Key takeaways
- Before training, aim for carbohydrates plus 20-40 g of protein 1-3 hours ahead; if you're short on time, a banana or piece of fruit 15-30 minutes before is enough.
- For most sessions under about 90 minutes you don't need to eat during — just sip water. Only longer endurance bouts benefit from 30-60 g of carbs per hour.
- After training, have 20-40 g of protein with some carbs. This dose maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis.
- The 'anabolic window' is real but wide — muscles stay sensitised to protein for up to 24 hours, so total daily protein matters far more than eating within 30 minutes.
- Fasted training is fine for fat loss and short easy sessions; for hard or long workouts, eating first usually means better performance.
You finish a session and wonder: did I just waste it by not slamming a shake in the changing room? Or you're heading to the gym hungry, unsure whether to eat first. Good news — peri-workout nutrition is far simpler (and more forgiving) than the supplement industry wants you to believe. Here's exactly what to eat before, during and after, and where the famous "anabolic window" actually fits.
What to eat before a workout
The job of a pre-workout meal is simple: top up energy and give your muscles amino acids to work with. Aim for carbohydrates plus protein, roughly 1-3 hours before you train.
- Carbohydrates are your main fuel — oats, rice, potatoes, bread, fruit. They keep your output high.
- Protein of around 20-40 g primes muscle protein synthesis. The ISSN found this dose maximally stimulates muscle building.
- Keep fat and fibre modest close to training, so digestion doesn't slow you down.
Easy examples: porridge with Greek yoghurt and berries, chicken with rice, or eggs on toast. Short on time? A banana or piece of fruit 15-30 minutes before is genuinely enough for most sessions — don't skip training just because you couldn't fit a full meal in.
Do you need to eat during a workout?
For the vast majority of people, no. For any normal gym session, run or class under about 90 minutes, water is all you need. Sip to stay hydrated and get on with it.
The exception is prolonged endurance work. For continuous hard efforts beyond an hour or so, taking on 30-60 g of carbohydrate per hour (a gel, a banana, a sports drink) helps maintain pace and concentration. If you're chasing endurance, our VO₂ max guide and Zone 2 training guide cover the bigger picture.
What to eat after a workout
After training, you want to repair muscle and refill energy. Have 20-40 g of protein alongside some carbohydrates within a few hours of finishing.
- Protein supplies the building blocks for recovery and growth.
- Carbs replace the fuel (glycogen) you used and blunt next-day fatigue.
Real meals do this best: a chicken wrap, salmon with potatoes, Greek yoghurt with fruit and granola, or a protein shake plus a banana if you're rushing. Choose foods from our high-protein foods guide and you'll hit the target without thinking. Want your exact daily protein number?
Protein Calculator
About 44–59 g per meal across 3–4 meals.
The anabolic window, honestly
Here's the myth worth killing: you do not have to eat within 30 minutes of finishing or "lose your gains." The window is real but wide — the ISSN position stand notes muscles stay sensitised to protein for up to 24 hours after a training bout.
What actually drives muscle is your total daily protein (around 1.6-2.2 g per kg of bodyweight — see how much protein to build muscle) and enough total food. Timing is the polish, not the foundation. If you ate a solid meal a couple of hours before training, you're already covered for a while after.
Should you train fasted?
Fasted training (typically before breakfast) is fine — and sometimes useful:
- For fat loss or short, easy sessions, training fasted won't cost you muscle as long as your daily protein is on point.
- For hard, long or strength-focused sessions, eating carbs and protein first usually means better performance, more energy and stronger lifts.
There's no magic to fasted cardio for fat loss beyond personal preference — what burns fat is your overall calorie deficit, not the clock. Pick whatever you'll do consistently.
Putting it on a plate
Peri-workout nutrition is the easy 10% — the other 90% is your whole-day eating, which we cover in how to build a meal plan, and what to eat to build muscle. Add creatine if you lift and you've covered the supplements that actually matter.
That's the thinking behind the Method: we strip away the noise, work out your numbers, and build the plan around your life and your data — so you stop guessing about timing and start seeing change. If you want it done for you, our muscle-growth programme dials in your training and nutrition together, and adjusts as you progress. Stop sweating the shake — let's get the real levers moving.
Sources & further reading
- ISSN Position Stand: Nutrient Timing (Kerksick et al., 2017) — J. Int. Soc. Sports Nutrition
- ISSN Position Stand: Protein and Exercise (Jäger et al., 2017) — J. Int. Soc. Sports Nutrition
- Exercise — guidance and workouts — NHS
Citations are provided for transparency. This is general information, not medical advice — always consult a qualified professional about your own circumstances.