Pre-training oats
Oats with banana, yogurt or fortified soy drink, plus maple syrup when additional carbohydrate is useful.
Strength
Strength-training nutrition
Use adequate energy, protein and carbohydrate to support progressive training and recovery.
Training nutrition overview
Resistance training is the primary stimulus for strength and muscle development. Nutrition supports session quality, adaptation and recovery, with the calorie target depending on whether the broader goal is maintenance, gain or fat loss.
Pre-training considerations
- Eat a mixed meal with protein and carbohydrate one to four hours before lifting.
- A smaller snack is useful when the last meal was several hours earlier.
- Avoid treating pre-workout supplements as a substitute for adequate food, fluid and sleep.
During-training considerations
- Water is sufficient for most ordinary gym sessions.
- Carbohydrate and electrolytes can help during very long, high-volume or twice-daily training.
- Do not let intra-workout nutrition distract from safe lifting and equipment use.
Post-training recovery
- Include roughly 20–40 g high-quality protein in a normal meal or snack.
- Add carbohydrate to restore glycogen, especially when training volume is high.
- Daily protein distribution matters more than racing to consume a shake within minutes.
Hydration
- Begin normally hydrated; pale-straw urine can be one useful clue, but no single marker is perfect.
- Estimate personal sweat loss from pre/post-session body-mass change when precision matters, while recognizing normal measurement error.
- For long, hot or high-sweat sessions, pair fluid with sodium and avoid drinking far beyond thirst and sweat losses.
Competition-day considerations
- For a strength meet, pack familiar meals, low-mess snacks, fluid and sodium.
- Avoid unfamiliar stimulants or aggressive last-minute weight manipulation.
- Use smaller, lower-fibre foods between attempts if nerves reduce appetite.
Example meals, snacks and training fuel
Filter examples by dietary preference. Restricted diets are not automatically healthier.
Rice bowl
Rice, tofu or chicken, cooked vegetables and a light sauce; adjust fibre and fat to your pre-event tolerance.
Portable recovery snack
Fruit plus Greek yogurt, chocolate milk, fortified soy drink or a sandwich, depending on dietary needs.
Simple during-session fuel
Banana, dates, chews, gel or sports drink in an amount practised during training.
Allergy note: We cannot guarantee ingredient or cross-contamination safety. Verify every label, preparation surface and food-service process for your own needs.
Safety and scope
This page provides general education, not an individualized performance or medical nutrition plan. Product tolerance, fluid and sodium needs vary. Athletes under 18 and anyone with a medical condition, eating-disorder history or medication affecting nutrition should seek qualified individual guidance.