Sports nutrition timing influences acute performance, training adaptation, and recovery quality. The importance of timing varies by sport type, training duration, individual goals, and total daily dietary quality.
Pre-Workout Fueling
Pre-workout nutrition goals: ensure adequate muscle and liver glycogen availability; provide amino acids for intra-exercise MPS stimulation; avoid GI discomfort. Timing: mixed meal 2–4 hours before training; if eating closer (60–90 min), shift toward simpler carbohydrates and lower fat/fiber. Carbohydrate amount: 1–4g/kg body weight scaled to session duration and intensity. Protein: 0.3–0.4g/kg pre-workout contributing to daily distribution goals.
Intra-Workout Nutrition
Carbohydrate consumption during exercise extends time-to-exhaustion. Evidence thresholds: for sessions under 60 minutes, intra-workout carbohydrate is not necessary; for 60–90 min: 30g/hour; for 90+ min: 60g/hour; for 2.5+ hours (ultra-endurance): up to 90g/hour with dual-source carbohydrate (glucose:fructose 2:1 ratio). Sports gels, chews, and drinks formulated with dual-source carbohydrate are available through our nutrition section.
Post-Workout Recovery
Post-workout nutrition goals: glycogen replenishment and MPS stimulation. Glycogen resynthesis rate is highest in the first 30–60 minutes post-exercise — consuming 1–1.2g carbohydrate/kg maximizes replenishment speed, important when training sessions are separated by under 8 hours. Protein: 25–40g high-quality protein post-workout stimulates MPS optimally. Clinical protein supplements and recovery nutrition products are in our catalog.
