What to eat before and after training

Meals around training are the most over-hyped topic in fitness. The truth is simple: total daily intake decides 90 % of the result, and timing is fine-tuning that only matters once the rest is in order.

Before training

If you train 2–3 hours after a meal

You need nothing extra. A normal meal with carbohydrates and protein (chicken, rice, salad) is perfect preparation.

If your last meal was a long time ago

Eat something easily digested 30–60 minutes before:

• banana + yoghurt
• a slice of bread with honey + coffee
• 30 g of protein powder + fruit
• a few dates or two slices of toast

Avoid a lot of fat and fibre right before training (fried eggs with ham, nuts, a big vegetable-heavy meal) — it sits in your stomach and bothers you between sets.

If you train early in the morning

Training fasted is not dangerous and does not "eat muscle" — but if you feel weak, have something small (a banana, 20 g of protein). For strength work, having at least some carbohydrate helps.

Caffeine: the only pre-workout worth it

3–6 mg per kilogram of body weight, 30–45 minutes before training, improves strength and endurance. For 80 kg that is 240–480 mg — one to two strong coffees. Do not take it after 4 pm if it wrecks your sleep; bad sleep cancels any benefit.

After training

The 30-minute "anabolic window" is a myth. The practical rule: eat a normal meal within 1–3 hours of training.

What it should contain:

• 25–45 g of protein (meat, fish, eggs, yoghurt, powder — it does not matter).
• Carbohydrates to refill glycogen — rice, potatoes, pasta, bread, fruit.
• Fat is fine and does not need avoiding.

The only case where timing genuinely matters: if you train twice in one day, or trained fasted — then eat as soon as you can.

Water and salt

• Drink 400–600 ml in the hour before training and sip during it.
• If you sweat heavily, add a little salt to your food afterwards — cramps come from low sodium far more often than from low magnesium.

What you do not need

• A shake immediately in the changing room. Pleasant, but unnecessary if your next meal is two hours away.
• BCAAs during training. No effect if your daily protein is adequate.
• Avoiding carbohydrates in the evening. It has nothing to do with gaining fat; total calories decide.

The short version

• A normal meal 2–3 hours before, or something light 30–60 minutes before.
• Caffeine 3–6 mg/kg if you need a lift.
• After training, a meal within 1–3 hours: 25–45 g protein plus carbohydrates.
• Timing is a detail; daily total is the thing.