What to eat before and after a workout
The 30-minute window after training in which you have to down a shake is a myth. There is a window, but it's wide: what matters is the meal before, the meal after and protein over the day.
Is there an anabolic window?
The review by Aragon and Schoenfeld (2013) took apart the "anabolic window" idea and concluded there's no narrow 30–60 minute window. A meal before training keeps working during and after it, and the meal after adds to it.
The practical takeaway from the same review: don't space your meals before and after training too far apart — roughly 3–4 hours or less. If you ate an hour before the gym, a shake straight after isn't necessary. If you last ate in the morning and train in the evening, eat right after training without putting it off.
Before training
1–3 hours before training — a normal meal: protein, carbs, a little fat. Protein gives your muscles material; carbs give you fuel for the heavy sets. Save fatty, very filling food for 2–3 hours before: squatting on a full stomach is rough.
If you have less than an hour — something light: a banana, yogurt, a sandwich, a protein shake with fruit. The goal is to show up neither hungry nor heavy.
After training
The ISSN position stand on protein (Jäger et al., 2017) puts a meal at 20–40 g of protein — and that's your post-workout serving. Add carbs, especially if the session was long or you train again the next day.
Timing — within a couple of hours. A normal dinner after an evening workout is perfect. A shake in the locker room only makes sense if a real meal is still a long way off. Work out the protein per meal for your weight in the protein calculator.
Training fasted in the morning
Training in the morning without breakfast is fine if you feel good and your weights don't drop. Many people find it easier. But then the meal after training matters more: it's been many hours since dinner, so don't put off your protein.
If you feel dizzy fasted or your sets are clearly worse, have at least a protein shake or a banana with yogurt before the gym. Check it in your log: your weights fasted versus after a light snack is an honest test.
The order of your meals matters less than the day's total: breakfast after training is still breakfast.
Examples
2–3 hours before:
- Rice or potatoes with chicken and vegetables.
- A three-egg omelette, toast and a piece of fruit.
An hour before:
- Yogurt with a banana.
- A protein shake with fruit, or a cheese sandwich.
After:
- Pasta with meat sauce.
- Cottage cheese with berries and bread.
- Fish with potatoes.
These are examples, not a menu: any food with protein and carbs that sits well with you works.
Carbs: when they matter
For a regular hour of lifting, carbs before training help, but there's no rush to refill them after: your stores come back over the day with normal food. They matter more when sessions are long, frequent or twice a day.
If you run out of steam at the end of heavy workouts and you eat few carbs, try adding some to your pre-gym meal. Compare the last exercises of the workout in your log.
Caffeine and water
If you have coffee before training, it's easy to pair it with your meal an hour before the gym. The ISSN position stand on caffeine (Guest et al., 2021) names a working dose of 3–6 mg per kg of bodyweight about 60 minutes ahead. More in the guide on caffeine before a workout.
Drink water to thirst through the day and during training. Showing up dehydrated is as bad as showing up hungry: your strength fades sooner.
Common questions
Do I need a shake right after? No, if a normal meal with protein is coming in the next couple of hours. A shake is just convenience — more in the guide on whey protein.
Can I eat after training late at night? Yes. A meal after an evening workout is a normal dinner, not "midnight snacking".
What matters most? Protein over the day — about 1.6 g per kg of bodyweight, covered in the guide on protein per day. Timing around training is an add-on to that.
What if the session runs past two hours? Then carbs matter more: snack along the way — a banana, juice, a sports drink. For a regular hour of lifting, that's overkill.
Log your workouts — then compare your sets on days you ate beforehand and days you trained hungry: the diary answers more honestly than any plan.
Prefer Telegram? Open the bot — same diary.
Read next
Research
- Aragon, Schoenfeld (2013). Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? J Int Soc Sports Nutr
- Jäger et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr
- Guest et al. (2021). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr