What to Eat Before & After Every Type of Workout

You want to be strong, tough, and resilient. You want to crush every workout, push your limits, and dominate the competition. But to do that, you need to fuel your body with the right nutrition. You can't out-exercise a bad diet, which means you’ll need to be intentional about what you eat before and after every workout.

Whether you're doing cardio, resistance training, or an endurance challenge, you need to fuel your body with the right foods at the right time. So, listen up, because we’re going to break it down for you.

In this guide, we'll explore the best nutrition strategies for every type of workout, with tips, tricks, and meal ideas to help you crush your fitness goals, build mental toughness, and achieve peak physical performance. So, let's dive in and fuel your body for gains:

PRE-WORKOUT NUTRITION BASICS

Prime Your Body & Mind

• You can't crush a workout on an empty stomach. You need fuel to perform at your best.
• The key is to eat the right foods at the right time, based on the type of workout you're doing

POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION BASICS

Rebuild, Repair & Recover

• After you crush your workout, your body needs to refuel and recover. This is where post-workout nutrition comes in.
• Don't underestimate the importance of post-workout nutrition. This is when your body is primed to absorb nutrients and rebuild muscle. Don't waste the opportunity.

CARDIO WORKOUTS

Embrace the Suck

🔥 What Your Body Actually Needs

Cardio workouts, such as running, cycling, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), demand sustained energy and endurance.

🔥 How to Fuel Up

To fuel your body for cardio, load up on complex carbohydrates that provide a steady release of energy, such as brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, or whole-grain bread. You can also include a source of protein, such as chicken, fish, or tofu, to help repair and rebuild muscles. Also, staying hydrated is essential for a successful cardio session. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout, and consider consuming electrolytes to replenish what you lose through sweat.

🔥 What to Eat for Recovery

Strong & sweat-fueled cardio workouts always take it out of ya, which means your body needs to replenish glycogen stores and promote recovery. Opt for a meal that includes carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, such as a salad with grilled chicken and avocado, or a smoothie with protein powder, almond milk, and fruit.

🔥 The Bottom Line

By putting the right stuff into your body, you can power through your cardio workouts with energy and endurance, and push yourself to new limits. Remember, cardio sucks. It's hard. It's uncomfortable. But that's where growth happens. Embrace the suck and fuel your body for success.

RESISTANCE & BODYWEIGHT WORKOUTS

Build Strength & Discipline

🔥 What Your Body Actually Needs

Resistance training workouts, such as weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, or CrossFit, require discipline, focus, and the right nutrition to build strength and muscle.

🔥 How to Fuel Up

Before any bodyweight workouts, you want to eat a meal that provides energy through complex carbs, and plenty of protein which aids in muscle repair and growth. Consider foods like protein shakes, grilled chicken breast, fish, tofu, eggs, beans, quinoa, sweet potatoes, or whole-grain bread. Additionally, hydration is essential for resistance training, as it helps to transport nutrients to your muscles and promotes recovery. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout, and consider adding some electrolytes to your water.

🔥 What to Eat for Recovery

After your resistance training session, your body needs to repair and rebuild muscle fibers, and replenish glycogen stores. Focus on foods that include a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, such as grilled salmon with sweet potato and green beans, a protein-packed turkey omelet, or a chicken quinoa bowl with avocado and veggies.

🔥 The Bottom Line

Nutritional discipline equals freedom when it comes to bodyweight and resistance workouts. Success comes from consistent effort and hard work, which means you’ll have to be disciplined in what you eat in order to be free to crush your workout. But, with the right nutrition and mindset, you can embrace the grind, and keep pushing yourself to new heights of strength and muscle tone.  Fuel your body, stay hydrated, and bring your A-game to every workout.

ENDURANCE TRAINING WORKOUTS

Power Up Your Focus & Energy

🔥 What Your Body Actually Needs

Endurance training workouts, such as long-distance running, cycling, or triathlons, demand mental toughness and endurance, as well as the right nutrition to fuel your body for the long haul.

🔥 How to Fuel Up

To fuel up for demanding endurance workouts, your best bet is slow-burning complex carbohydrates that provide a sustained release of energy and electrolyte replenishment, along with protein for muscle repair and growth. Reach for a bowl of oatmeal with bananas, berries and nuts, plus some lean protein sources like chicken, fish, or tofu.

Hydration is also critical for endurance training, as it helps to transport nutrients to your muscles, regulate body temperature, and prevent dehydration. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout, and consider consuming electrolytes to replace what you lose through sweat.

During an endurance workout, you may need to consume additional fuel to maintain your energy levels. Pack some energy gels, chews, or sports drinks that contain carbohydrates and electrolytes to keep you going.

🔥 What to Eat for Recovery

After your long haul workout, your body needs to replenish glycogen stores and promote recovery. Dig into a meal rich in complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats, such as a quinoa salad with grilled chicken, avocado, and veggies, or a smoothie bowl with yogurt, granola, protein powder, almond milk, and mixed berries.

🔥 The Bottom Line

Endurance training is about staying focused, staying in the game, and pushing through the pain. Fuel your body with the right nutrition, and you'll be able to go the distance. Get the most out of your macros for endurance sessions, everyday eating and everything in-between with the MME Performance Nutrition Guide below.

As you can see, nutrition plays a critical role in your fitness journey. You can't out-exercise a bad diet, which means you’ll need to be intentional about what you eat before and after every workout.

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