What to Eat Before and After an Endurance Workout vs. Weight Training Workout

Seeing your food as workout fuel is a basic step toward becoming serious with your health and fitness. Timing and nutrient intake around your workouts is vital to your results and routine¹. Here is my list of what are great examples of what to eat before and after workouts to supply your body with the nutrients needed for your specific workout.

FYI: Before your workouts carbohydrates are used as immediate fuel for body and restore glycogen levels and Pre-workout protein intake increases resting energy expenditure, also provide spare carbs and provide extra fuel for body—amino acids are broken down into sugars¹

What you eat before and after workouts can actually depend on what your workout will consist of.  A high endurance workout will utilize a higher carbohydrate intake.

Running/HIIT/cardio  

Before

Easily digested carbs: provide energy and fat for sustained energy

• Banana and nut butter
• Dried fruit & nuts/seeds
• Rice cakes with nut butter
• Apple and hard boiled egg
• 1/2 bagel with cream cheese

After: after a long run your blood sugar and glycogen should be low consume fast acting carbs to replenish¹

• chocolate milk
• cottage cheese with berries
• nut butter on wheat toast
• hummus with carrots
• oatmeal
• greek yogurt smoothie
• sweet potato

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Weight/resistance training  

Weight lifting and resistance training benefit from a little more protein

Before : protein and carbohydrates

• oatmeal and nut butter
• whole egg and wheat toast
• smoothie (oats, fruit, greek yogurt)
• cottage cheese and fruit
• protein pancake
• protein shake

After: high protein to repair and regrow tissues and muscles ¹ fast acting carbohydrates to restore your glycogen and blood sugar

• chocolate milk
• protein shake
• protein bar
• tuna
• chicken and brown rice
• egg white omelet

Reference:

¹Biss, Matt. “A Beginner’s Guide To Workout Nutrition: Before, During And After Training.” Bodybuilding.com. 8 Mar. 2015. Web. <http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/a-beginners-guide-to-workout-nutrtion.html&gt;.