Nutrient Timing: What do I need to eat pre, intra, and post workout?
Quick. Did you just finish your workout? Now you need to sprint as fast as you can to your nearest shake bar and chug a protein shake to maximize your gains, right?
Well. Probably not.
Nutrient timing is one of the latest trends making its way through the fitness industry. In theory, timing specific nutrients in the windows before, during, and after our workouts would put us in an optimal environment for whatever our goals are - whether that’s recovering from a long-distance run, building muscle, or replenishing energy stores for the next session. Some coaches have specific macronutrient breakdowns for their athletes and “prescribe” certain windows in which to eat them.
So what should I do? Do I need a specific plan for this in order to reach my goals?
Like most things in the fitness world, it depends. Nutrient timing is based on the idea of “optimal” but that doesn’t always mean practical. If I have a client who is struggling to hit their calorie markers throughout the day I won’t be throwing more parameters at them because the initial goal is already a challenge. This can also be true if I have athletes who train fasted, have a tight schedule, work 12-hour shifts after workouts, etc. This attempt of an “optimal” environment will not make their goals more achievable, if anything, it will seem to make their goals that much more difficult to reach.
There are no hard and fast rules here - research does not show that one specific method works in the general population.
What do I recommend?
Finding a plan that works well for you. Here’s how:
Find your ideal window. Some people can eat 3 hours ahead of time and feel great, some people can eat 15 minutes before their workout and crush it. A good ballpark is typically 1 - 2 hours away, pre and post workout, but you can try out a few different strategies. You want to feel fueled but not overfull.
Eat what works for you - what doesn’t take too much time to make and digests well for you? My favorite pre-training on-the-goal meal is a chocolate protein shake with a serving of rice krispies cereal. This combination tastes delicious, digests easy, and I can store it basically anywhere but that also works within my particular goals and macronutrient requirements.
What about your whole day view? Pre, intra, and post workout nutrition should be seamless with the rest of your day - meaning these meals should not be causing you to miss your calorie or macro goals.
Don’t nocebo yourself. These nutrition windows are OPTIMAL, not mandatory. You should still be able to perform well if you don’t have all of your meals in and are eating well throughout your day. Your workout will not suffer because you didn’t follow your plan perfectly, to the minute or gram.
Ask yourself if you have all of the other boxes checked off. If you are controlling your other controllable, seeing progress, and would like to experiment with specific nutrient and timing parameters, go for it!
So, in conclusion. Find the foods that nourish you and your workouts. There are no hard and fast rules. If you want to train and eat like an Olympian, that’s perfectly fine - and if you don’t have time to think about the post workout window because you have to pick up your kids from soccer practice, that is okay too.