Eating and exercise go hand in hand. When and what you eat can be important to how you feel when you exercise, whether it’s a casual workout or training for a competition. Consider these eating and exercise tips.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast

Breakfast

If you exercise in the morning, get up early enough to finish breakfast at least one hour before your workout. Be well fueled going into a workout. Studies suggest that eating or drinking carbohydrates before exercise can improve workout performance and may allow you to work out for a longer time or at a higher intensity. If you don’t eat, you might feel sluggish or lightheaded when you exercise.

If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a light breakfast or drink something such as a sports drink. Focus on carbohydrates for maximum energy.

Good breakfast options include:

• Whole-grain cereals or bread
• Low-fat milk
• Juice
• A banana
• Yogurt
• A pancake

And remember, if you normally have coffee in the mornings, a cup before your workout is probably OK. Also know that anytime you try a food or drink for the first time before a workout, you risk an upset stomach.

2. Watch the portion size

Be careful not to overdo it when it comes to how much you eat before exercise. The general guidelines suggest:

• Large meals. Eat these at least three to four hours before exercising.
• Small meals or snacks. Eat these about one to three hours before exercising.

Eating too much before you exercise can leave you feeling sluggish. Eating too little might not give you the energy you need to keep feeling strong throughout your workout.

3. Snack well

Smoothie

Most people can eat small snacks right before and during exercise. The key is how you feel. Do what works best for you. Snacks eaten soon before exercise probably won’t give you added energy if your workout lasts less than 60 minutes, but they may prevent distracting hunger pangs. If your workout is longer than 60 minutes, you may benefit by including a carbohydrate-rich food or beverage during the workout. Good snack options include:

• An energy bar
• A banana, an apple or other fresh fruit
• Yogurt
• A fruit smoothie
• A whole-grain bagel or crackers
• A low-fat granola bar
• A peanut butter sandwich
• Sports drink or diluted juice

A healthy snack is especially important if you plan a workout several hours after a meal.

4. Eat after you exercise

Yogurt and fruit

Fuel your body for everyday performance

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To help your muscles recover and to replace their glycogen stores, eat a meal that contains both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of your exercise session if possible. Good post-workout food choices include:

• Yogurt and fruit
• Peanut butter sandwich
• Low-fat chocolate milk and pretzels
• Post-workout recovery smoothie
• Turkey on whole-grain bread with vegetables

5. Drink up

Water

Don’t forget to drink fluids. You need adequate fluids before, during and after exercise to help prevent dehydration.

To stay well hydrated for exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you:

• Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (473 to 710 milliliters) of water during the two to three hours before your workout.
• Drink about 1/2 to 1 cup (118 to 237 milliliters) of water every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Adjust amounts related to your body size and the weather.
• Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (473 to 710 milliliters) of water after your workout for every pound (0.5 kilogram) of weight you lose during the workout.

Water is generally the best way to replace lost fluids. But if you’re exercising for more than 60 minutes, use a sports drink. Sports drinks can help maintain your body’s electrolyte balance and give you a bit more energy because they contain carbohydrates.

Eating a balanced amount of carbohydrate, fat and protein is important to play sports at your best. Following Canada’s Food Guide is a good first step to ensure you are getting the amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat you need. The food guide recommends a healthy eating pattern with a balance from each of the four food groups. Read on to learn more about how carbohydrate, fat and protein can help you play sports at your best.

How much carbohydrate, fat and protein do I need? 

If you simply enjoy playing sports as a hobby, you can get enough carbohydrate, fat and protein by following Canada’s Food Guide.

If you are an athlete, you likely need more food than Canada’s Food Guide recommends during training.  Follow these tips to make sure you are getting the carbohydrate, fat and protein you need:

• For most athletes, it is better to aim for a lower fat diet so you can get more carbohydrate for fuel and protein for muscle growth and repair.
• Aim to meet your needs for oils and fats by including at least 30-45 ml (2-3 Tbsp) of unsaturated fats each day. This includes oil such as canola, olive and soybean oil and soft margarines low in saturated and trans fat.
• Choose more fruits and grain products for extra fuel during heavier training schedules.
• Choose lean meats and alternatives prepared with little or no added fats, lower fat milk products and alternatives and lower fat grain products.
• Choose extra servings from each of the four food groups to help you meet your overall energy needs. 

What happens if I don’t get enough carbohydrate, fat and protein?

When you do not get enough calories from carbohydrate, fat and protein, your performance may not be the best it could be.

If you don’t get enough calories in the short-term: 

• You may not see results from your training
• You may lose muscle tissue which may result in the loss of strength and endurance

If you don’t get enough calories long-term: 

• You may not get the vitamins and minerals you need
• Your immune system may be weakened
• Your hormone levels may be unbalanced
• You may have a higher risk of injury to muscles, bones or connective tissue
• Females may not get their regular period 

How much carbohydrate do I need?

If you are going to play sports like soccer, hockey or tennis or exercise intensely for more than an hour, follow Canada’s Food Guide as a starting point. Then choose a few extra servings of carbohydrate-rich foods throughout the day before playing sports or exercising.

Each of these is about 1 serving of carbohydrate-rich foods:

• 1 piece of toast with peanut butter and honey
• 1 piece of fruit (like an apple, pear, banana or nectarine)
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) low fat yogurt
• 1 low fat muffin
• A small bowl of cereal with low fat milk
• 1 cup (250 mL) low fat chocolate milk

The number of extra servings you need will depends on your weight. Heavier athletes need more servings than lighter athletes.

How much protein do I need?

If you enjoy being physically active (like playing sports for fun or jogging occasionally), follow Canada’s Food Guide to meet your protein needs. Many people think they need more protein, but usually this is not the case.

You may need more protein if you exercise intensely or for long sessions (90 minutes or more) many days of the week or if you are trying to build muscle mass.

You can get more protein by eating a few extra servings from the Milk and Alternative and Meat and Alternative food groups after your workout and including protein at snacks throughout the day.

Each of these is about 1 serving of protein-rich foods: 

• 1 cup (250 mL) of low fat milk or chocolate milk
• ¾ cup (175 mL) low fat yogurt
• 2 ½ ounces (75 grams) of chicken breast, fish or lean meat
• ¼ cup (60 mL) of nuts 

The number of extra servings you need will depends on your weight. Heavier athletes need more servings than lighter athletes.

If you would like to know how many extra servings of carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich food you should aim for, a Registered Dietitian can assess your diet and give you recommendations. Find a Dietitian here.

What should I eat before playing a sport?

About 2 to 3 hours before playing sports, eat a meal that is rich in carbohydrate, low in fat and fairly low in protein and fibre for quick digestion. Here are some examples:

• Peanut butter and honey or jam on toast and glass of skim milk
• Fruit and yogurt smoothie and a low fat muffin
• Oatmeal with brown sugar and almonds, skim milk and a banana
• Low-fat cheese and crackers plus grapes
• Small lean hamburger on bun with lettuce and tomato, a side salad and low fat milk
• Turkey, vegetable and cheese sandwich, a fruit and a sports drink
• Low-fat tuna melt sandwich and a fat-free yogurt

Your portion size will depend on how intense or long your training session will be, your sex and body weight.

If you do not have time for a meal 2 to 3 hours before playing a sport, choose high carbohydrate meals/snacks that are quick to digest.

What should I eat during sports?

During sports, your body needs easy-to-digest foods or fluids. Carbohydrate will help you maintain normal blood sugar, allow you to perform better and help you to exercise longer and/or with greater intensity. 

Your best approach is to drink your carbohydrates in a sports drink, but for longer exercise sessions of 2 hours or more, additional solid carbohydrates may be needed like fruit, a cereal bar, yogurt or oatmeal.

What should I eat after I play sports?

After playing sports, your body is ready to store energy again, repair muscles and re-hydrate. Within 30 minutes, eat a snack like:

• One banana plus 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 mL) of low fat milk
• 2 cups (500 mL) of low fat chocolate milk
• A smoothie with low fat milk, fruit and low fat yogurt
• Within one hour after that, choose a meal or snack rich in carbohydrate and protein. For example:
• Grilled salmon or chicken breast with rice and vegetables
• Pasta and meat sauce with salad
• Tofu and vegetable stir fry on rice

Your portion size will depend on how intense or long your training session was, your sex and body weight.