Speaker A
What should you eat before, during, and after your workout to maximize muscle growth and body composition? This question refers to what's called peri-workout nutrition, which just means the timing of nutrients around a workout.
Learn what to eat before, during, and after workouts to maximize muscle growth with science-backed peri-workout nutrition advice from Jeff Nippard.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- The peri-workout anabolic window is broader than traditionally thought, about 4-5 hours.
- Pre-workout nutrition is critical for effective training and muscle growth.
- Macronutrient timing and composition should be adjusted based on individual factors and meal timing.
- Training fasted is viable but requires specific nutritional strategies.
- Different carbohydrate sources improve energy sustainability during workouts.
What the video covers
- Peri-workout nutrition focuses on nutrient timing around workouts to optimize muscle growth and body composition.
- The anabolic window is about 4 to 5 hours between pre- and post-workout meals, not just immediately after exercise.
- Nutrient timing matters more for leaner individuals, those on lower calories, and high-volume bodybuilding training.
- The pre-workout meal is the most important for fueling training and creating an anabolic environment.
- Recommended macros for pre-workout: ~1g carbs/kg body weight from low glycemic sources, 0.5g protein/kg, and 0-20g fat depending on timing.
- Eating 1 to 1.5 hours before training is ideal; too close can cause discomfort, too far can reduce energy.
- Fasted training is acceptable for some, but advice is provided for those who train without eating beforehand.
- Meal examples include oats with whey-casein protein, salmon with sweet potato and salad, and quick snacks like whey protein and banana.
- Fat intake should be lower closer to training to avoid slowing digestion, higher if meal is eaten earlier.
- Jeff Nippard offers a Muscle IQ test to engage viewers and test their knowledge on fitness and nutrition.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Peri-Workout Nutrition
- 00:51Debunking the Anabolic Window Myth
- 01:38Science-Based Anabolic Window Timing
- 02:31Muscle IQ Test Announcement
- 03:25Importance of the Pre-Workout Meal
- 04:09Pre-Workout Macronutrient Recommendations
- 05:38Fasted Training and Timing Advice
- 07:23Meal Timing and Calorie Considerations
- 08:18Pre-Workout Meal Examples
- 09:29Quick Snack Options for Short Notice Training
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
will be giving detailed meal examples in this video it's important that we start with what the science actually says about this question in the first place why does Perry workout nutrition matter at all well in a now inFamous Paper
Speaker A
Let me start by saying that while I will be giving detailed meal examples in this video, it's important that we start with what the science actually says about this question in the first place. Why does peri-workout nutrition matter at all?
Speaker A
concept apparently nutrient timing didn't matter after all well it turns out many of the science guys may have jumped to conclusions a little too quickly because even in this very paper the author suggests that pre- and post exercise meals shouldn't be separated by
Speaker A
Well, in a now infamous paper titled "Nutrient Timing Revisited," Aragon and Schoenfeld challenge the classic view of post-exercise nutritional intake with respect to anabolism. Many science lovers took this single paper to be the nail in the coffin for the bros' now outdated anabolic window concept.
Speaker A
science-based anabolic window so the per workout window definitely matters but it matters more for some than it does for others it's more important if you're leaner because you have a lower nutrient Supply it's more important if you're on
Speaker A
Apparently, nutrient timing didn't matter after all. Well, it turns out many of the science guys may have jumped to conclusions a little too quickly because even in this very paper, the authors suggest that pre- and post-exercise meals shouldn't be separated by more than 3 to 4 hours, or maybe 5 to 6 hours if you eat a large pre-workout meal.
Speaker A
future video that I'm trying to make that I really need your guys help with so if you go to Jeff Nipper /m muscle IQ you'll find a bodybuilding and fitness IQ test that I made that'll take you about 5 to 10 minutes to do and I'm
Speaker A
Let's just meet in the middle and say 4 to 5 hours between the pre and post-workout meals is the true size of the science-based anabolic window. So the peri-workout window definitely matters, but it matters more for some than it does for others.
Speaker A
cool future video to see how well you guys do and we can go over the answers together so please do me a huge favor and go to Jeff neer.me examples all right so the pre-workout meal is the single most important meal of the day in
Speaker A
It's more important if you're leaner because you have a lower nutrient supply. It's more important if you're on lower total calories because you're at a higher risk of muscle loss. And it's more important for those who do higher volume bodybuilding-style training, which depletes more nutrients than lower volume powerlifting workouts.
Speaker A
provide an anabolic environment during training primarily via protein now when it comes to the macros for the pre-workout meal I aim for about 1 G of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight ideally com from a lower glycemic carb
Speaker A
Now, before we hop into the specifics, there's a future video that I'm trying to make that I really need your guys' help with. So if you go to jeffnipper.com/muscleIQ, you'll find a bodybuilding and fitness IQ test that I made that'll take you about 5 to 10 minutes to do.
Speaker A
per kilogram of body weight and 0 to 20 G of fat depending on how close the meal is to the workout itself because dietary fat slows digestion down meals eaten closer to the workout should contain less fat and meals eaten further from
Speaker A
I'm doing this because I want to see how much you guys have learned from me over the years and to test and see how smart you guys really are. So there's just straightforward multiple choice questions, and I think it'd be a very cool future video to see how well you guys do and we can go over the answers together.
Speaker A
train fasted and that's okay and I'll have some advice for you guys here in a minute first for the other 67% eating 1 to 1.5 hours before training is usually ideal because if you eat the pre-workout meal too close to training the food
Speaker A
So please do me a huge favor and go to jeffnipper.com/muscleIQ. All right, so the pre-workout meal is the single most important meal of the day, in my opinion. That's because it'll ultimately determine how effective your training is, which ultimately drives muscle growth.
Speaker A
sometimes it's just not possible to wait an hour or an hour and a half after eating because of time constraints sometimes you're just forced to hit the gym on short notice in which case you'll want to focus on eating a lower calorie
Speaker A
There are two main purposes of the pre-workout meal. The first is to fuel the workout primarily via carbohydrate, and the second is to provide an anabolic environment during training, primarily via protein.
Speaker A
pre-workout meal example based on 175 lb roughly 80 kilo male who plans to train in about an hour to an hour and a half based on his body weight and the macro targets that we laid out he'll want
Speaker A
Now, when it comes to the macros for the pre-workout meal, I aim for about 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight, ideally coming from a lower glycemic carb source plus a serving of fruit.
Speaker A
use PE science select protein which is a blend of casine and Whey and it mixes really well with oats now full disclosure I am sponsored by them and shout out to my girlfriend Stephanie for the cake pop flavor idea top the oats
Speaker A
This combination of carb sources will provide more sustainable energy through the workout since different carbohydrates use different transporters, meaning different rates of absorption and more sustainable performance during training.
Speaker A
see the full calorie and macro breakdown of the meal here which of course you can tweak to fit your body weight and total daily calories oh and if you wanted to make this meal vegan you could just easily swap out the way casine blend for
Speaker A
I'll also aim for about 0.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight and 0 to 20 grams of fat depending on how close the meal is to the workout itself because dietary fat slows digestion down.
Speaker A
training a bit later so in roughly 2 hours again based on her body weight she'll want about 27 g of protein 55 G of carbs and 10 to 15 G of fat and because this meal is being eaten 2 hours
Speaker A
Meals eaten closer to the workout should contain less fat, and meals eaten further from the workout should contain more fat, which brings me to the next question: when should we eat the pre-workout meal?
Speaker A
mediumsized sweet potato a mixed green salad with some light goat cheese plus some apple slices with cinnamon and here you can see the full calorie and macro breakdown for this meal as a third example let's consider someone who's in
Speaker A
Well, upfront, I was a bit surprised to learn that 33% of you don't eat a pre-workout meal at all because you train fasted, and that's okay. I'll have some advice for you guys here in a minute.
Speaker A
light and quick like a whey protein shake and a banana these nutrients need to be absorbed quickly so we don't want much fat or Fiber and here you can see the full macro breakdown for this quick snack on the fly all right but what if
Speaker A
First, for the other 67%, eating 1 to 1.5 hours before training is usually ideal because if you eat the pre-workout meal too close to training, the food might still be digesting and that can cause you to feel lethargic or bloated.
Speaker A
generally speaking having at least some amount of carbohydrate before training will benefit performance however I know from my coaching experience that some people simply will perform better when they train on an empty stomach that's usually because they train very early in
Speaker A
On the other hand, if you time your meal too far from training, you run a higher risk of having low energy or feeling faded. So that's my sweet spot.
Speaker A
reach truly Elite level strength and size without a pre-workout meal however if you are planning on skipping the pre-workout meal then the intra workout and post-workout meals suddenly become much more urgent so on that note let's cover int workout nutrition or what you
Speaker A
But sometimes it's just not possible to wait an hour or an hour and a half after eating because of time constraints. Sometimes you're just forced to hit the gym on short notice, in which case you'll want to focus on eating a lower calorie meal with faster digesting foods.
Speaker A
you're in a caloric deficit and already very lean if your workouts last longer than an hour or if you're an elite level traine trying to optimize every little detail and if any of these apply to you I definitely recommend having some kind
Speaker A
By the same token, if you know you're going to train more than 1 to 1.5 hours after eating, you want to have a higher calorie meal and prioritize foods that digest more slowly.
Speaker A
minutes you'd consume 30 G of carbs starting 30 minutes in however if you're cutting and you'd rather not waste that many carbs on liquid sugar then even just 5 to 10 gram of carbohydrate can go a long way for stabilizing blood glucose
Speaker A
Okay, so let's start with a pre-workout meal example based on a 175-pound, roughly 80-kilogram male who plans to train in about an hour to an hour and a half.
Speaker A
want to drop any extra cash on EAS just sip on about 10 G of whey protein okay so the urgency of the post-workout anabolic window has definitely been exaggerated by some gim Bros remember that there is in fact a 4
Speaker A
Based on his body weight and the macro targets that we laid out, he'll want about 80 grams of carbs, 40 grams of protein, and 10 to 15 grams of fat.
Speaker A
if you ate your pre-workout meal 2 hours before training and then train for 2 hours you should get your post-workout meal in as quickly as possible so same as with the pre-workout meal I recommend consuming 0.5 gram of protein per
Speaker A
So for this meal, we're making a good old bowl of protein oatmeal. So basically, cook 80 grams of oats and mix in one scoop of protein powder. I use PE Science Select Protein, which is a blend of casein and whey, and it mixes really well with oats.
Speaker A
source and most typical weight training sessions don't actually deplete as much glycogen as somebody bodybuilders lead on anyway plus research shows that any lost glycogen should be replenished within 24 to 48 hours as long as you're eating some carbohydrate at some point
Speaker A
Now, full disclosure, I am sponsored by them, and shout out to my girlfriend Stephanie for the cake pop flavor idea. Top the oats with a sliced banana, half a tablespoon of peanut butter, and a pinch of cinnamon, which may help keep blood glucose levels more stable into the workout, and a sprinkle of sea salt, especially if you sweat a lot during training.
Speaker A
workouts where you'll be hitting the same muscle again within the next day or two assuming you have plenty of carbs to spare then one to 1.5 G of carbs per kilogram of body weight is a good Target however when cutting you may be more
Speaker A
You can see the full calorie and macro breakdown of the meal here, which of course you can tweak to fit your body weight and total daily calories.
Speaker A
of a deal in the post-workout meal simply because rate of digestion is of relatively less importance the workout has already been fueled and there's typically no major urgency to get those nutrients absorbed as quickly as possible still if you do find yourself
Speaker A
Oh, and if you wanted to make this meal vegan, you could just easily swap out the whey casein blend for a vegan protein like a pea and brown rice blend. If it doesn't give the right consistency in the oats, you can just drink it separately as a shake.
Speaker A
something I personally nitpick over too much okay so let's look at three optimized post-workout meal examples up first again we have our 175 lb or 80 kilo mail with a post-workout macro goal of 40 g of protein 80 g of carbs and 10
Speaker A
Next, let's look at a pre-workout meal for a 120-pound or 55-kilogram female who will be training a bit later, so in roughly 2 hours.
Speaker A
kiwi as my post-workout fruit source for obvious reasons oh my and a mixed green salad to hit some veggies and if you need some extra protein you can add a glass of milk or just some extra ground turkey as
Speaker A
Again, based on her body weight, she'll want about 27 grams of protein, 55 grams of carbs, and 10 to 15 grams of fat.
Speaker A
chicken breast or a protein equated amount of tofu as a vegan option with 300 G of baby golden potatoes a few steamed brussel sprouts a small handful of salted pistachios and 100 G of mixed blueberries and raspberries and these
Speaker A
Because this meal is being eaten 2 hours before training, it'd be smart to have a bit more fat than usual and a bit more fiber than usual to slow down digestion and ensure nutrients are still available for fuel into the workout.
Speaker A
recommend having a protein shake right after training plus a serving of fruit like a banana or some grapes and depending on your total carb intake perhaps a couple rice cakes as well so this would be the total macro breakdown
Speaker A
So for this meal, we're doing 4 ounces of salmon, a medium-sized sweet potato, a mixed green salad with some light goat cheese, plus some apple slices with cinnamon.
Speaker A
beta testing and helping customize in my opinion the best nutrition and macr tracking app the industry has to offer I've been working on it with two of my good friends and Sports Nutrition experts Greg Knuckles and Eric Trexler
Speaker A
Here you can see the full calorie and macro breakdown for this meal.
Speaker A
enter your goals especially if you lift weights and want to build muscle whereas macro Factor gives you the most fine-tuned macros possible for your specific goal activity level diet preferences and so on based on the latest scientific research
Speaker A
As a third example, let's consider someone who's in a rush and needs to train within the next 20 to 30 minutes and hasn't eaten for hours. They should definitely eat something, but if they have a big meal, they might feel bloated or sluggish.
Speaker A
create a customized plan just for you with the coaching option where your plan will be adjusted and updated every week or if you're preferred a self coach you can use the manual option to tweak the targets to your exact specifications you
Speaker A
So in this case, I'd recommend something light and quick like a whey protein shake and a banana. These nutrients need to be absorbed quickly, so we don't want much fat or fiber.
Speaker A
Foods using your voice which cuts down on a ton of tracking time one Sun gold kiwi and then I add that to the plate and there it is so you guys can get started with a free 7-Day trial by
Speaker A
Here you can see the full macro breakdown for this quick snack on the fly.
Speaker A
thumbs up if you enjoyed the video subscribe if you haven't already and I'll see you guys all here in the next one
Topics:peri-workout nutritionmuscle growthnutrient timingpre-workout mealpost-workout nutritionanabolic windowJeff Nippardbodybuilding nutritionmacronutrientstraining performance
