What to Eat Before and After a Workout

When you understand how to pair nutrition and exercise well, your performance and recovery can both improve. 

Your body draws on different energy systems depending on whether you are running, lifting, sprinting, or doing high-intensity intervals. So what you should eat before and after training depends on the type of workout you are doing. 

Here’s what to reach for, broken down by workout type.

Before a Workout

The purpose of a pre-workout meal or snack is to provide energy without weighing you down. The balance of carbs, protein, and fat matters because each macronutrient digests differently and fuels your body in its own way.

Cardio Workouts (Running, Cycling, Steady-State Cardio)

During steady cardio, your body leans heavily on glycogen, which is the carbohydrate stored in your muscles and liver. Eating a meal with easy-to-digest carbs beforehand tops off those stores so you don’t run out mid-session. Pairing with a little protein helps preserve muscle. Think rice with chicken, a banana with Greek yogurt, or oatmeal with a scoop of A2 Protein.†

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT, Circuits)

HIIT burns through glycogen even faster than steady cardio. A snack that’s mostly carbs with some protein gives you quick fuel and helps you recover between sprints. Fruit with protein powder, rice cakes with nut butter, or a smoothie with electrolytes added for fluid balance all work well.†

Strength Training (Lifting, Resistance Work)

Lifting weights relies less on carbs for endurance and more on muscle strength and recovery potential. A balanced meal with protein and moderate carbs 1–2 hours before lifting helps you push harder in your sets. Eggs with toast, chicken and potatoes, or a shake with ViCera Creatine x Collagen provide both the energy and the building blocks for muscle repair.†

Endurance Sessions (Long Runs, Intense Rides)

For longer sessions (90 minutes or more), you need sustained glycogen availability. A carb-rich meal with some protein 2–3 hours before you start will give your body staying power. White rice, lean protein, and a little fat (like avocado or olive oil) can keep you steady. Adding Ignite in the morning can also support energy and fat metabolism during long efforts.†

After a Workout: Recover and Rebuild

Once you finish training, your body shifts into recovery mode. Muscles need to repair, glycogen stores need to be refilled, and your nervous system needs to calm down. The best way to do that is to eat a combination of protein and carbs soon after you finish.†

Why Something Sweet Helps

Right after training, your muscles are most ready to absorb carbohydrates. Choosing something naturally sweet, like some strawberries or honey, spikes blood sugar just enough to help drive nutrients back into your muscles. This rapid replenishment helps restore energy and prepare you for the next workout (1).†

Protein to Rebuild

Protein after exercise is non-negotiable. Your body needs amino acids to repair muscle fibers and grow stronger. A shake with ViCera A2 Protein delivers the high-quality protein you need, while Creatine & Collagen helps rebuild strength and support your joints and connective tissue.†

Hydration and Electrolytes

You lose both water and electrolytes when you sweat. Rehydrating with plain water helps, but it is not complete without electrolytes. If you didn’t take them before your workout, it’s good to take them after. ViCera Hydrate gives your body top-quality sodium, potassium, and magnesium to pull that water back into your cells and speed recovery.†

Hormonal Balance and Energy

Post-workout nutrition is also about balance. High stress from training can spike cortisol, the stress hormone. Adaptogens like ashwagandha and metabolism-supporting botanicals like grains of paradise — all included in Ignite — can support hormone balance and help your body come back to equilibrium.† Studies are also finding that turmeric is a good functional food to support your body after a workout (2).

Putting It All Together

The simplest way to think about pre- and post-workout meals is this:

Before: Complex carbs for fuel, protein for muscle protection, fluids for hydration.

After: Simple carbs for quick energy, protein for repair, electrolytes for balance, and botanicals for recovery.

→  Why aren’t fat and fiber on the list? Generally, studies have found that meals lower in fat and fiber before a workout can decrease the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort during exercise.

Different workouts place different demands on your body, but the principles stay the same. When you learn to match your nutrition to your training, you make every session more effective and every recovery more complete.†

† We are required to say these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Relevant Studies

1. Naderi, A., Rothschild, J., Santos, H., Hamidvand, A., Koozehchian, M., Ghazzagh, A., Berjisian, E., & Podlogar, T. (2025). Nutritional Strategies to Improve Post-exercise Recovery and Subsequent Exercise Performance: A Narrative Review.. Sports medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02213-6.

2. Wang, L., Meng, Q., & Su, C. (2024). From Food Supplements to Functional Foods: Emerging Perspectives on Post-Exercise Recovery Nutrition. Nutrients, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234081.

3. Van Vliet, S., Beals, J., Martinez, I., Skinner, S., & Burd, N. (2018). Achieving Optimal Post-Exercise Muscle Protein Remodeling in Physically Active Adults through Whole Food Consumption. Nutrients, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020224.

4. Isenmann, E., Blume, F., Bizjak, D., Hundsdörfer, V., Pagano, S., Schibrowski, S., Simon, W., Schmandra, L., & Diel, P. (2019). Comparison of Pro-Regenerative Effects of Carbohydrates and Protein Administrated by Shake and Non-Macro-Nutrient Matched Food Items on the Skeletal Muscle after Acute Endurance Exercise. Nutrients, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040744.

5. Rothschild, J., Kilding, A., & Plews, D. (2020). What Should I Eat before Exercise? Pre-Exercise Nutrition and the Response to Endurance Exercise: Current Prospective and Future Directions. Nutrients, 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113473.