- Two to four hours out: a normal meal with carbs, protein and some vegetables.
- One to two hours out: something lighter, lower in fat and fibre.
- Under an hour: a small, easy carb snack such as a banana or toast with jam.
- Short early sessions can be done without food if that suits you. Long or intense ones go better fuelled.
- Test new foods in training, never before an event.
Why pre-workout food matters
Carbohydrate is your main fuel for hard training. It is stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver, and a meal beforehand helps keep blood sugar steady so you are not fading halfway through the session. Protein before training also gives your muscles amino acids to work with once the session is over.
The aim is simple: arrive with enough fuel to train well, without feeling full, sluggish or queasy. That balance looks different for a heavy Lower class than it does for high-intensity conditioning, where lots of jumping and fast movement makes a heavy stomach more noticeable.
Your overall daily eating matters much more than the last meal. If you under-eat all day, no snack will fix a flat evening session. Our guide to carbohydrates for performance explains how much fuel different training loads need.
Match the food to the time you have
The closer you get to training, the smaller and simpler the food should be. Fat, fibre and large portions take longer to digest, so they are best eaten further out.
- Three to four hours before: a full meal. Chicken, rice and vegetables. A jacket potato with tuna and salad. Pasta with a lean mince sauce.
- One to two hours before: a lighter meal or large snack. A bagel with peanut butter and banana. Porridge made with milk. A chicken wrap. Greek-style yoghurt with fruit and granola.
- 30 to 60 minutes before: a small, mainly carbohydrate snack. A banana. A slice of toast with jam or honey. A couple of rice cakes. A small handful of dried fruit.
For most people, around 1 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the one to two hours before training is a good starting point, which for a 75 kg person is about 75 g. That is roughly a bowl of porridge with a banana and a spoon of honey.
If you are working towards fat loss, pre-training food still counts towards your daily total. That is not a reason to skip it. Moving part of a meal you would eat anyway to before your session often gives you a better workout for the same calories, rather than adding extra food on top.
Early morning sessions
Early classes, like the 6am sessions on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Lycan Strength, raise the obvious question: eat, or train on empty? Both can work. Your liver glycogen is lower after a night's sleep, but your muscle glycogen is largely intact if you ate reasonably the day before.
For a shorter strength session, many people train well with nothing or with just a coffee. For intense conditioning or anything over an hour, a small snack usually helps. Good options when you only have 15 minutes between waking and leaving:
- A banana, eaten on the way
- A slice of toast with honey
- A glass of milk or a small yoghurt drink
- Half a bagel
If you feel dizzy, light-headed or sick when training fasted, eat something. Then have a proper breakfast with protein afterwards. Training fasted does not burn more fat over the day, as our guide to fasted cardio explains.
After-work sessions
Evening training has the opposite problem. Lunch was at 12:30, you train at 6pm, and by then you are running on fumes. This is one of the most common reasons people feel flat in evening classes.
The fix is an afternoon snack around 3:30 or 4pm, two to three hours before training. Aim for some carbohydrate plus protein:
- A skyr or Greek-style yoghurt with a banana
- A cheese and ham sandwich
- An apple and a protein bar
- Overnight oats you made that morning
Avoiding stitches and stomach trouble
Stomach problems during training are common, especially with running, jumping and high-intensity work. A few patterns cause most of them.
- Eating a large meal too close to training. Give full meals at least two to three hours.
- High fat or high fibre food just before. A big bowl of bran cereal or a fry-up can sit heavily.
- Lots of fluid in one go. Sip rather than downing half a litre just before you start.
- New foods or supplements. Pre-workouts, gels and high-dose caffeine can upset some stomachs.
- Spicy food. Fine for some people, a problem for others.
If you get regular stomach pain, diarrhoea or cramping when you train, keep a simple food and symptom diary for two weeks. If symptoms persist or come with blood in your poo, weight loss or a change in bowel habit lasting three weeks or more, see your GP.
Training for an event
Before a race such as HYROX, your pre-race meal should be something you have already eaten before a hard training session and felt good on. Race morning is not the time to try a new cereal, gel or energy drink.
The same principle applies to a hard weekend session such as a long run or a race simulation. Have your usual breakfast at the same gap you would use on race day and note how you feel after 45, 60 and 90 minutes. If you fade late on, try a little more carbohydrate beforehand, or a small carb snack or drink during the session, and adjust from there.
Practise your pre-race routine on your longest or hardest training days, including the time gap between eating and starting. Our HYROX race day nutrition guide goes into what to eat on the day, and what to eat after a workout covers the other side of the session.
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Questions
Is it bad to work out on an empty stomach?
Not for most healthy people doing a shorter session. Performance in longer or very intense workouts usually improves with some food, and people with diabetes should follow their own medical advice on exercise and meals.
Should I have protein before a workout?
It helps if your last meal was several hours ago. A meal or snack with 20 to 30 g of protein in the few hours before training supports recovery, alongside protein afterwards.
Is a banana enough before the gym?
For a session of up to an hour, a banana 30 to 60 minutes beforehand is often plenty, especially if you ate a normal meal a few hours earlier.
What should I avoid eating before training?
Large, greasy or very high fibre meals in the two hours before, and anything new to you. Carbonated drinks can also cause discomfort during jumping and running.
General guidance for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition, injury or are pregnant, check with a health professional before changing your training or diet.
