Your nutrition around exercise doesn't need to be complicated. The main goal is giving your body enough energy to perform well, recover properly, and feel good doing it.

Why does pre and post workout nutrition matter?

What you eat before and after training directly affects how you perform, how quickly you recover, and how you feel for the rest of the day. Get it right and workouts feel easier and more consistent. Get it wrong, and you're more likely to feel low on energy, sluggish, or stuck fighting cravings later on.

What should you eat before a workout?

Think of your pre-workout meal or snack as energy for the session ahead. Eating before training can help support energy levels, focus and concentration, strength and endurance, and reduced fatigue during workouts.

What you eat, and when, depends on how long you have before training.

If you're eating two to three hours before, aim for a balanced meal with carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fibre. This will keep you satisfied and give you a steady release of energy for your workout. Try chicken, rice and vegetables, oats with yoghurt, berries and nut butter, or eggs on toast with avocado.

If you're eating 30 to 90 minutes before, go for something smaller, lighter, and easier to digest. Prioritise carbohydrates for quick energy and a little protein, and keep fats and fibre slightly lower if you're prone to digestive discomfort. Try a banana with peanut butter, toast with jam or honey, dates with almond butter, rice cakes with ham or cottage cheese, or a smoothie with fruit and protein powder.

Some people prefer morning workouts before breakfast, and that's totally okay if it feels good for you. But fasted training isn't necessarily better and, in some cases, it can leave you feeling lower in energy, dizzy or lightheaded, and less able to push harder during your session. If you struggle with this, even a small snack beforehand, like half a banana or a couple of rice cakes, can help.

What should you eat after a workout?

After exercise, your body is focused on repairing muscle tissue, replenishing its energy stores, and overall recovery and adaptation. Getting your post-workout nutrition right helps support your progress.

After training, aim to eat anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours post-workout, and prioritise protein to support muscle repair and recovery, aiming for approximately 25 to 30g per meal, along with carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, your body's stored energy.

Good options include a protein yoghurt bowl with fruit and granola, a tuna mayo sandwich, a chicken wrap with salad, salmon with potatoes and vegetables, or a protein smoothie with banana.

Contrary to popular opinion, you don't need to down a protein shake immediately after your workout. Protein shakes can be convenient, but they aren't essential, and if you're able to eat a meal or snack with enough protein after training, that works just as well, if not better, since you'll get the benefit of other nutrients too. A shake is simply a convenient option, not a requirement.

What's the biggest workout nutrition mistake?

One of the most common issues is training hard but not eating enough to support it. This can lead to low energy, poor recovery, increased cravings later in the day, and reduced training performance.

Food isn't something you need to "earn" through exercise. It's the fuel that helps your body perform, recover, and adapt.

The takeaway

You don't need to overthink workout nutrition. As a good rule of thumb: eat carbs for energy before training, and protein for recovery plus carbs to refuel after training. Keep it simple, stay consistent, and focus on what makes you feel and perform your best.

If you want ready-made ideas that fit this approach without the planning, the SHREDDY app has hundreds of recipes built around exactly this kind of balance, so your next pre or post workout meal is never more than a quick search away.

Ready to make workout nutrition easier? Explore recipes in the SHREDDY app today.