Nutrition and Sport: What to Eat Before and After a Workout
Do you train regularly at our gym in Lonay—yet feel your results are stalling despite your efforts? The answer often lies on your plate, not in your workout routine.
Sports nutrition is one of the most underestimated variables by amateur athletes. However, what you eat before and after your session directly influences your energy level during exercise, your muscle recovery after the session and your long-term results. At Society Sport à Lonay, our sports coaches in Morges regularly discuss this subject with our members — and here is what they recommend.
Why sports nutrition is as important as training
Imagine your body as a car. Your training in our fitness club in Lonay is the driving force. But without the right fuel, even the best engine in the world won't perform. You can have the most optimized training program in the world — if your nutrition isn't keeping up, you're leaving a lot of your results on the table.
According to the World Health Organization, a diet adapted to physical activity significantly improves sports performance, reduces the risk of injury and accelerates muscle recovery. In other words, eating well around your sessions in our gym in Lonay means training twice as effectively.
What to eat before a workout?
The goal of the pre-workout meal or snack is simple: to provide your body with the energy it needs to perform during the session — without overloading it to the point of slowing it down.
How long before the session?
Timing is as important as content. Here is what our certified coaches in Lonay recommend:
- 2 to 3 hours before: light, balanced meal
- 30 to 60 minutes before: light, easily digestible snack
What to eat
Carbohydrates are your best friends before a workout. They provide the glucose your muscles use as fuel during training. So, whether you are preparing for a spinning, circuit training, or weight training session at our fitness center in Lonay, your body needs carbohydrates.
Good options 2–3 hours beforehand:
- Brown rice with chicken and vegetables
- Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce and lean protein
- Whole wheat bread with eggs and avocado
- Sweet potato with white fish
Good options 30–60 minutes beforehand:
- A banana with a handful of almonds
- A Greek yogurt with red berries
- A slice of whole-wheat bread with almond butter
- A banana, oat, and plant-based milk smoothie
What to avoid before a workout
Unlike carbohydrates, certain foods should be absolutely avoided before a session in our gym in Lonay:
- Fatty foods — they slow down digestion and weigh the body down.
- Fatty foods — they slow down digestion and weigh the body down.
- Ultra-processed foods — blood sugar spike followed by an energy crash
- Too much protein — difficult to digest quickly before exercise
Hydration — often overlooked, always essential
Before even talking about food, hydration is the top priority. In fact, dehydration of just 2% of body weight is enough to reduce your sporting performance by 10 to 20% according to a study from European Journal of Sport Science.
Here is what our sports coaches in Morges recommend to stay well hydrated:
- Drink 500 ml of water in the 2 hours before your session
- Bring your water bottle to every class at our gym in Lonay.
- Drink regularly during exercise — without waiting until you are thirsty
- Avoid sugary drinks and sodas before the session.
What to eat AFTER a workout?
It is after the session that your body enters its muscle-rebuilding phase. What you eat in the 30 to 60 minutes following your workout at our fitness club in Lonay is crucial for optimizing this recovery.
The anabolic window — act fast
The 30 to 60 minutes after exercise is what's called the anabolic window — the period when your body is most receptive to nutrients and protein synthesis is at its peak. In other words, now is the perfect time to nourish your muscles and speed up their recovery.
What to eat after a workout
After a full-body, C.A.F., or weight training session at our gym in Morges, your body primarily needs two types of nutrients:
1. Protein — to rebuild muscle
Protein is the building block of your muscles. After exercise, your muscle fibers sustain micro-tears—this is normal; it is what makes them grow larger and stronger. Protein helps repair and rebuild them to be stronger.
Good sources of post-workout protein:
- Chicken or turkey breast
- Whole eggs or egg whites
- Fish — salmon, tuna, cod
- 0% Greek yogurt or fromage blanc
- Legumes — lentils, chickpeas
- Whey protein if you struggle to meet your intake requirements.
2. Carbohydrates — to replenish energy stores
During exercise, your body draws on its glycogen reserves — the fuel stored in your muscles. After the session, you must replenish these reserves to be ready for the next session in our gym in Lonay.
Good sources of post-workout carbohydrates:
- White or brown rice
- Sweet potato
- Whole wheat bread
- Quinoa
- Fruit — banana, dates, grapes
Ideal post-workout meal:
- Grilled chicken + brown rice + steamed vegetables
- Egg omelet + whole wheat bread + avocado
- Salmon + sweet potato + broccoli
- Banana, whey, and almond milk protein smoothie + rolled oats
What to avoid after a workout
- Skipping the post-workout meal — it’s the worst thing you can do for your recovery
- Alcohol — it blocks protein synthesis and significantly slows muscle recovery
- Ultra-processed foods — they provide empty calories without nutrients beneficial for recovery.
Nutrition based on your goal
Our personal trainers in Morges always tailor nutritional recommendations to each member's goals. Here are the general guidelines based on your specific situation:
You want to lose weight.
Eat a light meal before the session and focus on protein afterward — reducing carbs slightly post-workout. The goal is to maintain muscle mass while creating an overall calorie deficit. Our spinning and circuit training courses are particularly suited to this objective.
You want to build muscle mass.
Increase your protein AND carbohydrate intake — before and after the session. Your body needs a caloric surplus to build muscle. The weight room in Morges combined with sufficient protein intake is the winning combination.
You want to improve your performance in group classes.
Focus on carbohydrates before high-intensity classes like spinning or circuit training, and on protein after strengthening classes like Pilates or full-body workouts.
One last piece of advice from our coaches in Lonay
Sports nutrition is about habits, not perfection. You don’t need to weigh every gram of rice or count every calorie to make progress. Start by applying the basics—eating before and after your workout, and staying hydrated—and you’ll quickly feel the difference during your sessions at the gym in Lonay.
If you want to take things further and get a personalized nutrition plan tailored to your goals and training program, our certified coaches are here to support you through personalized coaching.
Conclusion — Eat well, progress fast
Training at our gym in Lonay is half the battle. The other half takes place in your kitchen. Eat carbohydrates before your workout for energy, and protein and carbohydrates afterwards for recovery—and stay hydrated throughout the day.
These simple principles, applied consistently, make a real difference to your results — whether you're aiming for weight loss, bulking up, or just overall better shape.
Want to make faster progress? Start by trying our group classes and talk to your coach about nutrition during your very first session.
