People obsess over the best workout, but completely overlook nutrition timing. So here’s the real question: should you eat before or after lifting to get the best results?
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Eating before your workout gives you energy to train hard. Eating after helps you recover and grow. You need both if you're serious about performance, recovery, and body composition.
Training hard but still feeling drained? You might be missing the right nutrient timing — let a coach build a plan that works for you. Start here.
A pre-workout snack should include fast-digesting carbs and a bit of protein — like a banana and whey protein, or rice cakes and turkey slices.
The ideal post-workout meal is protein-heavy with moderate carbs. Think chicken and rice, or a protein shake with oats and fruit.
You can — but it depends on the session. Light cardio or mobility? No problem. But for heavy strength training, fasted workouts often reduce performance and increase fatigue.
If you must train fasted, consider adding electrolytes and essential amino acids to protect muscle.
If you had to choose, post-workout is more important — especially for muscle growth. But skipping pre-workout fuel will still hurt performance and limit training intensity, which limits gains.
We go deeper into both ends of this equation in our posts on pre-workout snacks and post-workout meals.
Drink a shake or eat something light — even 15g of carbs can improve energy and focus.
Within 30–60 minutes is ideal. Don’t delay your recovery meal if you’ve trained hard.
Yes, as long as it meets your protein and carb needs. Just avoid high fat right before training.
Want more lifter-focused nutrition strategies? Browse the full Iron Alliances nutrition hub.
Iron Alliances coaches program your meals around your workouts so you never have to guess — only train, eat, and grow.
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