Pre, Intra and Post Workout Nutrition
Let’s Talk Workout Nutrition — A Game Plan to Fuel Your Training (Without Getting Lost in the Weeds)
*Before all this, I’m stating that I understand nutrition can have a million different view points, and I’m more than happy to discuss specific approaches that may be more personal to you, whether that’s due to dietary stipulations or any number of other reasons.*
Let’s do a quick recap of why workout nutrition actually matters. I won’t say it applies to everyone, but for many of us, our training session is the most physically demanding thing we’ll do all day. That means if you want to get the most out of it—performance, progress, recovery—you need to fuel it on purpose. When you eat and what you eat can massively impact how you feel during your workout and what kind of results you get from it.
PRE-WORKOUT: Eat to Perform, Not Just Survive
Let’s set the tone here: not eating before your workout is a recipe for feeling like garbage. Ever try hitting a heavy afternoon lift after skipping lunch? It’s brutal. Don’t do that to yourself.
Here’s a basic game plan:
60–90 minutes before training: You want to get some complex carbs in the tank. Think potatoes, oats, brown rice, whole grain bread—real food that’ll digest steadily and give you lasting energy.
~30 minutes out: This is when you can top off the tank with quicker-digesting carbs. A banana, a couple dates, some orange slices, or even a sports drink will do the trick. Yes, even something with sugar. Your body’s about to burn through it anyway.
Protein is your sidekick here. Ideally, you’re spreading protein evenly throughout the day (so your body has a constant stream of amino acids), and this pre-workout meal is part of that rhythm. Nothing fancy—just hit your target.
How much should you eat? That’ll depend on your personal goals and total daily intake, but as a rough guide:
👉 Carbs: ~20% of your daily total
👉 Protein: A fifth of your daily protein intake (e.g., 30g if you eat 150g a day over 5 meals)
INTRA-WORKOUT: Optional, but Sometimes Clutch
Intra-workout nutrition—aka what you eat or drink during your workout—has been a thing forever in the world of endurance athletes and performance freaks. It hit mainstream gym culture around 2010, and honestly, it still has its place if your sessions are intense or long.
If you’re training for under an hour and your pre/post meals are on point? Water’s fine.
If you’re training first thing in the morning, it might help to add a scoop of Gatorade powder or a fast carb source to your water. No pre-workout meal means you’ll need some quick energy to help you push.
For sessions that push into the 90–120 minute zone, especially with heavy lifting or hard conditioning, start thinking about intra-workout fuel.
Here’s a simple strategy:
Say you planned for 60g of carbs pre-workout.
Have 40g before you train, and sip the other 20g in your water bottle as you go (via Gatorade, Vitargo, etc.).
Endurance folks? You’ve got your own protocol—gels, carb drinks, and strategies that range from 20g to 70g of carbs per hour depending on the workout. It’s personal. It’s specific. And it matters.
POST-WORKOUT: Don’t Skip This One
This one gets ignored more than it should.
Training breaks muscle tissue down—that’s the catabolic part. But the recovery and growth part you actually want? That’s anabolic—and it doesn’t happen if you skip the post-lift meal.
Without refueling, your body stays in breakdown mode longer, which means more soreness, slower recovery, and a delayed adaptation process. Multiply that by weeks or months, and you’re looking at a long plateau or even regression.
So here’s your post-workout priority list:
High-quality protein (same 30g example still stands)
Plenty of carbs (this is where you want your biggest carb hit—about 30% of your daily total)
The carbs help refill muscle and liver glycogen stores so the protein can go do its job: repair, rebuild, grow.
Timing? Eat as soon as your body lets you. Some folks can eat right away, others need a little time. Either way, don’t wait too long—make this one routine and automatic.
BUT WHAT ABOUT FATS?
Ah yes, fats. We didn’t forget.
Generally speaking, keep fats a little lower around your workout window. They slow digestion, and while that’s not inherently bad, it can work against you if you’re trying to quickly fuel or recover. Doesn’t mean fats are the enemy—just that they’re better suited for meals further away from your training.
Think of it like this:
Protein + Carbs around training
Protein + Fats when you’re not training
Simple. Effective. Not dogmatic.
THE BIG TAKEAWAY
Nutrition has levels.
If you’re new? Focus on consistency. Learn what maintenance feels like. Figure out how food fuels your day-to-day and supports your activity. That’s your base.
Once you’ve got that dialed in? Level up. Start placing carbs closer to your workouts, keep protein steady throughout the day, and let fats support meals outside of the workout window.
Remember: you don’t need perfection—you need a plan. Fuel smart, train hard, and let your recovery do the rest.