Sports Nutrition Tips for Active People
By Andréanne Martin (BSc in nutrition) and Audrey Cyr (nutritionist and dietician, MSc)
Sports nutrition is important for anyone who engages in regular exercise. Eating the right food supports recovery, boosts performance, and fuels your body during physical activity. This article outlines what to eat before, during and after cardiovascular and endurance training.
What to eat before exercise
Before practising endurance sports like running, swimming, or cycling, it’s important to eat carbohydrates. They help replenish the glycogen (sugar) stored in the liver and muscles, which serves as a source of energy during exercise. Your recommended carbohydrate intake depends on how soon you’ll be exercising. If you won’t be exercising for at least two hours, add a source of protein to help you feel fuller and keep your energy levels up. It’s also essential to stay well hydrated in the hours leading up to exercise.
Here’s what to eat based on how soon you’ll be exercising, along with a few suggested food combinations:
| Time before exercise | What to eat | Food combinations |
| 3–4 hours | Balanced meal, no fried foods or heavy sauces | Pasta salad, chicken, and vegetables |
| 2–3 hours | 1 serving of protein and 3–6 servings of carbohydrates | Yogurt, granola, fruit, and a muffin |
| 2 hours | 1/2 serving of protein and 2–4 servings of carbohydrates | A peanut butter tortilla and a banana |
| 1 hour | 2–3 servings of carbohydrates | Fruit and a homemade muffin |
| 30 minutes | 1–2 servings of carbohydrates | Applesauce + 1/2 granola bar |
Here are some more detailed examples of what constitutes a serving of carbohydrates or protein:
| Carbohydrates (15 g) | Protein (8 g) |
| 1 slice of bread or 1 small tortilla | 250 ml (1 cup) milk |
| 1/2 bagel or 1/2 pita | 180 ml (3/4 cup) yogurt or 125 ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt |
| 80 ml (1/3 cup) cooked pasta, rice, or quinoa | 60 ml (1/4 cup) cottage cheese |
| 1/2 homemade muffin | 30 g (1 oz) cheese |
| 1/2 granola bar | 30 ml (2 tbsp) peanut butter or other nut butter |
| 1 fruit, 125 ml (1/2 cup) fruit juice, or 1 single-serve applesauce | 30 g (1 oz) meat (beef, chicken, veal) |
| 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) vegetables or 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable juice | 40 g canned tuna |
| 15 ml (1 tbsp) honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or jam | 1 egg |
| 250 ml (1 cup) flavoured almond beverage | 100–150 g silken tofu or 50 g firm tofu |
What to eat after exercise
Post-workout recovery is essential, and eating carbohydrates and protein helps replenish energy stores and support muscle repair.
Examples of good post-workout snacks:
• Oat- and nut-based granola bars
• Chocolate milk
• Flavoured soy beverages (e.g., vanilla, chocolate)
• Fruit and nuts
• Bread with peanut or almond butter
• Smoothies made with Greek yogurt and fruit
Product suggestions
If you’re going to eat a full meal after your workout, you don’t need an extra snack as long as your meal includes both carbohydrates and protein.
Here are some meal ingredients with plenty of carbohydrates and protein. Just be sure to add vegetables!
| Carbohydrates | Protein |
| Bread, tortillas | Chicken, meat, eggs |
| Pasta, rice vermicelli | Fish, seafood |
| Crackers | Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) |
| Rice, quinoa, couscous, barley | Tofu, edamame |
Product suggestions
And of course, it’s important to drink plenty of water after exercise to replace the fluids you lost sweating. You also may have heard of something called the “anabolic window.” It’s a common belief that post-workout snacks should be eaten within 30 minutes of exercise to take advantage of this supposedly optimal recovery window. However, updated scientific evidence no longer supports that claim. Unless you have multiple workouts scheduled in the same day, there’s no need to eat immediately after exercise—it’s fine to wait until you’re hungry again!
What to eat during exercise
You don’t need to eat during workouts shorter than an hour—water is enough. If you’re exercising for longer than an hour, you should consume some carbohydrates mid-workout, as your glycogen stores will start running low. A good rule of thumb is one gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per hour of exercise. Mid-workout snacks that support endurance, mobility, and hydration include fruits and sports products like gels, chews, and drinks.
Examples:
• Applesauce pouches, fruit bars
• Energy gels
• Energy chews
• Homemade or store-bought sports drinks
Product suggestions
What not to eat before exercise
Avoid high-fat and high-fibre foods before exercise, as these can slow digestion (specifically gastric emptying) and lead to bloating, cramps, and nausea. For example, nuts aren’t the best pre-workout snack because they’re high in both fat and fibre. Of course, sources of healthy fats (nuts, seeds, oils, avocados) and fibre (whole grains, chia and flax seeds, fruits, vegetables) should be included in meals and snacks at other times of day, as they’re key parts of a healthy diet.