What Should I Eat at the Gym?

If you go to a gym regularly, you might see people eating and drinking different things, but how do you know what is right for you? Just a simple Google search might tell you lots of contradicting things about eating during exercise. There are certain times that eating (or drinking) something at the gym might be helpful, but it isn’t necessary for everyone.

During a workout, your focus should be on keeping your energy levels high so that your muscles have lots of fuel to work with. While protein is helpful for muscle recovery after a tough workout, it doesn’t provide that energy you need while you are at the gym. In most cases, focus on carbohydrates in food or drink form while you are working out at the gym.

Read on for more information about who should eat at the gym, ideas for foods you can eat at the gym for increased energy, information about protein drinks and if you should bring them to the gym, and what you should eat pre- and post- workout.

Do I Need to Eat During My Workout?

Your muscles can store enough energy to get you through about an hour to an hour-and-a-half of moderate intensity exercise, but even that can vary person to person. If you are working out longer than an hour and a half, chances are you will likely need a carbohydrate boost during your workout.

However, there are some situations where I recommend eating or drinking during a workout even if you are not exercising for an hour and a half or longer. These are some questions you can ask yourself to determine if eating something at the gym or during your workout might be helpful for you!

Were you able to fuel properly before your workout? (Even shorter workouts won’t go well if you are going in with low energy)

Are your energy levels high throughout your workout? (If your energy levels start to drop off, this may be a sign that your body is running out of carbohydrates stores)

How intense is your exercise? (The more intense your workout, the more fuel you will need)

Is your exercise longer than an hour and a half? (Longer bouts of exercise need carbohydrate supplementation regularly)

Do you experience muscle cramping? (This can be a result of undereating, dehydration, loss of electrolytes, or over-exercising)
What is the weather like? (If it is super hot, you might go through your energy levels pretty quickly. When you are sweating a lot, you are also losing a lot of electrolytes. I often recommend a sports drink for these situations!)

Athletes need to be in tune with their body and what it needs. Regularly check in with yourself and have food and drinks available for days that your body does need extra fuel, even if it is not all the time. As you listen to your body, it will become easier to hear subtle cues and follow them.

Popular Energy Boosters at the Gym

Some of the most common foods and drinks for quick energy you’ll see at the gym include:

rice krispy treats
protein shakes

PB&J sandwiches
bananas
cereal

energy bars
chocolate milk

What are some of the interesting foods you have seen? If you want some real and helpful ideas, check out some of my posts:

Best Foods for Energy for the Gym

Carbohydrates are your body’s favorite energy source. Carbohydrates (or carbs) get broken down into sugars that get digested and travel through your bloodstream to provide your entire body with energy.

So what foods contain carbohydrates, you might ask? Luckily, lots of them do, including:

Grains and starches (pasta, rice, crackers, pretzels, bread, potatoes, corn, peas, lentils, etc.)

Fruit (dried, fresh, frozen, canned, and juiced)
Some dairy (Including milk and yogurt)
Honey, syrup, and other forms of sugar

Sugary candy
Soda, juice, sports drinks

The closer you get to exercise, and during your workout, the more you will want to stick to simple carbohydrates, ones that your body is able to quickly digest. For example, lentils are a great source of carbohydrates, but they also have quite a bit of fiber and protein that slow digestion and might end up making you feel bloated and uncomfortable during your workout.

If you are eating at least an hour or more before your workout, you might be able to handle a little bit more of a balanced meal since you will have time to digest your food before going to the gym. However, you need quick energy ready to go if you decide to eat or drink something during your workout. For people that need extra carbs during their workout, but have a sensitive stomach, I recommend trying a sports drink!

Should You Eat at the Gym?

If you head to the gym first thing in the morning and don’t eat beforehand, or if your exercise is longer than 1 hour and really intense, you definitely need to be fueling and refueling while you are at the gym.

It’s hard to know what types of foods to bring to the gym. Most exercisers prefer a shake or sports drink for quick nutrition and digestion. You need to refuel with about 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of intense exercise when you are sweating heavily.

Here are some options of 30-60 grams of carbohydrates for refueling:

About one 20 oz sports drink such as Gatorade (but not Gatorade Zero)
One whole fruit
1-2 ounces dried fruit

1-2 cups 100% fruit juice

Some people tend to choose quick sugars/carbohydrates from sugary candy, gels, or treats. I prefer fruit sources when possible, and depending on gut comfort. Most individuals don’t work out at the gym hard enough or long enough to need sugary candy or drinks.

Find a refueling plan that works for you individually for timing, amount, and type of carbohydrate foods for hydration and gut comfort.

Should You Bring Protein Shakes to the Gym?

It is true that athletes usually need a little bit more protein than the average person. Protein is essential for maintaining and building muscle as well as helping your body recover from exercise.

However, bringing a protein shake to the gym is usually not necessary. If you are spending multiple hours working out, then a protein shake might be warranted, but that is really the exception rather than the rule.

You will likely still see gym bros with their shaker bottles packed with protein, but you can rest easy knowing that your body is getting plenty of protein if you are eating it regularly throughout the day and getting in a good source of protein after your workout. In fact, if you bring some extra carbohydrates with you to the gym, you will likely have more energy to make even more out of your workout.

While I don’t typically suggest drinking your protein shake while you are working out, it could be helpful to bring it with you to drink after you are done. Especially if you are not going to be able to eat a full meal for a while after your workout, bringing a protein shake and pairing it with some extra carbs is a great idea!

If you don’t enjoy protein shakes, there are so many other ways of getting in your protein. Protein shakes and powders can be convenient but it is absolutely possible to meet your protein needs without them.

If you do choose to use a protein supplement of any kind, make sure you are choosing a high quality brand that has been tested by a third party for safety. Orgain is one of my favorite protein powders because of their high quality ingredients and accuracy of their nutrition facts label. They even have products for kids whose protein needs are not as high as adults!

It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting a supplement, even protein supplements. Working with a dietitian can also be helpful in determining if you need a supplement and to make sure you are not consuming too much protein. Protein powders and shakes are often so high in protein that when they are used inappropriately can cause other issues for athletes.

What Should I Eat Before the Gym?

Eating before going to the gym is always a good idea to give you the energy to fuel your workout. What you eat will depend on what your body tolerates and how long you have before your workout.

As a general rule of thumb, the closer you get to a workout, the more you will want to focus on carbohydrates and avoid too much fat, protein, and fiber. Focus on those foods that are going to give you energy and make you feel good!

Your pre-game eating routine is something you have to practice. If you are training in your sport’s off-season, that is a great time to figure out the types of foods that make you feel your best! I don’t recommend trying a new eating pattern on the day of a big event or competition, or on a day when you are maxing out on weights.

What Should I Eat After the Gym?

A lot of people avoid eating after exercise because they don’t want to “eat back” the calories they just burned off. However, fueling your body properly after exercise is essential! If you push your body really hard but do not give it the nutrients it needs to rebuild and get stronger, you are really doing yourself a disservice.

I recommend eating something within an hour of exercise if you can. If exercise puts a damper on your workout, try a snack like a protein drink or a smoothie to give your body a little bit of fuel until you can stomach more food.

When planning a post-workout snack or meal, the amount of food you will need differs based on body composition, the length and intensity of your workout, and other factors, but everyone can focus on getting a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats! Carbohydrates will restore energy levels, protein will speed up recovery and help build muscle, and healthy fats can help reduce inflammation and meet high energy needs.

Summary

What your body needs before, during, and after a workout will probably be different from what other people need. It is helpful to really pay attention to your body’s needs and how it responds to the foods you eat. As you increase your mindfulness around food and exercise, it will be much easier to know what foods your body needs and when it needs them.

There are general guidelines for fueling that are helpful for most people:

Intense workouts or workouts longer than an hour and a half typically benefit from consuming extra fuel.
Sticking to simple carbohydrates before and during a workout is usually best for most people.
Getting a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat after a workout has been shown to help with recovery.

However, you will still need to experiment with the specific foods that provide those nutrients to figure out what works best for you. Figuring out your personal fueling plan can be exciting as you start to recognize improvements in athletic performance and recovery, but it does take some nutrition background and practice!

Fueling Teens is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic.