How to Eat Better When You’re Strength Training: 6 Tips
In addition to getting ample protein, carbs, and fats, there are a few other ways your diet can support your strength training.
- Spread out your protein. Your body doesn’t hold on to amino acids the way it does carbs and fat (any extra gets converted into sugar or body fat), so you need to keep introducing them. For this reason, Shorenstein suggests getting 25 to 40 g of protein in every meal, and also having a snack with 10 to 20 g of protein before your workout. Then, ideally, you’ll have a full meal afterward. “That way you have the resources you need to rebuild the muscle,” Shorenstein says. But don’t fret if you can’t eat right after the gym: Protein timing matters less than giving your body a steady dose throughout the day.
- Don’t train on an empty stomach.
