Whether you're a member of the 6am club, a lunch-break runaway, a 5pm warrior or something in between, here's all you need to know to fuel the fire BEFORE you train to get the most bang for your buck in your session.
Your space in the class is booked. You're ready to go crush your training session. You're consistent and making progress. However you haven't quite got the trick of when or what to eat. You're either sluggish and burping during front squats or you're starving and ready to eat your arm come dinner time.
Here's how to best fuel your training to optimise your performance
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6am Club - The "Get it Done Early" crew
HYDRATION
You have limited time to hydrate in the morning and you will be dehydrated after 7 hours of sleep. Get up and drink a big glass of water immediately. Add some electrolytes in for extra credit.
CAFFEINE
Proven to help strength, aerobic capacity, fatigue…it’s not essential but it will help. Coffee / energy drinks / tablets - whatever you prefer. Take around 20-30 minutes pre-training.
CARBOHYDRATES
I know you don’t want to feel heavy or sluggish in training but training fasted is not ideal. Keep two things in mind:
1. Ensure you have eating adequate calories and carbs the day before.
2. Depending on when you wake, use a small snack or liquid-based carbs to help fuel your session.
If you do feel heavy or sluggish, you've likely eaten too much or too close to training
SNACK IDEAS
FOOD | LIQUID |
Banana | Coconut Water |
Soreen | Fruit juice |
Squares bar | Gel |
NAKD bar | Carb powder |
Toast with honey or jam | Milk |
12pm club - The "Quick Lunch Break or Shift Work" crew
WATER
Even a slight drop in hydration can lead to decreased performance so make sure you’re well on top of your water intake for the day by the time you get to class. Don't find yourself only having had coffee all morning.
MEAL TIMINGS
2-4 hours before – a normal, habitual meal will do the trick.
30-60 mins before – quick release sugars (carbs) which are easy to digest to release adequate energy. Avoid fat and fibre. Caffeine if you want a little boost.
5pm Club - The "Let's Blow off Some Steam" crew
LUNCH
Eat a balanced meal with protein, carbs and a little bit of fat/fibre to keep you fuelled and satisfied but not feeling heavy or bloated for hours.
PRE-WORKOUT SNACK
Even though you might not feel super hungry, without a snack, you could be going 7-8 hours between meals leaving your workout lack-lustre and you starving by the time dinner rolls around at 8pm.
Something 1-2 hours before training will mean you’re topped up.
SNACK IDEAS
SMALL | MEDIUM |
Granola or Cliff bar | Bagel with banana & nut butter |
Handful dried fruit | Egg wrap |
Small yoghurt pot | Protein smoothie |
Apple with nut butter | Fruit |
Fruit juice | Yoghurt with granola |
Protein drink | |
Remember FOOD is FUEL and it can take some trial and error to figure out what works for you but it's worth it in the long run for gym gains.
Take some time to learn your body and how it responds to certain foods combined with certain sessions.
Need help on nutrition? Let's chat 💬
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