Whether you are an athlete, an avid runner, do yoga, take a morning walk or casually move your body, what you eat throughout the day impacts your energy, strength, recovery and muscle building. Not only is performance nutrition gaining popularity, but I am also seeing clients in my practice who are left exhausted after working out, or not eating enough of the proper nutrients to help them with their fitness and health goals.
This article will go through performance nutrition, why it matters, and how you can fuel your body in a way that works for you.
What Is Performance Nutrition?
Performance nutrition is the practice of eating in a way that supports your body before, during, and after physical activity. At its core, performance nutrition focuses on two things: fuel and recovery.
Fuel means giving your body the energy it needs to perform.
Recovery means giving your body what it needs to repair and grow stronger afterward.
Why Does It Matter?
Your body runs on energy from food. During exercise, it draws on stored carbohydrates called glycogen. Glycogen is essentially your body's fuel tank. When that tank is low, your energy drops. You feel tired earlier, your focus fades, and your strength decreases.
After exercise, your muscles are in a state of repair. Small tears form in muscle tissue during activity (this is how muscles grow). To repair those tears and build new muscle, your body needs protein. Without enough protein after a workout, recovery takes longer and muscle building slows down.
Eating well around your workouts does not just improve performance. It also affects your energy levels for the rest of the day, your sleep, your hunger, and how quickly you bounce back for your next session.
What Should You Eat Before a Workout?
The goal before exercise is to give your body fuel it can use for the duration of your workout. That means carbohydrates (your body's preferred energy source during exercise) combined with a moderate amount of protein.
What does this look like?
Think, a carbohydrate like rice, oats, bread, crackers, potatoes or fruit, combined with a smaller amount of protein like eggs, yogurt, tofu, legumes, nuts or seeds.
It is best to workout a few hours after a larger meal and with a snack 30 minutes- 1 hour before the start of your workout.
Examples include:
Bowl of oatmeal with a boiled egg
A Banana or three dates with a tbsp of peanut butter
1-2 pieces of fruit with yogurt
A few rice cakes with peanut butter, or sliced turkey
What Should You Eat After a Workout?
After exercise, your body shifts into recovery mode. Your muscles are ready to absorb nutrients, your glycogen stores need refilling, and your body is ready to start repairing. The two most important nutrients after a workout are protein and carbohydrates, and they work best together.
Protein is the building block of muscle repair. Protein sources provide the amino acids (the small molecules that make up protein) that your body uses to rebuild muscle tissue after exercise. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends consuming 20-40 g of protein after exercise to help your body build muscle.
Carbohydrates help your body use protein effectively and help the amino acids from protein get into your cells to build muscle. Protein builds muscle, and carbohydrates help to get it there.
What does this look like?
A good source or protein with a side of carbohydrates.
Examples include:
2 to 3 eggs with a piece of fruit and toast
Cottage cheese, seeds with fruit
A meal with a source of protein (chicken, turkey, fish, meat), sweet potato or potato or rice, and vegetables
A protein shake (or protein powder with water) with piece of fruit on the side
Real-life tip: Think of your post-workout meal as your regular next meal, just make sure it includes both protein and carbohydrates. You do not need a special recovery shake unless it is convenient for you.
Key Takeaways
Fuel before, repair after. Carbohydrates power your workout. Protein helps you recover and build muscle.
Eat a balanced meal or a small snack before exercise including carbohydrates and protein, and keep fat and fibre lower.
Aim for 20 to 40 grams of protein within 2 hours after your workout to support muscle repair and growth (Phillips & Van Loon, 2011; Kerksick et al., 2017).
Pair that protein with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates refuel your glycogen stores and help the protein get into your muscles.
The Bottom Line
Eating well before and after a workout is one of the most practical things you can do to feel better, perform better, and recover faster.
At RxFood, we know that nutrition looks different for everyone. Whether you are just getting started with exercise or training with specific performance goals, you can use our app to help track protein and build your plan, or meet with our team of nutritionists with an approach that works for your body, schedule and life.