Meal Timing

When it comes to building muscle, losing fat, decreasing injuries and improving recovery, what you eat and when you eat it in relation to exercise is very important. Every person is different and you must take into consideration your body type, type of exercise, exercise intensity, how much time between workouts and duration of exercise. However, given the every person is different, there are general guidelines to look at when trying to figure out what and when to eat in relation to your exercise. 

• Before Exercise
• Unless you are exercising first thing in the morning, the reason for eating before a workout is to fuel your body in order to sustain your energy level for the duration of your workout. One of the most important things to remember before a workout is hydration. Make sure you drink before, during and after exercise to maintain your hydration levels. Carbohydrates and protein will fuel your workout and your muscles, while a meal rich in fat before a workout will likely leave you feeling sluggish during your workout. 
• Time of Exercise
• The time of day that you exercise also plays a roll in what your pre and post-workout nutrition will look like. If you workout first thing in the morning, you obviously do not have much time to digest a full meal, so eat a small amount of quick-digesting carbohydrates or nothing at all is probably best for pre-workout. However, the further into your day that you workout, the more you can plan out your meals to where they will fuel you through your workout. As a general rule of thumb, if you have one hour until your workout, a snack containing 1 gram/kg of body weight of carbohydrates is appropriate. Whereas if you have 3-4 hours before, eat 3-4 g/kg of carbohydrates and 15-20 grams of protein before your workout. 
• After Exercise
• Following a workout, you want to consume a balanced meal of real, whole foods that will properly refuel and build your muscles. To be specific, try to consume about 1-2 g/kg of body weight of carbohydrates and 15-20 grams of protein to really give your muscles the refueling and rebuilding that they need.