What you should eat around a workout depends mainly on the timing. Before your workout, choose something light and high in carbohydrates that provides a quick energy lift; afterwards, opt for a combination of carbohydrates and protein. This way, you replenish your energy stores and give your muscles the building blocks they need after exercise. Below, we explain what works at each stage and why.
What’s the best thing to eat before a workout?
Before a workout, it’s best to eat something light and high in carbohydrates that provides a quick energy lift, about 1 to 3 hours beforehand. The closer you are to your workout, the smaller and lighter the snack should be.
The reason is simple. Digestion takes effort: when your stomach and intestines are processing a heavy meal, they require a constant supply of blood and oxygen. If you then go for a workout, your muscles will demand exactly the same blood and oxygen. These two processes compete with each other, and you’ll often notice this as a feeling of heaviness or bloating whilst training. So keep it light, nutritious and energy-rich.
Examples of a suitable pre-workout snack:
- A protein smoothie with fresh fruit
- Low-fat yoghurt with muesli and some fruit
- A wholemeal sandwich with lean cold meats (chicken breast, roast beef or ham)
- A wholemeal cracker with peanut butter
- A banana or a few dates
Don’t forget to drink water. Many people only drink during their workout, but it helps to top up your fluid levels beforehand. You can read about what goes wrong if you consistently drink too little in ‘What happens if you don’t drink enough water’.
Is it better to exercise on an empty stomach?
Exercising on an empty stomach is fine for a short, gentle workout, such as a morning walk or a light cardio session. For a long or intense workout, you’ll usually perform better with a bit of fuel beforehand.
This is down to your glycogen: the form in which your body stores carbohydrates in your muscles and liver. During intense exercise, glycogen is your main source of energy. If your glycogen stores are low, you’ll tire more quickly and your pace will drop. For a short, gentle session, you can often manage on your reserves, but for a vigorous session, it’s wise to have a light source of carbohydrates beforehand. Above all, listen to your own body: some people train comfortably on an empty stomach, whilst others feel dizzy as a result.
What’s the best thing to eat after a workout?
After a workout, a combination of carbohydrates and protein is a sensible choice. Carbohydrates replenish your glycogen stores, and protein provides the amino acids that make up muscle tissue. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
After exercise, glycogen production remains elevated for a while, meaning that any carbohydrates you eat at that time are stored efficiently. At the same time, this is when your body maintains and builds muscle tissue, and protein is the raw material for this. A meal or snack that combines both is well suited to this.
Good post-workout examples:
- A banana or some dates to replenish your carbohydrates
- Low-fat quark or yoghurt with fruit and oats
- A wholemeal wrap with chicken, tuna or egg
- A protein shake with a piece of fruit
How important is the ‘anabolic window’ after exercise?
The idea of a strict ‘anabolic window’ of thirty minutes after exercise is largely outdated. It doesn’t matter much whether you have protein before or after your workout: for most athletes, what matters most is how much protein and carbohydrates you consume throughout the day, not the exact minute after your workout.
It used to be thought that immediately after exercise, there was a short window of time during which nutrition was particularly important. More recent research shows that this window is wider than previously thought: your muscles remain sensitive to protein for hours after a workout. If you’re training on an empty stomach or your session is long, it’s still a good idea to eat within a few hours. But if you’ve eaten a normal meal around your training session, there’s no need to panic and reach for a shake. Consistency throughout the day and the week is more important than perfect timing around a single training session.
How much protein do you need after exercise?
For adults who exercise regularly, a daily intake of 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is often recommended. You don’t need to consume all of this in one go after your workout: it’s better to spread it across your meals.
Exactly how much you need depends on your weight, your training goals and how intensely you exercise. If you’d like to explore this in more depth, read about how much protein you need each day. You can often get a good portion of your protein from everyday foods (dairy, eggs, meat, fish, pulses); a protein powder is a handy supplement when you can’t get enough from these sources. You can find more background information in the section on the benefits of protein powder.
What should you look out for in a post-workout protein shake?
A protein shake is particularly useful when, on a busy day, you’re unable to get enough protein from your regular diet. Do take a close look at the ingredients list, though, as this varies greatly from brand to brand.
Many protein powders contain refined sugars, artificial sweeteners and additives that you might not necessarily want in your shake. So check the ingredients list rather than the claims on the front of the packet. If you’d like to know when a shake is most useful, read about the best times to drink a protein shake. You can find out more about whey specifically in ‘Why whey protein and what it does’.
Ekopura’s protein powders contain no unnecessary additives and no refined sugars: just what you need. The Whey Natural Organic is our organic option; if you’d prefer a vegan option, that’s available too. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. Take a look at the whey protein range or the vegan protein range to see what suits you best.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to eat straight after exercising?
No, you don’t need to eat within half an hour. As long as you consume carbohydrates and protein within a few hours of your workout, you’re fine. What you eat throughout the day is more important than the exact timing around a single workout.
Can I train on an empty stomach?
For a short, gentle workout, that’s perfectly fine. For a long or intense session, you’ll usually perform better with some carbohydrates beforehand, as you’ll then have more glycogen available. If working out on an empty stomach doesn’t feel right, just have a light snack beforehand.
Do I need a protein shake after exercising?
It isn’t essential: you can easily get your protein from everyday foods such as dairy, eggs, meat, fish or pulses. A shake is mainly a handy supplement if, on a busy day, you’re unable to get enough protein from your meals.
What’s the best thing to eat before a morning workout?
Choose something small and easily digestible, such as a banana, some dates or a slice of bread. If you’re training very early in the morning and doing a gentle session, you can also start on an empty stomach and have a breakfast containing carbohydrates and protein afterwards.
