What to Eat Before and After Training: A Timing Guide

Nutrient timing attracts more certainty than the evidence can carry. Two documents are worth reading directly rather than through supplement labels: the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on nutrient timing, and the joint position statement on nutrition and athletic performance from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine. This guide pulls out what they say about the hours around a session and leaves out what they do not.

The order of priorities

Before any clock, get the totals right. The ISSN stand says that meeting total daily protein, preferably in evenly spaced feedings roughly every 3 hours, “should be viewed as a primary area of emphasis,” and it places daily protein at 1.4–2.0 g/kg. In its practical applications it states that timing considerations for protein appear to be of lower priority than eating the right daily amount. The same logic applies to carbohydrate and energy.

The ISSN also gives a rule for the grey area: when a strategy may help or be neutral and fits your schedule and your ability to stick to it, it is worth using. When timed and untimed eating both work, follow whichever is more convenient and easier to keep up. That is a more useful sentence than any precise window.

Before training

The joint statement's guidance is for exercise lasting longer than about an hour: 1–4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight, eaten 1–4 hours beforehand. It adds that timing, amount and food choices should be suited to the individual. Foods low in fat, fibre and, to a lesser degree, protein are the usual choice, because high-fat, high-fibre or high-protein meals close to the start are more likely to cause stomach problems. Low glycemic index options may give a steadier supply where you cannot eat during the session.

Most of that range is written with endurance work in mind. For an hour of lifting, the practical reading is simpler: eat something with carbohydrate and some protein in the hours before, and do not arrive hungry or overfull. The ISSN adds one nuance about protein: the size and timing of your pre-exercise meal affect how much the post-exercise protein matters. A proper meal beforehand takes some pressure off the meal afterwards. If you train fasted, the meal afterwards carries more weight. The site's pre-workout guide covers meal composition and supplements in more depth.

After training

Protein

Both statements agree on the dose and are looser than most marketing on the deadline.

• ACSM/AND/DC: about 0.25–0.3 g/kg of body weight of high-quality protein, providing roughly 10 g of essential amino acids, in the early recovery phase (0–2 hours after exercise). That works out to 15–25 g across typical body sizes. Doses above 40 g have not been shown to raise muscle protein synthesis further. The statement also notes that adaptation can be maximised by repeating about 0.3 g/kg after key sessions and every 3–5 hours across meals.
• ISSN: 20–40 g (0.25–0.40 g/kg) of a high-quality source per dose, about every 3–4 hours, with post-exercise ingestion from immediately to 2 hours after stimulating robust increases in muscle protein synthesis.

Neither document sets a 30-minute deadline. The ISSN does say that waiting several hours after training offers no benefit, so “whenever” is not the answer either. For a 75 kg lifter, the ACSM figure is about 19–22 g and the ISSN range is about 19–30 g per meal. Our post-workout guide and the protein guide go further on sources and daily totals.

Carbohydrate

The high rates in the literature exist for one situation: a short turnaround. The joint statement gives about 1.0–1.2 g/kg per hour, starting early in recovery and continuing for 4–6 hours, for athletes with less than 8 hours between two demanding sessions. The ISSN gives 1.2 g/kg/h for four to six hours when glycogen must be restored in under 4 hours of recovery, and notes that adding protein (0.2–0.5 g/kg/h) raises glycogen resynthesis when carbohydrate is below 1.2 g/kg/h. For that same 75 kg lifter, 1.0–1.2 g/kg/h is 75–90 g of carbohydrate per hour, which is more food than a lifter with a rest day coming needs.

With a day or more between sessions, glycogen refills on your ordinary diet, and total daily carbohydrate does the work. The carb timing article walks through when the aggressive rates apply and when they do not.

A scenario table

Situation	Before	After
One session a day, ate a meal 1–3 hours before	Already covered	Your next normal meal, with a serving of protein (roughly 0.25–0.3 g/kg)
Training fasted, early morning	Optional light snack if it agrees with you	Protein-containing meal soon after (within the 0–2 hour range)
Long or hard session (over an hour)	Carbohydrate meal 1–4 hours ahead; low in fat and fibre	Protein plus carbohydrate; more carbohydrate if you train again soon
Two sessions in under 8 hours	Practical, easily digested carbohydrate	About 1.0–1.2 g/kg/h of carbohydrate for the first 4–6 hours, plus protein

Before sleep

The ISSN reports that about 30–40 g of casein protein before sleep can acutely increase muscle protein synthesis and metabolic rate through the night without affecting lipolysis. It also states that more research is needed to know whether timing itself, rather than simply adding to total daily protein, alters body composition or recovery. Treat it as an optional way to reach your daily protein target, not a requirement.

What to do with all this

1. Set your daily protein and carbohydrate first, then arrange meals around your sessions.
2. Eat a normal meal 1–4 hours before training, and choose foods you tolerate.
3. Have a protein serving of roughly 0.25–0.3 g/kg within a couple of hours afterwards.
4. Save the high carbohydrate rates for short turnarounds and long or hard sessions.
5. Keep water and sodium in view on hot days or long sessions; see hydration for performance.

The joint statement itself advises that athletes be referred to a registered dietitian for a personalised plan, and that is sensible for anyone with a medical condition, a history of disordered eating, or a competition schedule. This article is general information and not medical advice.

Sources

• Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:33. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4
• Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2016;48(3):543–568. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852

FAQ: Eating around training

How long before training should I eat?

The joint statement gives 1–4 hours ahead for sessions over an hour, with lower-fat, lower-fibre foods. For most lifting sessions, a normal meal a couple of hours before is a reasonable fit.

Do I have to eat protein within 30 minutes after lifting?

No. The ISSN describes robust increases in muscle protein synthesis with protein eaten from immediately to 2 hours after exercise, and neither statement sets a 30-minute deadline.

How much protein should one post-workout meal contain?

About 0.25–0.3 g/kg (15–25 g) per the joint statement, or 20–40 g per the ISSN. Doses over 40 g have not been shown to add to muscle protein synthesis.

Do I need carbohydrate after a weight session?

Only urgently if you train again within hours. Otherwise total daily carbohydrate matters more than the timing.

Is a protein shake before bed useful?

The ISSN reports that 30–40 g of casein before sleep can acutely raise overnight muscle protein synthesis, with the caveat that it is unclear whether timing matters beyond reaching daily protein.