crucial.
Eating before exercise provides fuel, prevents fatigue, and supports endurance. It helps maintain stable blood sugar levels and provides an opportunity to fuel muscles with carbohydrates, the body’s preferred energy source. Research studies show thatpre-exercise meals improve performance.
The ideal time to eat a balanced meal isthree to four hours before your workout. The extended time before exercising allows time for the meal to digest.
If you eat too close to the time your workout starts, you risk still feeling full from your meal, and it's incredibly uncomfortable to exercise on a full stomach.
If you're working out first thing in the morning, or don't like or have time for breakfast, you can opt for a nutrient-dense snack instead of a meal.
Can you exercise on an empty stomach? If it’s not a high-intensity workout session, skipping a pre-workout snack shouldn't be a problem. There will be a price to pay, though. You might lack stamina, and you will struggle to build muscle.
Working out on an empty stomach could also cost you what you’re trying to build — namely, muscle. It’s beneficial to have some protein in your system while training, as this will help you grow and strengthen your muscles.
The general recommendation is to “Go for Carbs”. But the pre-exercise meal also depends on what type of exercise you are doing. If it is lifting, then think high protein (probably around like 20 g) and at least 5-10 g carbs. If it is running, then that will depend on the length of your run, but at the very least, 15-30 grams of carbs.
But why carbs? Well, carbs are the body'smain source of fuel. Carbs are broken down into glucose. In muscle cells, glucose is stored as glycogen, which the body uses to function. Eating carbs before you exercise provides the body with glucose to replenish glycogen stores when needed.
If you don't eat carbs, you won't have glucose, which can lead to feeling weak and tired. It may even tempt you to give up and stop exercising.
Make sure your pre-workout snack or meal contains protein, especially if you want to build muscle. Strength-training exercises such as lifting weights create small tears in muscle fibers, and the body uses protein to repair these micro tears, which is how muscles get bigger.
If you exercise early in the morning, don't have time to put a meal together, or don't like to have breakfast, you can skip a meal and just have a snack or a protein supplement.
Here are some suggestions for strength training and cardio.
Banana with a scoop of protein powder in almond milk
Low-fat chocolate milk with protein powder
Granola bar
Peanut butter on toast
A piece of fruit
Dried fruit
Bagel
Fruit-and-Yogurt Smoothie
Low-fat Greek yogurt with berries and nuts. Stir in some protein powder.
Oats and peanut butter with chia seeds and a dash of protein powder.
Oatmeal with low-fat milk, fruit, and nuts, sprinkled with protein powder.
A slice of whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and ½ sliced banana.
Graham crackers with a tablespoon of peanut butter.
A hard-boiled egg or two on a slice of whole-wheat toast.
Scrambled eggs on whole-wheat toast.
A whole-wheat turkey-and-cheese sandwich with a piece of fruit.
A small chicken salad with an apple.
After exercise, your body needs to refuel and repair muscle tissue. The best time to have your post-workout meal iswithin 60 minutes after you stop exercising. It is believed that there is a period right after exercise, called the "postworkout anabolic window" when the body has a greater ability to absorb carbs and proteins.
However, before you think about eating something, you should continue replacing the fluids you lost, so keep drinking water.
With fluid loss goes electrolyte loss. Replenish both by drinking a sports drink after your workout. This is especially important after a prolonged workout, say a session lasting an hour or so. Or, a workout where you are sweating a lot, like running or hot yoga. You can probably replenish electrolytes fine through food alone, but in these two cases mentioned above, you may want to consider replenishing with electrolytes.
Alternatively, you can add lemon, lime, cucumber, fruit slices, or some fruit or vegetable juice to your water. Electrolytes are minerals, like potassium, sodium, and magnesium, that the body needs to stay hydrated.
After a tough workout, your body has depleted its energy reserves and needs nourishment to recover. If you don't have time for a full meal right away, grab a quick, nutritious snack, something with carbs and protein, to start the recovery process.
Then, you can wait and have a balanced meal a bit later.
Chocolate milk withprotein powder
Greek yogurt topped with granola and blueberries
Banana and almond protein smoothie with a spoonful of protein powder.
Protein bar
Apple and peanut butter
Almonds and chocolate milk
Pretzels and string cheese
Plan your meals to include complex carbohydrates as they break down slowly. Give protein for muscle rebuilding. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Whole wheat pita stuffed with grilled vegetables and two tablespoons of hummus.
Vegetable omelette with avocado, and roast potatoes.
Steamed or grilled trout with a baked sweet potato and sautéed spinach.
Tortilla wrap filled with eggs and cheese, topped with cherry tomatoes, and sliced avocado.
Stir fry with chicken, brown rice, and vegetables.
Quinoa, black beans, sweet corn, cheese, lettuce, and salsa.
Salmon with baked sweet potato.
While protein is best acquired from food, sometimes it is difficult to meet our goals or find the time, so protein powders can be a great supplement. That’s why protein powders have become an indispensable nutritional aid for athletes and exercise enthusiasts who need a reliable protein source for muscle repair and recovery.
Below are three of the top protein powders on the market.
This plant-based high-fiberprotein powder features a complete amino acid profile derived from pea protein. This vegan-friendly product provides 20 grams of high-quality protein per serving.
What sets this product apart is its clean, organic, and additive-free formulation. Customers like its smooth mixability, making it ideal for post-workout shakes and meal replacement smoothies. This powder is perfect for anyone seeking a plant-based, fiber-boosted protein powder. The digestibility of the product is ensured by added digestive enzymes that reduce bloating and support absorption.
Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey offers 24 g of high-quality whey blend per scoop, including whey isolate, concentrate, and hydrolyzed whey. It delivers approximately 5.5 g of BCAAs (essential amino acids) per serving, which support muscle repair and reduce fatigue.
It has a smooth texture for easy mixing and comes in a wide range of flavors. To top it all, the product is third-party tested for banned substances, which makes it a trusted product for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Designed for post-workout recovery,Dymatize ISO100 is ultra-pure and fast-absorbing thanks to its hydrolyzed whey isolate formula. Each serving provides 25 g of protein with under 1 g of lactose, fat, and sugar, making it highly digestible.
Dynatize ISO100 comes in a range of tasty flavors and is third-party tested for banned substances. What sets it apart is its ultra-fast absorption.
These are general guidelines. What will work best for you depends on many factors, including your age, fitness level, general and digestive health, and specific fitness regimen.
Ultimately, working out and nutrition go together. No matter what your fitness goal is, whether it's building muscle, improving endurance, or simply feeling healthier, what you eat before and after your workout directly impacts your performance, recovery, and long-term results.