The Pre Workout Meal
Providing Peak Performance during Training
The best strategy for your pre-workout meal depends on the time of day you train and your lifestyle preferences. The ideal time for you to work out is when you feel you can perform best, are most mentally focused, and at a time you can stick to consistently and comfortably. Let’s go through the different options, the pros and cons of each and how your nutrition can be tailored for each approach.
What time do you like to train?
Training in the Morning
Many people train early in the morning, as it may be the only time they have due to work and family obligations during the day and evening. If your lifestyle permits, you may want to try it for yourself to see if it works for you.
Training in the morning gets it done and out of the way, so there’s no worry of missing a session if you feel tired or something unexpected comes up later in the day. By starting the day on a positive note, you’re more likely to continue taking positive action throughout the day to stay consistent. You might also find you’re more motivated to eat healthy after morning training because you don’t want to undo the good work you just did. Many people also find that if they train too late at night, it disrupts their sleep, and there is some research supporting this.
Pre Workout Meal Timing for Morning Workouts
A challenge that many morning gym goers face is they don’t have time to prepare a full breakfast and sit around waiting for that big meal to digest before being able to train comfortably.
Scenario 1 - Workout before first meal
Most people actually have no problems training before their first proper meal, and while it is still controversial, more research is emerging that training in the fasted state has a mininal effect on your performance during cardio or weight training. If you are able to work out fasted, and your workout performance and energy are not suffering, go for it. Some people can, some people can’t. However, training in a completely fasted state is still not something I recommend for optimal results.
Aim for 3 – 6 grams of protein and 20 – 30 grams of simple carbs 30 – 90 minutes before your morning workout.
Studies recommend some form of protein intake before AND after your workouts in order to fuel your muscles during and after training. Research shows that as little as 6 to 8 grams of protein are required to activate protein synthesis (fuelling muscle growth). Thankfully, it’s not that hard to get that amount of protein in before your workout without overburdening your gastrointestinal system. You could get that much in one scoop of whey protein powder.
Go with whatever food or liquid doesn’t cause you stomach discomfort. Some people have a whey protein shake (whey is light to drink, especially when mixed with water). If you choose, add a piece of fruit like a banana (also easy on the stomach). I know other people who have Greek yogurt (20 grams or more of protein in a cup). Some people do prefer BCAAs drinks, though keep in mind, high-quality protein foods such as dairy proteins (or whey), contain high amounts of BCAAs already.
As a final consideration: if you’re going to be training hard very early in the morning, you might experiment with having a more substantial last meal of the day, including carbs (with protein). You might also try having it later at night. If you try it, pay close attention to your performance in the morning workout. You may see your performance increase.
My Own Experience: “Personally, I like to train around 10 am with either cardio (5-10 km jog) or weight training. By training mostly fasted in the morning, I avoid digestive discomforts during my sessions (no food bouncing around in my stomach), and it allows my body to focus on performance instead of digesting a meal. To help my energy, I drink a caffeine drink and take an amino acid supplement (BCAAs) and have a teaspoon of New Zealand honey for simple carbs to fuel my workout. This method fits well with my preference to use intermittent fasting, by allowing me to save my meals for later on when I’m actually hungry.”
Scenario 2 - Workout after first meal
If you still feel unbearably hungry and weak without some food before your training, try a small meal in advance. You may find a meal before your morning workouts actually improve your performance and energy, which translates into better, more result-producing workouts.
If you feel can’t stomach a full meal before training, try a lighter meal, snack, or drink (protein or protein plus carbs). Then have your first substantial meal relatively soon after training. This method wouldn’t get you through a marathon event, but it’s sufficient for a normal day’s training.
Make sure your pre-workout meal includes healthy carbs and protein. Then, allow as much time as you need between finishing your pre-workout meal and training so that your stomach has more or less been emptied (feels like your food has settled nicely). That actual amount of time is a very individual matter, but typically it’s between 30 minutes and two hours.
Training in the Afternoon / Evening
If you’re super busy in the mornings or just don’t like to work out at that time of day, then stick to a workout later in the day. Yes there are benefits to morning training, but later afternoon and evening sessions have their advantages too.
For one, exercise physiologists have noticed a relative increase in athletic performance for late afternoon training that parallels the circadian variations in body temperature (which peaks in the late afternoons). They claim that the increase in core temperature has a passive warm up effect, that enhances metabolic reactions, increases extensibility of connective tissue (more flexible) and reduces muscle viscosity (muscles less stiff). Basically, because you have been moving during the day, your muscles are looser and more flexible compared to first thing in the morning.
Pre Workout Meal Timing for Afternoon / Evening
When it comes to workout nutrition later in the day, keep things simple: Eat at your normal planned meal times and have substantial pre and post-workout meals, which are basically the same as any other meal: natural complex carbs and lean protein.
If possible, surround your workout with your two largest meals of the day. Save your carbs for the pre-workout (energy for training) and post-workout (energy replenishment) meals and for the rest of the day, your meals can be mostly protein, healthy fats, and fibrous carbs (green veggies and salads, etc).
It’s a common conception that a big high-carb meal or even simple sugar is the ideal pre-workout fuel for quick energy. However, don’t stray from the protein AND carb combination. As mentioned earlier, pre-workout protein is important for muscle growth and maintenance. In the worst case, carbs eaten by themselves could easily cause a hypoglycemic crash (energy crash) in the middle of your workout.
If you get a nauseous feeling from working out with food in your stomach, then push back your pre-workout meal just enough to allow enough time for your food to comfortably digest before training (so it’s not sitting heavily or sloshing around in your stomach). That actual amount of time is a very individual matter, but typically it’s between 30 minutes and two hours.
As you can see, there are pros and cons to nearly every training time.
At the end of the day, it becomes as much a matter of convenience, personal preference, and what you feel works best for you. If you’re hitting your calorie and macro targets, and having great workouts, then you can consider any nutrient timing considerations as part of the “details,” not the big picture stuff, and not something to stress about.
Customise your meal plan schedule around your training to suit your own needs and personal preferences and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Research References
- Boirie Y, et al. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930
- Dangin M, et al. The digestion rate of protein is an independent regulating factor of postprandial protein retention. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Feb;280(2):E340-8.
- Dangin M, Boirie Y, Guillet C, Beaufrere B. Influence of the protein digestion rate on protein turnover in young and elderly subjects. J Nutr. 2002 Oct;132(10):3228S-33S.
- Dangin M, et al. The rate of protein digestion affects protein gain differently during aging in humans. J Physiol. 2003 Jun 1;549(Pt 2):635-44. Epub 2003 Mar 28.
- Demling RH, DeSanti L .Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers. Ann Nutr Metab 2000;44(1):21-9
- Tipton KD, et al. Ingestion of casein and whey proteins result in muscle anabolism after resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004 Dec;36(12):2073-81.
- Elliot TA, et al.Milk ingestion stimulates net muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):667-74.
- Hartman JW, et al. Consumption of fat-free fluid milk after resistance exercise promotes greater lean mass accretion than does consumption of soy or carbohydrate in young, novice, male weightlifters. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):373-81.
- Karp JR, et al. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Feb;16(1):78-91. Tipton KD, et al. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Aug;281(2):E197-206.
- Tipton KD, et al Stimulation of net muscle protein synthesis by whey protein ingestion before and after exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jan;292(1):E71-6.
- Cribb PJ, Hayes A. Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1918-25.
- Rankin JW, et al. Effect of post-exercise supplement consumption on adaptations to resistance training. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Aug;23(4):322-30.
- Børsheim E, et al. Effect of carbohydrate intake on net muscle protein synthesis during recovery from resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol. 2004 Feb;96(2):674-8. Epub 2003 Oct 31.
- Bird SP, Tarpenning KM, Marino FE. Liquid carbohydrate/essential amino acid ingestion during a short-term bout of resistance exercise suppresses myofibrillar protein degradation. Metabolism. 2006 May;55(5):570-7.
- Baty JJ, et al. The effect of a carbohydrate and protein supplement on resistance exercise performance, hormonal response, and muscle damage. J Strength Cond Res. 2007 May;21(2):321-9.
- Antonio, J, Ziegenfuss T, The Role of Nutrient Timing in the Adaptive Response to Heavy Resistance Training, National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
- Aragon A., Schoenfeld B., Nutrient Timing Revisited, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10:5, 2013.
- http://www.springerlink.com/content/w8712615714k8150/
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3622486
- http://www.leangains.com/2010/09/fasted-training-insulin-sensitivity.html
The Post Workout Meal
Fuelling Muscle Growth Outside the Gym
Previously, it was believed vital to get nutrition (namely protein), into your system immediately after training. This is why post-workout protein shakes became so popular. But modern studies have found that while meal timing is beneficial, the urgency to consume protein so quickly may not be as great as we used to believe.
Please don’t over-complicate the subject of post-workout nutrition. I suggest you keep it as simple as possible. Essentially, the post-workout meal is the same as your other meals, although there are some adjustments you can make if you like:
Six Strategies for Post Workout Meals:
See the Big Picture
What’s most important are your daily goals for food quantity and quality (including protein), and managing food intake consistently every day. The timing of your daily nutrition is something to consider, but it’s entirely secondary.
In recent studies, scientists found that if you eat a protein-containing meal sometime before you train and then eat another one of your meals (which includes protein) sometime afterward, and if you hit your overall daily goals for calories and macronutrients, you have your post-workout nutrition covered. It’s a lot simpler than most people were making it.
How to use Protein Shakes
If you want to drink a protein shake after lifting, no problem. Protein is awesome! Having a scoop of whey protein concentrate with water in a shake is a convenient, simple, and quick way to get more protein into your day.
But more protein isn’t always better. If you were already eating enough daily protein from whole foods, then you don’t need any protein supplements whatsoever – after workouts or any other time of day. There is nothing magical about protein drinks that can increase fat loss or build more muscle, and protein supplements are not inherently better than protein food.
The Post-Workout “Window Of Opportunity” – Updated
Early research on nutrient timing said it was vital to consume liquid from protein as soon as possible after training (to quickly restore depleted energy reserves and begin muscle repair). Preferably this would be within an hour or even immediately after training, and was known as the “window of opportunity.”
But as nutrient timing research has evolved, many experts have changed their opinions and recommendations about this “window”. Surprising to almost everyone, new evidence has emerged that reveals you generally don’t have to rush to consume your post-workout nutrition.
For optimal results, the pre- and post-workout meals should not be separated by more than 4 hours.
Furthermore, how important that post workout meal or drink is also depends on whether you ate before the workout. If you eat a meal an hour or two before training, those nutrients are still being digested and released into your system during the workout, which reduces the urgency of the meal after the workout. There is more flexibility allowed, as you could easily wait an hour or so after training before eating. This is why the new model for nutrient timing looks at both the pre and post workout nutrition, not one or the other.
Although it’s clear that we don’t have to rush to chug a protein shake before even leaving the gym, you should note that it’s still a best practice to have a meal with protein fairly soon after the workout.
Eat Protein AND Carbs Together
Glycogen synthesis and protein synthesis are achieved faster when protein and carbs are consumed together.
If you like using numbers, go for something like 30 to 50 grams of protein and 60 to 100 grams of carbs for the post workout meal. I don’t worry too much about the numbers though, and neither should you, because these numbers can vary depending on energy used during the workout, during the day and whether your goal is fat loss, maintenance or muscle gain.
Option: Make it your largest meal
If you like, feel free to make your post-workout meal one of your larger and higher carb meals. This is fine even if it’s in the evening. When you next have a fun social evening of eating coming up, plan to put your workout soon before it and you’re golden! More carbs in the post workout meal is known as “carb targeting”. Any carbs you consume immediately after training rarely get stored as fat; they are burned or partitioned into muscle glycogen.
Even if your daily carb targets are lower, one of the best times to consume the amount of carbs you may have, is after an awesome weight training session. Carbs eaten post workout will replenish glycogen, restore blood sugar, and cause a beneficial insulin spike, which will suppress the catabolic hormone cortisol, and drive amino acids into the muscle cells.
Not only that, but the post workout period is a time when simple and high glycemic (quick absorbing) carbs can be beneficial. These simple sugars include breads, pastas, rice, white potatoes, and any of your occasional sugary treats!
If you’re planning to eat high glycemic index foods or rapidly absorbed carbs, then right after intense and exhaustive workouts is a good time to do it. Just don’t worry too much about simple carbs. If you’re eating frequently throughout the day, getting quick absorbing carbs immediately after training won’t make much difference.
Whole Foods vs Protein Supplements
Science now indicates that post-workout meals can comprise of whole food or from a supplement – it doesn’t seem to matter either way. Just make sure your post-workout meal includes protein and carbohydrates.
One reason many people use protein or meal-replacement shakes for their post-workout meal is simply convenience. If you don’t think you’ll be able to get a meal within the next hour or two, a protein shake is a quick, easy way to get that post workout protein you need. Plus, drinking a meal is faster and easier than food prep, cooking, and eating.
You can use protein supplements if you want to, and they can be convenient, but they’re not a requirement. You could just as easily stick with whole food meals and if you hit your calorie and macro goals for the day and eat protein before and after training, you can rest assured you’ll get great results.
Research References
- Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Aragon A., Schoenfeld B, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013, 10:5
- Aragon, AA and BJ Schoenfeld, Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013 10(1): p 5
- Conley, MS and MH Stone, Carbohydrate ingestion/supplementation for resistance exercise and training Sports Med, 1996 21(1): p 7-17
- Ha , GG, et al, Carbohydrate supplementation attenuates muscle glycogen loss during acute bouts of resistance exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2000 10(3): p 326-39
- Ha , GG, et al, Carbohydrate supplementation and resistance training J Strength Cond Res, 2003 17(1): p 187-96
- Roy, BD and MA Tarnopolsky, Influence of differing macronutrient intakes on muscle glycogen re-synthesis after resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol, 1998 84(3): p 890-6
- Snyder, AC, et al, Carbohydrate consumption prior to repeated bouts of high- intensity exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 1993 66(2): p 141-5
- Tsintzas, K, et al, Carbohydrate ingestion prior to exercise augments the exercise-induced activation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in human skeletal muscle. Exp Physiol, 2000 85(5): p 581-6
- Kulik, JR, et al, Supplemental carbohydrate ingestion does not improve performance of high-intensity resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res, 2008 22(4): p 1101-7
- Miller, SL and RR Wolfe, Physical exercise as a modulator of adaptation to low and high carbohydrate and low and high fat intakes. Eur J Clin Nutr, 1999 53 Suppl 1: p S112-9
- Dudgeon, WD, EP Kelley, and TP Scheett, Effect of Whey Protein in Conjunction with a Caloric-Restricted Diet and Resistance Training. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 2015 Publish Ahead of Print.
- Schoenfeld, BJ, AA Aragon, and JW Krieger, The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013 10(1): p 53