What to Eat Before Training to Build Muscle?

The pre-workout meal is a crucial part of what’s known as peri-workout nutrition, which encompasses what you eat before, during, and after your exercise sessions. If you’ve already learned about the importance of post-workout meals, it’s time to shift your focus to pre-workout nutrition—especially if your goal is to gain muscle mass.

To maximize your results in the gym, paying attention to meals surrounding your workout is essential. In particular, your pre-workout meal stands out as one of the most important for boosting your performance.

Why Is a Pre-Workout Meal Important?

The pre-workout meal serves two primary purposes:

1. Providing Energy

1. During strength training, approximately 80% of the energy used comes from carbohydrates (1, 2, 3). This makes including this macronutrient in your pre-workout meal essential to ensure it is available as a fuel source during your workout.

• The Role of Glycogen: The carbohydrates you consume are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. During exercise, particularly strength training, these glycogen stores are the primary fuel source.
• Impact of Low Glycogen Levels: If your glycogen stores are insufficient—due to a low-carb diet or training on an empty stomach—your performance may suffer. This can lead to increased muscle fatigue and reduced training intensity.

Why Should You Avoid Training on an Empty Stomach?

Starting your workout with at least partially filled glycogen stores is crucial. Training with depleted reserves, such as when exercising in a fasted state, can limit your performance (2). Consuming carbohydrates before physical activity ensures your body has the energy it needs to perform at its best.

2. Ensure Key Nutrients for Muscle Growth

For your muscles to grow, muscle protein synthesis (the process of building new proteins) must exceed protein breakdown. While strength training stimulates both processes, consuming the right nutrients before exercising—especially proteins and carbohydrates—is critical to maximizing muscle growth and performance.

• Protein for Muscle Synthesis:
  Adequate protein intake supports muscle protein synthesis, leading to increases in muscle size and strength. While protein consumption should be consistent throughout the day, it is especially important around your workout meals. This ensures that during exercise, essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are available to prevent a negative balance between muscle synthesis and breakdown (1, 3, 4).
• Carbohydrates for Energy and Recovery:
  While carbohydrates don't directly contribute to muscle synthesis if protein intake is sufficient, they play a vital role in replenishing glycogen, the primary energy source during intense training. Additionally, carbohydrates stimulate the release of insulin, an anti-catabolic hormone that helps preserve muscle tissue by reducing protein breakdown. This effect is particularly important for maintaining muscle mass rather than directly stimulating growth (7).

What Should a Pre-Workout Meal Include?

To maximize your performance and support muscle recovery, your pre-workout meal should include:

1. Carbohydrates: Your Energy Source

Carbohydrates are essential for maintaining glycogen stores and preventing fatigue during exercise. The ideal amount of carbohydrates to consume before training varies depending on individual factors such as exercise intensity and personal goals. However, general recommendations include:

• Consuming 30-60 g of carbohydrates at a minimum before training.
• For more specific cases, such as intense workouts or athletes with higher demands, 1 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight may be appropriate. (5)

2. Proteins: Support for Your Muscles

It's recommended to consume 0.4 to 0.55 g of protein per kilogram of body weight in your pre-workout meal. Opt for sources that provide all essential amino acids, such as animal-based proteins (chicken, fish, eggs, dairy) or plant-based combinations (e.g., legumes with grains).

Factors to Consider When Adjusting Protein Intake

To determine whether you should aim for the higher end of these recommendations, consider the following:

• Caloric Deficit: Being in a caloric deficit increases the risk of muscle loss due to the catabolic environment.
• Low Body Fat Percentage: With fewer fat reserves, your body has fewer resources to draw on for energy, making carbohydrates even more critical.
• High-Intensity Workouts: Greater training demands require more energy and protein to support muscle repair and recovery.

How Long Before Training Should You Eat?

The ideal timing for your pre-workout meal depends on factors like digestion and the anabolic effect of proteins, which can last between 4 and 6 hours (1, 2).

General Recommendation:

Eat your pre-workout meal 30 minutes to 4 hours before training, depending on how quickly the foods you choose are digested.

• 30 Minutes Before Training: Opt for easily digestible foods like fruits or smoothies.
• 2-4 Hours Before Training: Include complete meals with complex carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats.

The type and amount of food will depend on how much time you have before your workout, as explained below.

👉 You might be interested: Caloric Deficit: What It Is and How to Achieve It

What to Eat 3-4 Hours Before Training

If your meal is several hours before your workout, the goal is to ensure slow and sustained digestion so nutrients are available during exercise. Here’s what to include:

• Solid Foods: Chewable foods digest more slowly than liquids, making a complete meal, such as breakfast or lunch, an ideal choice.
• Protein Sources: Options like chicken, turkey, red meat, fish, eggs (even with fats), tofu, or edamame are great. With enough time to digest, proteins can include healthy fats.
• Complex Carbohydrates (Slow Absorption): Choose whole grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables like potatoes or sweet potatoes.
• Healthy Fats: Include avocado, nuts, seeds, or olive oil to slow digestion and keep you satisfied.
• Fiber: Vegetables, whole grains, and whole fruits provide fiber, which slows digestion and supports a sustained energy release.

Examples of Meals 3-4 Hours Before Training

• Breaded Chicken with Rice: 627 kcal, 40 g protein, 71 g carbohydrates, 19 g fats.
• Chicken with Rice, Chickpeas, and Salad: 738 kcal, 46 g protein, 88 g carbohydrates, 25 g fats.
• Pasta with Fish, Olives, and Tomato: 614 kcal, 41 g protein, 67 g carbohydrates, 20 g fats.
• 2 Vegetable Omelet Sandwich: 775 kcal, 45 g protein, 81 g carbohydrates, 30 g fats.

Discover these recipes on Fitia and add them to your day effortlessly to meet your daily goals.

What to Eat 2-3 Hours Before Training

If your timing is more in-between, prioritize foods that are lighter to digest while still providing energy and muscle support.

• Low-Fat Proteins: Choose lean options like chicken or fish, avoiding high-fat sources like red meats, especially if you're adding extra fats to the meal.
• Moderate-Digestion Carbohydrates: Opt for foods containing both complex and simple carbs with lower fiber content, such as white rice instead of brown, pasta, white bread, quick oats, or a mix with fruits.
• Lower Proportion of Fats: Use nut butter instead of whole nuts for easier digestion and lower fiber.

Examples of Meals 2-3 Hours Before Training:

• Tuna and Pasta Salad: 578 kcal, 41 g protein, 66 g carbohydrates, 16 g fats.
• Oatmeal with Milk, Egg Whites, Apple and Walnuts: 449 kcal, 25 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 17 g fats.
• Chicken, Avocado, and Onion Sandwich: 418 kcal, 28 g protein, 47 g carbohydrates, 14 g fats.

Examples of Meals 3-4 Hours Before Training

• Breaded Chicken with Rice: 627 kcal, 40 g protein, 71 g carbohydrates, 19 g fats.
• Chicken with Rice, Chickpeas, and Salad: 738 kcal, 46 g protein, 88 g carbohydrates, 25 g fats.
• Pasta with Fish, Olives, and Tomato: 614 kcal, 42 g protein, 67 g carbohydrates, 20 g fats.
• Beef Stir-Fry with Broccoli, Bell Pepper, and Rice: 633 kcal, 43 g protein, 64 g carbohydrates, 23 g fats.
• Two Vegetable Omelet Sandwich: 775 kcal, 45 g protein, 81 g carbohydrates, 30 g fats.

Discover these recipes on Fitia and add them to your day effortlessly to meet your daily goals. You can also pair these nutrition strategies with an AI workout builder to create a fully customized training plan that aligns with your pre-workout fueling, ensuring both your diet and exercise work together for maximum performance. 

What to Eat 2-3 Hours Before Training

If your timing is more in-between, prioritize foods that are lighter to digest while still providing energy and muscle support.

• Low-Fat Proteins: Choose lean options like chicken or fish, avoiding high-fat sources like red meats, especially if you're adding extra fats to the meal.
• Moderate-Digestion Carbohydrates: Opt for foods containing both complex and simple carbs with lower fiber content, such as white rice instead of brown, pasta, white bread, quick oats, or a mix with fruits.
• Lower Proportion of Fats: Use nut butter instead of whole nuts for easier digestion and lower fiber.

Examples of Meals 2-3 Hours Before Training:

• Tuna and Pasta Salad: 578 kcal, 41 g protein, 66 g carbohydrates, 16 g fats.
• Oats with Egg Whites, Almonds and Wallnuts: 379 kcal, 20 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 20 g fats.
• Chicken, Avocado, and Onion Sandwich: 418 kcal, 29 g protein, 47 g carbohydrates, 14 g fats.

What to Eat 30-90 Minutes Before Training

When time is limited, focus on easily digestible foods that provide quick energy without causing discomfort.

• Fast-Absorbing Carbohydrates: Simple carbs like fruits (banana, mango, pineapple), cereal bars, or combinations like honey with white bread.
• Fast-Digesting Proteins: Whey protein shakes, egg whites, or high-protein yogurts like skyr or low-fat Greek yogurt.
• Avoid Fats and Fiber: These slow digestion and may cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
• Choose Liquid Options for Limited Time: A fruit and protein shake is ideal if you have less than 30 minutes.

Avoid large meals. The closer you are to your workout, the smaller your meal should be. Remember, the nutrients you need for recovery can also come from your post-workout meal. If your workout is in less than 30 minutes, eat something very light to curb hunger and prioritize nutrients afterward.

Examples of Meals 30-90 Minutes Before Training:

• Banana Shake (1 unit) with Whey Protein Powder (1 scoop): 246 kcal, 25 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 2 g fats.
• Skyr Yogurt (¾ cup) + Cereal (3 tbsp) + Mango (½ cup): 275 kcal, 23 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 1 g fats.
• Egg White Omelette (3 whites) + White Toast (2 slices): 275 kcal, 21 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 7 g fats.

Discover the Fitia app, where you can explore thousands of products tailored to your country's database and easily check their calories and macros. Download for free here.

Should I Include Fats?

While fats aren't the primary nutrient for a pre-workout meal, they can be included in small amounts, especially if you're eating several hours before exercising. Fats slow down digestion, which can be beneficial for providing sustained energy. However, this can work against you if you're training shortly after eating. For meals closer to your workout, prioritize easily digestible carbohydrates and proteins instead.