What you eat before your workout can have a big impact on your energy, exercise performance, and recovery.
However, your pre-workout snack should be tailored to the type of exercise you’re engaging in.
We spoke with experts to learn exactly what to eat before different types of workouts so you can fuel your body for optimal performance.
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What to Eat
Try consuming a balanced meal that contains carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats a few hours before your strength-training workout. If you don’t have time for a meal, consider a carb-focused snack closer to your workout.
- Meal: Kimberley Rose-Francis, RDN, CDCES, recommends baked sweet potato, chicken breast, and avocado-walnut salad.
- Snack: Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian, recommends Greek yogurt with berries and oats.
Why It Works
Studies show that eating a protein-rich meal within three to four hours before your strength workout can promote muscle growth and enhance muscle recovery.
“The primary goal of strength training or weightlifting is muscle growth,” said Rose-Francis. Fueling up with carbs will help give you the energy to power through your strength-training session, while protein will support muscle building and muscle recovery.
When to Eat It
Try having a balanced meal several hours before your workout or a lighter, carb-rich snack within the hour before your workout.
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What to Eat
“For endurance-type cardio workouts like running or cycling, focus on eating easily digestible carbohydrates with a small amount of protein and minimal fiber or fat,” explained Routhenstein.
Keeping your fat and fiber intake low before cardio workouts helps prevent stomach discomfort.
- Meal: Routhenstein recommends eating a larger meal, such as oatmeal with fruit, one to three hours before your cardio workout.
- Snack: If you need a quick snack closer to your workout, Routhenstein suggests a banana for a quick carb boost.
Why It Works
“While muscles can use fat, protein, and/or carbohydrates for fuel, for endurance training, consuming carbohydrate-rich foods before exercise is beneficial for performance,” said Rose-Francis. Carbs provide a readily available fuel source for your muscles and can delay fatigue during workouts.
“Carbohydrates help build your carbohydrate storage, what we call glycogen stores, which fuel your endurance,” added Routhenstein.
When to Eat It
Try to eat a carb-rich meal three to four hours before your run, or you can fuel up with a quick, high-carb snack, like a banana or raisins, 30 to 60 minutes before your run.
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What to Eat
“High-intensity interval training or bootcamp-style workouts require both quick and sustained energy, so a combination of complex carbohydrates and moderate protein is best, with lighter fat and fiber to avoid digestive discomfort,” explained Routhenstein.
“During HIIT, you lose both water and key electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium,” said Rose-Francis. To replace lost fluid and electrolytes, she recommended staying hydrated and choosing foods rich in minerals.
- Meal: Rose-Francis recommends mineral-rich snacks like chocolate milk, which provides calcium; salted nuts, which deliver sodium and magnesium; and bananas, which provide potassium.
- Snack: Routhenstein likes to power up with a fruit smoothie made with protein powder, which is a filling and nutritious pre-workout snack.
Why It Works
“Carbs provide fast-acting fuel, and protein supports muscle recovery after intense intervals,” said Routhenstein.
Choosing electrolyte-rich foods prior to working out can help you perform at your best during a HIIT workout. Electrolytes are key for fluid balance, muscle function, and proper nerve signaling, all of which are essential for peak athletic performance.
When to Eat It
Try eating a balanced meal two to three hours before your HIIT workout, or fuel up with a higher-carb snack, like a fruit smoothie, a banana, or half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich an hour or so before exercising.
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What to Eat
Though it’s not always necessary to eat before a low-intensity workout, like yoga, a quick snack may be helpful for some people.
For example, people who experience low blood sugar may need to grab a quick snack before their yoga class or a short walk.
“For yoga or other low-intensity workouts, you typically don’t need a full meal beforehand, especially because eating too close to your practice can lead to discomfort or acid reflux, particularly during inversions or poses that compress the abdomen,” said Routhenstein.
- Snack: If you do need something before your low-intensity workout, Routhenstein recommends a light snack, such as a small portion of yogurt with berries.
Why It Works
If you’ve eaten in the last few hours, you probably don’t need a meal or snack before your low-intensity yoga class. However, if the class is more intense, such as a hot yoga or a yoga sculpt class, you may not want to go into your workout with an empty stomach.
Choosing lighter snacks, like toast, yogurt with berries, or fruit, can give you the energy boost you need without weighing you down or causing discomfort during certain poses.
When to Eat It
If you need to eat something before your yoga class, have a light snack around an hour or so before your workout.
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Some people like to work out early in the morning before they’ve had something to eat. While this may work for some people, others may need a bit of fuel before their morning exercise.
“Some people perform better on an empty stomach, while others benefit from a bit of fuel,” said Routhenstein.
If you’re engaging in a higher-intensity workout, like weight-lifting or running, Rose-Francis recommends pre-workout fuel to improve energy and stamina.
What to Eat
- Coffee: If you’d like to stay in a fasted state, a cup of black coffee can help boost your energy and may help improve exercise performance.
- Snack: For a lighter bite before a workout, like a run or a cycling class, choose a banana or a piece of toast with a bit of jam to ensure you have the energy to perform at your best.
Why It Works
Though fasted workouts may lead to greater fat-burning during your workout, studies show that there’s no difference between fasted and fed exercise in terms of body composition changes, such as weight loss or changes in body fat.
If you enjoy fasted workouts and your performance doesn’t seem to suffer, it’s generally fine to continue exercising without eating beforehand. But if you feel low on energy, lightheaded, or fatigued during your session, consider having a small snack first to give your body the fuel it needs.
For healthy adults, the choice of whether to eat before a workout or remain depends on personal preference and the duration and intensity of the workout.
When to Eat It
If you want a quick source of fuel before your morning workout, try eating a small snack around 30–60 minutes before you exercise.
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If you work out in the evening, whether you need a pre-workout snack depends on how long it’s been since your last meal and the intensity of your session.
If it’s been a few hours since you’ve eaten lunch, you may want to grab a pre-workout snack. “After a full day of work and activity, your body can benefit from a balanced snack to replenish energy and fuel your evening workout,” said Routhenstein.
What to Eat
- Light Meal or Snack: Routhenstein and Rose-Francis recommended a light meal or snack consisting of carbs and a bit of protein, such as a fruit and protein smoothie, half a bagel with nut butter, or rice with chicken.
Why it Works
“Carbohydrates help restore depleted energy stores, while protein supports performance and recovery,” explained Routhenstein. Carbs provide readily available fuel for your body to power through your workout, while protein reduces muscle breakdown and supports muscle recovery.
When to Eat It
Routhenstein recommended opting for a light snack, such as an apple with nut butter, two to three hours before your workout, and then following your workout with a balanced meal, like a quinoa bowl with veggies and salmon, to support recovery.
Pre-workout nutrition should align with the type, timing, and intensity of your workout, while also factoring in your personal preferences.
The right pre-exercise fuel can help you feel stronger during your workout, speed up recovery, and support better long-term results.
