Timing matters

What to eat before and after your workout

Training day nutrition directly affects performance and recovery. The right food at the right time — example meals for muscle gain, fat loss and endurance.

Select profile:

Training day schedule

Profile: 💪 Muscle Gain

🍽️

2–3 hours before

Full meal

Enough time to digest before training. A main meal that keeps blood sugar stable.

Principles

•Carbohydrates: 1–2 g/kg (rice, potato, pasta, oats)

•Protein: 25–40g (chicken, fish, eggs)

•Fat: moderate (not too much — slows digestion)

•Fibre: moderate

💪 Muscle Gain — example

Rice + chicken + vegetables

600–700 kcalP 45gC 75gF 12g
⚡

30–60 min before

Light snack

A quick energy boost before training. Easy to digest — avoid fatty or high-fibre options.

Principles

•Carbohydrates: 0.5–1 g/kg of fast carbs

•Protein: 15–25g

•Avoid fatty foods

•Avoid very high-fibre foods

💪 Muscle Gain — example

Banana + protein shake (25g)

230–260 kcalP 25gC 35gF 3g
🔄

After training

Recovery meal

Kick-starts recovery and muscle protein synthesis. Eat within 30–120 minutes after training.

Principles

•Protein: 20–40g (to trigger muscle protein synthesis)

•Carbohydrates: 0.5–1.5 g/kg (to refill glycogen)

•Fat: keep low — don't slow absorption

•Fluids and electrolytes: replace sweat losses

💪 Muscle Gain — example

Rice (150g) + chicken (180g) + vegetables

550–650 kcalP 48gC 70gF 8g
🌙

Evening snack (after a hard training day)

Overnight recovery

Casein protein digests slowly overnight and supports muscle protein synthesis during sleep.

Principles

•Protein: 30–40g of casein (quark, Greek yoghurt, milk)

•Carbohydrates: moderate (berries, fruit)

•Avoid heavy meals right before bed

•Avoid large amounts of liquid if it disrupts sleep

💪 Muscle Gain — example

Quark (250g) + berries + nuts (20g)

380–420 kcalP 35gC 25gF 14g

Best foods before training

🍌 Fast carbohydrates

Banana

White rice

Energy gel

White bread

Dates

Right before training (30–60 min)

🍚 Slow carbohydrates

Oatmeal

Brown rice

Potato

Sweet potato

Wholegrain pasta

2–3 hours before training

🥩 Protein sources

Chicken breast

Fish

Eggs

Quark

Protein shake

At every meal

🚫 Avoid before training

Fatty foods

High-fibre foods

Alcohol

Very large meals

Gas-causing foods

Slows digestion and hurts performance

Best foods after training

⚡

Fastest recovery

Protein shake + banana + water. Ready in 2 minutes and absorbs quickly.

~250 kcal · P 28g

🍽️

Perfect meal

Rice + chicken + vegetables. A perfect macro profile for recovery.

~600 kcal · P 48g

🥛

Quick snack

Quark + banana + nuts. A practical option when you're short on time.

~380 kcal · P 32g

Calculate your own needs

Meal sizes depend on your bodyweight, training intensity and goal. Calculate your exact values with these calculators.

Protein Calculator Calorie Calculator Macro Calculator

Full training day — example (muscle gain, 80 kg)

🌅

Breakfast

07:00

Oatmeal + eggs + banana

650 kcal · P 40g · C 75g

🥛

Snack

10:00

Quark + fruit

220 kcal · P 25g · C 20g

🍽️

Lunch

12:30

Rice + chicken + vegetables

680 kcal · P 50g · C 78g

⚡

Pre-workout

15:30

Banana + protein shake

250 kcal · P 25g · C 35g

🏋️

WORKOUT 💪

16:00–17:00

Training time — no eating

🔄

Post-workout

17:30

Rice + chicken + vegetables

620 kcal · P 48g · C 68g

🌙

Evening snack

20:30

Quark + berries + nuts

380 kcal · P 35g · C 25g

Daily total

~2800 kcal · Protein ~223g · Carbs ~301g · Fat ~71g

Frequently asked questions

The best pre-workout meal contains carbohydrates for energy and a moderate amount of protein. 2–3 hours before: a full meal such as rice + chicken + vegetables. 30–60 minutes before: a light snack like a banana + protein shake or quark + fruit. Avoid fatty and high-fibre foods right before training as they slow stomach emptying.
A post-workout meal should contain protein to kick-start muscle protein synthesis (20–40g) and carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores. Good recovery meals include rice + chicken, potato + salmon or quark + banana. Eating within 30–120 minutes after training is optimal.
You don't have to eat immediately after training. Research shows the so-called anabolic window is wider than previously thought — within 1–2 hours is sufficient. If you have trained for more than 90 minutes or very intensely, getting protein sooner is more beneficial.
Yes, short and moderately intense workouts can be done on an empty stomach. Fasted training may enhance fat burning in the short term. Long or very intense sessions — such as heavy strength training or cardio over 60 minutes — suffer when fasted: performance drops and the risk of muscle catabolism increases.
After a hard training day, the best evening snack is high in protein with a moderate amount of carbohydrates. Good options include quark with berries, cottage cheese, eggs + wholegrain bread or a protein shake in milk. Casein protein (found in quark and milk) digests slowly and supports overnight muscle protein synthesis.
2–3 hours before training you can eat 1–2 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight. 30–60 minutes before, 0.5–1 g/kg of fast-digesting carbs such as a banana or sports drink is enough. The amount of carbohydrates depends on the duration and intensity of training — a short 45-minute gym session does not require a special carb load.

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