Too much food, feeling sick, too little food, feeling faint, it can be challenging to figure out how much and what to eat around your workout. Food is one of the most powerful tools that we can use to elevate our training to the next level, but the age-old question of what to eat can keep us stuck. 

Here are my top tips as a sports nutritionist for your pre training meal! 

Carbohydrates, carbohydrates, carbohydrates!

The time of low carbohydrate diets has passed (THANK GOD!) and in 2025, carbohydrates are our best friends prior to training! You want a good amount of carbohydrates in your pre training meal as it will be utilized as energy later on. Think high GI  carbohydrate sources rather than low GI carbohydrate sources, this means things like white bread, orange juice, honey etc. 

The closer you are eating to your workout (90 min or less) the quicker the carbohydrate source as you want it to absorb and digest fast. If eating two hours prior to training, a more balanced meal of slower digesting carbohydrate with a decent amount of protein and fat will suffice. 

Ideas for snacks  90 minutes or less before training 

• Banana
• LCM bar
• Rice Cakes with Jam or Nut Butter
• Hot Cross Bun 

Ideas for meals for eating 2 hours  before training 

• Bagel with Honey and Banana + Protein Shake
• Crumpets with Jam + Smoothie 
• Yoghurt with Fresh Fruit
• Rice tuna and vegetables of choice 

Hydration, hydration and hydration!     

 Getting some water in before your training or adding some electrolytes is a great way to improve your training! Water is needed by the body and when we don’t get enough water, our body will dehydrate which means it will slow down. Especially if you are training in a hot climate, hydration is key! My suggestion is to drink to thirst, having a water bottle near you during the day is a great way to stay hydrated. Adding a little salt and lime is a great way to flavour it a little while getting in those extra electrolytes! 

Caffeine!

Caffeine is the world’s most consumed drug, with good reason! It has been proven to enhance performance, in areas such as, muscular endurance, movement velocity, muscular strength, sprinting and jumping. The suggested dose  for performance benefit is with 3-6mg/kg. For context, a cup of green tea has 29 mg of caffeine in it, an espresso shot of coffee has approx 212 mg  of caffeine in it,  a coke zero has 34mg caffeine in it and a shot of true proteins pre workout has approx 100mg of caffeine per 10g serve. 

Try some or all of these tips and watch your training improve!!