Proper nutrition can make such a difference to your training, so it’s worth focusing on. People often ask me what I eat pre and post training, and it’s pretty much the same every time. First, I’ll share my own personal routine, and then our resident sports nutritionist Steph Lowe will dive into the ideal way to eat before and after a workout.
Amelia Phillips: Pre-Workout and Post-Workout Nutrition Routine
I don’t eat before I work out, as I train first thing in the mornings. My focus is also remaining lean and light, so I like to train on an empty stomach. I start the day with a cup of herbal tea instead.
Post-workout, around 11am, I have a pretty substantial breakfast: two poached eggs (only one yolk), ricotta, avocado, tomato, smoked salmon and toast, with my earl grey tea (that I savour!). If I’m lucky, I eat my breaky at my favourite café LUXE, Bondi.
I then have a really light lunch, a healthy snack and light dinner (followed by a little sweet treat most nights).
But don’t just listen to me, I’ve called in the big guns! Nutritionist Steph Lowe shares her sports nutrition tips below:
What to Eat Before a Workout
It’s important to have several fasted training sessions per week. Working out on an empty stomach increases metabolic efficiency and burns up to twice as much fat. It takes 5 to 8 hours to reach a fasting state after eating, so the easiest time to train fasted is first thing in the morning.
I recommend starting with two fasted training sessions per week of 30 minutes in duration.
Outside of fasted training, your pre-training food choice should depend on the specificity of the session:
What to Eat Before a High Intensity Workout
For high intensity or interval training, a high-carbohydrate snack is ideal, as the body relies more on carbohydrates for fuel at a high heart rate. Eating a piece of fruit half an hour before your workout is a great option. A banana, for example, has a nice balance of fructose and glucose for energy.
What to Eat Before a Low Intensity Workout
For low intensity and/or extended duration exercise, low-carbohydrate foods are best. At a lower heart rate, the body’s carbohydrate requires far fewer carbohydrates, so minimising your exogenous carbohydrate (that which you consume) can help increase your fat-burning ability.
A great high-protein option is chia pudding. Simply soak three tablespoons of chia seeds in nut milk overnight, and serve topped with fresh berries and Greek yoghurt.
If you choose a full serve, you may find 90 minutes prior to exercise is the ideal time to eat your pre-training meal.
What to Eat After a Workout
Immediately After Training (Within an Hour)
Eat within the hour post-training to assist the recovery process with nutrient-dense real food. The bulk of your meal should come from quality protein, good fats and predominately non-starchy vegetables.
To this, add a small amount of complex carbohydrates to top up muscle glycogen and ensure you are ready to go for your next session. The best choices are fruits such as bananas and mangos, and starchy vegetables such as sweet potato and potato. Grains such as pasta, bread and rice come out of a packet and can’t beat what nature provides.
Try a healthy smoothie as the liquid nature provides optimal absorption at a time where energy is being diverted away from the digestive system and into the recovery process. Other great ideas include a banana sliced down the middle and spread with almond butter, an omelette with last night’s roasted vegetables and half an avocado, or grass-fed steak with steamed greens and sweet potato chips.
Ongoing Nutrition for Training
Prioritise real food, but lower your carbohydrate intake to keep your body in its natural fat burning zone.
- Prioritise quality protein such as lean meats, fish, chicken and eggs. Aim for a palm-size portion or three eggs, which will provide about 20g of protein.
- Add one to two portions (~30 grams) of good quality fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts or butter.
- Aim for two cups of green vegetables with your main meals.
In terms of portions, the guidelines above can also be applied to immediately post-training too.
Next Steps
You can find some of my favourite recipes here:
- Healthy breakfast ideas
- Homemade lunch recipes
- Healthy family dinner recipes
- High-protein and low-sugar snacks
- Healthy dessert recipes
Don’t miss my article on what elite athletes eat – some of them will surprise you!
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