I get asked this quite a bit, “Coach, what am I supposed to eat pre and post workout?” But before I answer this question, let me briefly share some common responses I get from clients when I respond with, “Before our training session, what did you eat?” and let me tell ya… I’ve had several clients who tell me that all they had was a protein shake, but no carbs. Sometimes, they tell me it’s a piece of toast with butter or avocado, but no protein. Some have even come in for training fasted, all day, with only coffee in their stomach. So what’s the best choice? Are any of them right? Are any of them wrong?

Long story short, your body needs, first and foremost, an energy source that allows you to push through your entire workout without getting overly fatigued. While there isn’t a bad time of day to consume protein, protein isn’t an energy source and won’t give you that boost you’re looking for. And fats are an energy source, but they are slow to digest. So the best pre-workout food is actually going to be a carbohydrate, as carbohydrates are your body’s natural preferred energy source.

Having some carbohydrates 30-60 minutes before a workout can give you that boost you need to push thru your workout. A little protein is fine too, though(10-15grams) as it’s been shown to help protect muscle during the workout, and it helps mitigate muscle soreness post-workout if taken beforehand.

Here are some pre-workout carb suggestions for you!

• 1/2c oatmeal with granola and honey drizzle
• A whole banana
• A granola bar
• A high-carb, low-fat protein bar
• 20-30g worth of carbs in any fruit

Got less than 30 minutes till your workout?

Think simple carbs, they can be digested more quickly, since they generally lack fiber, which slows digestion. Eat some candy. I know what you are thinking, candy? in the gym. This is the one place I guarantee you will use that energy and not store it as fat, trust me on this one! 15-25g carbs is generally enough

• Sports drinks, (Gatorade with sugar)
• Cereal/ cereal bar (rice Krispy treats)
• White breads, white rice
• Candy (sour patch kids, starburst, etc)

If you have ever been at the gym, pushing hard, and all of a sudden gotten that icky, “I don’t know if I want to pass out or barfy feeling…”, that’s generally an indicator that you either didn’t eat enough carbs prior to your workout or if you did you trained at a really high intensity and straight up depleted yourself of all your glycogen stores. So here would be a good time to pop a few candies to keep your energy up and finish the workout. Seriously. It’s okay, eat the candy! Even Rob keeps candy in his gym bag.

After your workout… We now need to refuel with high-protein to start the muscle repair process, and then a few more carbs to replenish any glycogen lost during the workout.

In both cases, before and immediately after a workout, we want to keep fat on the low end, generally around 10-15g tops. Fat slows digestion, and when digestion is slowed, your uptake of nutrients is also slowed, and we want our protein and carbs to get into our system as fast as possible before and after a workout. In general, keep the bulk of your fats furthest away from your workout time.

So to sum it up:

• Pre-Workout Foods = High carb, low fat, moderate protein
• Post-Workout Foods = High protein, moderate carb, low fat

I hope that helps you all get the gains and stay fueled up!
~ Coach Ame