What to Eat Before a Workout & When to Eat It

Just like you wouldn’t expect your car to run on empty, your body has a hard time operating at peak gym performance when there’s no gas in your tank. In fact, optimal gym performance requires adequate pre-workout fueling. Want to see your best gym results? It means knowing what to eat, when to eat it, and how much of it to eat.

Circling back to our car analogy: Your car also doesn’t run better if you fill the gas tank until it overflows, right? Similarly, your body won’t benefit from overeating either. It requires the perfect balance of nutrients timed appropriately leading up to your workout. It may seem like a lot to keep straight, but we promise it’s not. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Why macronutrients are important
• When and what to eat before a workout
• Benefits of eating before a workout
• Best foods for building muscle & losing weight 
• Best foods before a morning workout 
• Appropriate times to not eat before a workout 
• Best foods to eat before a workout 

What are macronutrients?

If you are going to fuel your body with the best foods, then you need to know what that entails. The right foods include at least one of three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fats. They are the essential nutrients your body needs in large amounts. 

1. Protein:

Protein is vital to your body and, most importantly, your muscles. Protein checks in at four calories per gram (which will be handy when figuring out your daily calories). When determining how much protein per day to build muscle, research has shown that aiming for 1.6 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is sufficient for building muscle¹. 

We’ll cover more on how much to eat in a bit. As for why you should make it a priority, the list goes on and on for protein's health benefits. For starters, it helps build muscle and repair tissue and is vital for cartilage, skin, bones, and hair. It also oxygenates your blood and makes enzymes that aid in digesting food and making new cells.

2. Carbohydrates:

Carbs are the primary fuel source for your body and essential for healthy living. There are two forms of carbs: simple (sugar) and complex (starches and fibers). Both weigh in at four calories per gram. Most active people should get 40 to 50% of their daily calories from carbohydrates, although this may vary some depending on your body type. Studies in the sports medicine field show 30 to 60 grams is an appropriate target for sports or exercise sessions of longer duration².

So what do carbs do? They fuel your brain, kidneys, heart muscles, and central nervous system as they are broken down into glucose before entering the bloodstream. In addition, carbs can be used for immediate energy or stored in the liver as glycogen for later use (this can only be used for muscle cells). And, for our weight lifters reading this, carbs help preserve and build muscle mass. In fact, they are so important that some diets, like the Vertical Diet, emphasize eating lots of fast-digesting, gut-friendly carbs (in addition to protein) for optimal performance results.

3. Fats:

Fats are often seen as the villain but are essential for maintaining good overall health. Low fat and no fat may be popular terms, but more fat is surprisingly what you may need. You should aim for 20 to 30% of your daily calories from fats. Fat intake should be sufficient to provide the essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins and to contribute energy for weight maintenance³.

Why does your body need fats? For starters, they contain essential fatty acids your body can’t make on its own. They’re essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins K, E, D, and A. And, they provide a source of energy, especially for more prolonged bouts of exercise or sport.

What to eat before a workout & when to eat it

No matter your goal, whether you are following a powerlifting program to gain strength, trying to build muscle through resistance training, lose fat, or improve athletic performance, you will want to have a plan for when and what you are eating. What you need to eat to function best will depend on your workout timing, similarly to how you time a protein shake around your workout, and will mainly depend on how long before your workout you eat.

Here are some suggested time frames for eating pre-workout, along with accompanying meal ideas.

Eating 2-3 hours before a workout:

This is the best-case scenario to check all your pre workout nutrition boxes. Meals should include a mixed balance of lean protein, starchy carbs (complex), and moderate amounts of fat. This will help promote longer digestion and sustained energy without crashes.

Meal ideas:

• Steak, roasted sweet potatoes, and green veggies
• Whole grain pasta with ground beef
• Hard boiled egg, whole grain bread, and milk

Eating 1-2 hours before a workout:

Within the one hour to two hour time frame, there is still plenty of time to have a bigger meal before your workout, but you will want little fat if you fall into this window. Decreasing fat will help your body avoid painful stomach cramps while struggling to digest fats during your workout, and it'll still give you the energy required for your killer assault bike workout.

Meal ideas:

• Greek yogurt with honey and granola
• Whole grain sandwich with lean deli meats, like a turkey sandwich
• Chicken, brown rice, and veggies

Eating 30-60 minutes before a workout: 

Whether you just woke up or haven’t eaten all day, if you fall into this time window, you’ll want quick carbs as a fast fuel source and protein to preserve muscle. Instead of a full meal, think of this more like a pre workout snack. Avoid fats entirely here as there won’t be enough time to digest them properly.

Meal ideas:

• Protein shake and half a banana
• Low-fat chocolate milk
• Fruit juice or sports drink and a protein shake 

And don’t forget about hydration! Your body needs water to function. Dehydration has been linked to a significant decrease in performance⁴.

Try for 16 to 20 ounces at least four hours before exercise. If you just woke up or it’s close to working out time, get 8 to 12 ounces. During your workout, try for 4 to 8 ounces per every 20 minutes of exercise.

Benefits of eating before a workout

Now that you have a better handle on when and what to eat before a workout, it’s important to remember what the benefits are.

1. Fueling correctly will maximize your performance, along with muscle and workout recovery. 
2. Carbs are what your body uses for HIIT sessions and other activities that are short and high in intensity. This allows for increased energy to perform better. 
3. Fat helps fuel your body for longer sessions. This means if your session lasts over an hour, your body still has adequate fuel, and the fats keep it from breaking down muscle.
4. Protein improves muscle synthesis, prevents muscle damage, and promotes recovery and muscle growth. 
5. Hydration regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, and transports nutrients. 

What should you eat to build muscle?

No matter what your body type, if you want to build muscle and aid in muscle recovery, you need to take in more calories than you burn and focus on adequate protein intake. An easy way to remember it is that you should be distributing protein evenly between each meal and have an idea of how much how much protein you need per serving.

If you are working out 3 to 4 times a week, your body will constantly be working hard to build new muscle every hour of the day and break down muscle at a higher rate. 

A study found that regardless of exercise, participants who had a minimum of 20 grams of protein six times per day increased their lean muscle mass while decreasing body fat¹. 

So what should you eat? Aim for a 2 to 1 carbs to protein ratio, which breaks down to 50 grams of carbs and 25 grams of protein. A protein shake using one of the best protein powders, and a banana or apple are excellent options for fueling up close to your workout. If you're trying to preserve muscle mass while losing weight, you may even want to consider adding additional protein to your diet, up to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight.

What should you eat to lose weight or burn fat?

This may not be exact, but the concept remains the same. If you want to lose weight or burn fat, you need to burn more calories than you are taking in. This means you need to look at your total daily calories and distribute it evenly between how many meals you eat. 

Each person will be different with their preferences for how many meals they eat a day and how big each meal is. You should try to stick to the guidelines listed above for when and what to eat before a workout, particularly if you’re trying to improve your performance in the gym. Remember, you will likely never see a high-level athlete training without fueling their body first, so take notes if you want to increase performance or achieve muscle hypertrophy. 

Having said that, research states that when you eat before exercise, your blood sugar levels are higher before and during your workout session⁵. Simply put, exercising in a fasted state means your body can more easily break down fats for energy.

While there has been some research done to indicate the potential benefits of exercising in a fasted state, there are currently no compelling studies showing that working out while fasting leads to significantly more weight loss or fat reduction⁶. This means it will take some trial and error to see what you prefer, how you perform, and how your body responds.

Tips for morning workouts

We know how hard it can be to wake up early before your workout. Sometimes you have to drag yourself out of bed for a brutal 5 a.m. gym session. Yes, if you want to get that bigger balanced meal we discussed earlier, you will have to wake up early enough to eat, so it has time to digest.

If you are going that route, try preparing your meal the night before. They say failing to plan is planning to fail, and that couldn’t be more true in this case. Even throwing a light snack, like a banana and protein shake, in your gym bag the night before to have on the way to the gym will do the trick. Your plan to progressive overload and make serious gains won't work if you've got no energy to work with.

Meal ideas for an early morning workout:

• Cereal (be careful with really sugary brands), milk, and an orange 
• A protein shake and banana
• Yogurt and fruit, like berries or banana slices, and cereal with whole grains
• Whole grain toast
• Muffin and chocolate milk

If it’s too tough to wake up that early, that’s ok too. Just remember the timing guidelines we already went over. Try to wake up 30 minutes before your workout. This will give your body some fast-acting fuel and help prevent muscle breakdown. Quick options include a protein smoothie with low-fat milk and mixed berries, which is easy to blend the night before or the morning of. If you give yourself enough time, you can make a protein coffee and pair it with a piece of fruit, simultaneously providing you with caffeine and pre-workout fuel.

Gatorade or some juice can be a great last-minute fix to help give your body a quick energy boost and fight that lightheaded, faint feeling that may come from low blood glucose levels. Be careful with nutrition bars as they usually have a higher fiber and fat content than you realize. This will help avoid that painful bloated, cramping stomach feeling that would undoubtedly derail an intense workout.

Hydrate during your AM pre-workout meal 

Your body has been resting all night, and you haven’t taken in any water. Remember that dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume and decreased skin blood flow, sweat rate, and heat dissipation, increased core temperature, and increased glycogen use. 

To sum up, it’s like driving your car without oil. It may run, but nowhere near as efficient as it would with the necessary fluids. 

Try for 8 to 12 ounces right away upon waking to stay hydrated.

Is it ok to not eat before a workout?

As discussed, it will come down to your preference. If you are able to eat a full, balanced meal 2 to 3 hours before your workout, then that will likely give you your best performance and results. 

If it’s closer to your workout, then you simply adjust to the meals we discussed that include fewer fats and a more 2 to 1 carb to protein ratio. For this time frame, think small snack instead of regular meals.

Is fasted training right for you?

You can still have a fantastic workout if you are unable to eat before. So whether it’s fasted cardio in the morning or you simply were unable to eat during the day and need to get your session in, it can be done. A few things to keep in mind, though. If you're taking dietary supplements, like pre-workout, and are typically susceptible to an upset stomach, it may be best for you to take with some food. Also, fatigue from not eating may harm your performance.

Try to think of it this way. If you were to give your nutrition and exercise a grading scale, then fueling and hydrating correctly would give you an A+ and would significantly improve your results, ensuring you have enough muscle strength and enough energy. But we know some students learn and perform differently than others. Therefore, some people working out without eating beforehand would grade a B+ on their fitness report card. For some people, that may drop them to a D. 

To sum up, it is ok to not eat before a workout, but taking inventory of how you felt and performed during that workout is important. Always consider how you’re feeling during a gym session. If you felt sluggish, lightheaded, weak, experienced muscle cramps, or your performance drastically decreased, you may be a person who shouldn’t go without eating beforehand. 

If you feel focused, vital, and energized, you may be someone who can get away with not eating before your workout. If your goals are to increase strength or performance, you should strive to fuel before each workout and let the fasted workouts be few and far between. Sometimes they may be necessary if you have to get your workout in, but they shouldn’t become a regular habit. 

Overall best foods to eat before a workout

Keep in mind what you have already learned. The timing before a workout will affect what macronutrients and foods are prioritized. 

If it’s farther away from your workout, eat a bigger, more balanced meal that includes foods dominant in protein and carbs. Also, include some fats as you are eating early enough to give your body time to digest them. 

Closer to your workout, try to focus on proteins and carbs with minimal fats. This is not the time to indulge in a bulking breakfast. Don’t forget that these meals are simply a fraction of your total calories for the day, so keep track of them.

A helpful way to think about it and prepare is to have a list of options for each macronutrient. 

Then you can plug in different options for what you like, which will help you avoid becoming bored with eating the same thing.

Here are some of the best foods to include for each:

1. Protein:

These include options such as chicken breast, tuna, salmon, lean deli meats, greek yogurt, protein powders, milk, and lean ground beef, which will increase muscle protein synthesis, support lean body mass, help muscle fibers repair, and provide you with essential amino acids.

2. Complex Carbohydrates:

Complex carbs include brown or white rice, pasta, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, and oats.

3. Simple Carbohydrates:

Fruit, cereal, juice, sports drinks, white bread, potatoes, and muffins are all great easy-to-digest carbs.

4. Healthy fats:

For fats, think nuts, legumes, nut butters, olive oil, eggs, cheese, and fattier cuts of steak or ground beef.

What to Eat Before a Workout: Key takeaways

You should now understand how to set yourself up for pre-workout fueling success. Remember, it will take some trial and error work to see what works best for you. These guidelines will help point you in the right direction, so you can figure out what and when you need to eat to ensure you bring your gym A game to take on that ultimate bro split workout plan you're gearing up to start.

Despite everyone’s differences, these pre-workout fueling takeaways remain a constant:

• Figure out how long before resistance workout you are going to eat and adjust accordingly.
• Follow the formula for what types of foods fit with each macronutrient and plug them in based on what you like, what makes you feel best, and what will lead to a balanced diet.
• Fasted workouts, if necessary, can be done and may help lose fat, but fueling for performance is usually what the body is asking for. Opting to not eat may make you feel sluggish. Remember that fat loss comes from total calories vs. calories burned during the day, and adjust each meal accordingly. You're probably better off following a plan like the Metabolic Confusion Diet for weight loss results.
• Hydrating is an essential part of pre workout nutrition, so focus on proper fluid balance by drinking water.

And don't neglect your post-workout nutrition either. It's just as important.

Related: ISSN Position Stands on Supplements & Nutrition

References:

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2. Lm B, Ja H, Sh W, Ae J. Carbohydrates for Training and Competition. Journal of sports sciences. Published 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21660838/
3. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009;41(3):709-731. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31890eb86
4. Maughan RJ. Investigating the associations between hydration and exercise performance: methodology and limitations. Nutrition Reviews. 2012;70:S128-S131. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00536.x
5. Aird TP, Davies RW, Carson BP. Effects of fasted vs fed-state exercise on performance and post-exercise metabolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2018;28(5):1476-1493. doi:10.1111/sms.13054
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