Nutrition

What to eat before and after a workout: a guide to carbs

Arriving at the gym hungry or eating a huge meal just before training can both make a session uncomfortable. Find meals and snacks for different workout times, plus advice on when water is enough and when extra carbohydrates are useful.

Updated Oct 8, 20264 min read

Understand glycogen

Your body stores some carbohydrate as glycogen in muscles and the liver. Repeated heavy sets, intervals and long endurance sessions draw on these stores. Plan bread, rice, potatoes or other carbohydrate foods around the training ahead: a long, demanding session needs more preparation than a short movement break.

Choose everyday sources

Wholegrain bread, oats, potatoes, rice, fruit and pulses fit into many meals. Whole grains and pulses also provide fibre. If you currently eat little fibre, increase it gradually and notice how your digestion responds. Consider the meal as a whole; choosing foods based on a single number, such as their sugar content, misses useful information.

Match the meal to the time available

The closer exercise is, the more useful a familiar, comfortable portion becomes. These are planning examples, not compulsory timing rules. A substantial meal can suit a long gap; a small snack may be easier when you leave work shortly before training.

Situation	Example	What to check
Lunch, then training later	Rice, beans or tofu, vegetables and a little oil	Will the portion keep you satisfied until the session?
Hungry shortly before training	A banana or a small sandwich	Choose an amount you know your stomach tolerates.
An evening session followed by dinner	Potatoes or pasta with a protein source	Have the ingredients ready before you leave.
A long race or repeated demanding sessions	A tested fuelling plan	Practise the food, drink and access arrangements beforehand.

Start a workout comfortably fed

If you train after work, lunch could include rice, vegetables and tofu. A long gap before exercise might make a small snack useful, such as a banana or some bread. Large meals high in fat or fibre can feel uncomfortable close to intense activity for some people. Try familiar foods during ordinary training.

When to eat carbohydrates during a session

For an ordinary strength session lasting about an hour, eating enough before and afterwards and drinking water during the workout is often sufficient. Longer endurance efforts or two demanding sessions on one day need more planning. Duration alone does not describe the demand: an hour with rests between sets differs from an hour of continuous running.

Use the label to calculate a drink’s carbohydrate content: 6 grams per 100 millilitres gives 30 grams in a 500-millilitre bottle. That is a calculation, not a drinking prescription. Fluid needs and carbohydrate intake are connected, but each needs its own suitable plan.

Activity	Practical approach	What matters
Ordinary strength training with set rests	Eat beforehand; use a familiar snack if the gap between meals is long	Consider hunger and comfort. A sports drink is not an automatic requirement.
Endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours	DGE guidance gives 30–60 g carbohydrate per hour	Practise with a drink or food you tolerate during training.
Two longer, demanding sessions in one day	Plan a meal with carbohydrate and protein between sessions	Allow time to eat and digest when organising the day.

Change one thing when energy feels low

Training at 6 pm after lunch at noon? A banana or small sandwich in the afternoon may help. During the session, you can tell whether hunger is lower and the portion sits comfortably. A few similar sessions give you a better feel for your snack than one attempt.

Wholegrain foods are useful everyday options, while a lower-fibre choice can be more comfortable close to hard exercise. You can choose wholegrain bread at breakfast and ordinary rice before training. The choice depends on the meal and its timing, rather than a permanent good-food or bad-food label.

When you keep getting hungry during training

If half a working day separates lunch from your workout, a packed snack can make the start much more comfortable. Try a banana or a small sandwich and find an amount that sits well. If performance still feels low, sleep, stress and training volume also deserve attention. Diabetes and other conditions affecting metabolism require personal nutrition guidance.