If you want to maximize your athletic performance and improve recovery time after training, you’ll need to optimize what you eat directly before and after your workouts.
Pre- and post-workout nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, if you’re just starting out with your fitness or you’re minimally active (30 minutes 3 days per week), you can stick to your current diet without making any changes.
If you’re regularly active and train at an intense level, however, it’s important to ensure your nutrition supports both your training and your recovery.
In a joint position paper, the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine state that “physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery from exercise are enhanced by optimal nutrition”. They also note that you don’t need to use vitamin and mineral supplements to fuel your body effectively, assuming you’re eating adequate calories each day from a variety of foods. As we age, we may need fewer calories than we did in our younger years. But we still need all the important nutrients, which we can obtain from a variety of whole food sources.
Think of pre-workout nutrition as fuel and post-workout nutrition as repair. Carbohydrates are used as fuel, and protein is used to build and repair tissue. Your body uses stored energy (glycogen) in your muscles to power you through your workout, which you’ll need to replenish afterward.
Pre- and post-workout nutrition changes slightly depending on the type of training you’re doing. Here, we’ll show you what nutrients to focus on before and after cardio workouts and strength training workouts.
Nutrition for Cardio Training
Your ability to exercise depends on the amount of glycogen stored in your body; our bodies convert glycogen to glucose to use as fuel. Carbohydrates are one of the body’s best fuel sources, and are extremely important to consume before and after cardio training. Whole grains, fruits, and veggies are the best sources of healthy carbohydrates.
Pre-Workout
Focus on consuming some healthy carbs an hour or so before your cardio workout (I have oatmeal every morning before training), plus a bit of easy-to-digest protein, like hemp hearts or nut butter. You’ll want your pre-workout meal to be composed of between 75 and 90% carbohydrates, using ingredients like whole grains and fruit.
Post-Workout
After an intense cardio session, focus on hydrating with plain water. You’ll also want to replenish with a meal or snack that includes both carbs and protein (e.g. apple slices with nut butter, banana with a handful of nuts, or a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt).
Nutrition for Strength Training
Compared to cardio workouts, you’ll need to focus a bit more on protein before and after strength training. Protein is the building block of muscle. A 2017 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming protein at all three meals (instead of just at dinner) may help older adults preserve physical strength as they age.
Pre-Workout
Aim to consume a meal 1-2 hours before strength training that’s made up of approximately 75% carbohydrates and 25% protein. How about a smoothie made with soy milk, protein powder, fruit, and flax seed? Or a tofu scramble jam-packed with veggies?
Post-Workout
Again, we’re aiming for 75% carbohydrates and 25% protein. Aim to refuel within about 2 hours of completing your workout. A protein shake can be a quick and convenient option here, or a well-rounded snack like yogurt with walnuts and apple slices.
Trainer’s Tip for Early Morning Exercisers
If you’re training early in the morning and don’t want to get up at 4am just to give your meal time to digest (and I don’t blame you!), focus on getting your pre-workout meal in an easy-to-digest manner and in a smaller portion. This could be a smoothie, or an apple with some almond butter, for example. You’ll then need to be extra diligent about re-fueling after your workout.
