Fuel Your Fire - Nutrient Timing, Part I

What you eat and when you eat it can make a big impact on what type of results you garner in the gym. Professionals refer to this as "nutrient timing", and the science behind it varies from sport to sport. An olympic lifter will not prepare for a workout in the same fashion as a distance runner, because these two athletes have very different energy systems.

Before we dive into the thick of systems and timing and ratios, you need to ask yourself a few questions before your next workout.
    1) When was your last meal?
    2) How long until your exercise session begins?
    3) How long will your exercise session be? More or less than an hour?
    4) At what type of intensity do you plan on exercising? Lower (below 75%) or higher (75%+)?
    5) For lifters, what phase are you in?


The following scenarios will help guide your food choices before your next workout. Keep in mind that the portions described below may not work for everyone. Adjust as you see fit.

I just woke up from a good night's sleep, and plan to hit my workout within 30 minutes. It takes me awhile to wake up, so my 45 minute elliptical workout will be lower intensity.
Stick with a small piece of fruit or dry toast and big glass of water. Your energy supplies will not be depleted from a workout like this, so keep your pre-workout snack small. It is important to keep your energy up, though, especially after a fasted period of rest (while you sleep).

I like to attend the 5:30am Spin class at my gym. It's only 40 minutes but I can't keep a conversational pace during the ride. It is definitely tough!
Toast with jam or a piece of fruit is a good call here. During high intensity exercise (especially cardio-centric), your body diverts energy from digestion to focus on working muscles. This means you should stick to easily-digestable (simple) carbohydrates. Some folks have a hard time with yogurt or milk before these types of workouts for the same reason, so cereal + milk/yogurt might not work for you. Proteins and fats are more challenging to digest.

I lift heavy MWF after work.
This is dependent upon what phase you are in. Mass builders should consume about 50g of carbohydrate and 14g protein 1-2 hours prior to working out. Those looking to lean out can cut the suggested portions in half.  A small bowl of oatmeal with some protein is a good way to go. Yes, carbs are still fuel for lifters. too. Try blending in some of your favorite protein powder or mix your oats with milk instead of water.

I am training for a cycling event and try to squeeze in a 2 hour base-building ride during a long lunch break on Wednesdays. I normally eat breakfast at 7am and snack at 9:30 or 10:00. I ride from 11:00-1:00. 
Base building indicates that this is a lower-intensity ride. He is training his energy systems for future training peaks and valleys.
Eat a normal breakfast, but watch your portion sizes of heavy proteins and fats. You still need them, but a pound of sausage isn't the best way to start anyone's day.
Your snack choices might be: a meal replacement or energy bar (Larabar, ClifBar, Hammer Bar), cheese and crackers or a small serving of leftover pasta from the night before.

There is a 2 hour Zumba marathon at 5pm, after work on Tuesday. I eat lunch at 11:30 and snack at 2:30.
I would suggest eating a slightly larger snack than possible. Be sure to balance it with carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Try eating a hard-boiled egg and slice of wheat toast or plain greek yogurt with 1/4c granola or 1 cup sliced veggies with 1/4 cup hummus and hard-boiled egg.

I lift weights in a beginner's group where there is lots of rest time between sets. We work hard while we are lifting, but there is a lot of socializing. My group meets at 9:30am and I eat a light breakfast at 8am.
Although you are working hard when you are actually working, there isn't much active exercise time. You aren't going to need lots of readily available sugars for this workout. Your light breakfast should suffice, but be sure that it isn't too "carb heavy".

I enjoy my lunchtime Pilates class, but often go on an empty stomach. I eat a good breakfast at 6:30 and sometimes skip my snack.
I would suggest a small handful of almonds or something like a Larabar to stabilize your blood sugar. Although you are working steadily in class, your intensity is most certainly below 75% effort. You could even go with a yogurt or glass of soy/almond/animal milk.


Play around with portions, types and timing of food before your next workout. You might be surprised to find the key that unlocks heavier lifts, more explosive movements and faster splits! What fuels your workouts?