10. March 2026

How to fuel yourself for the gym as a footballer

Steal this guide for your next gym session!

Pre-Workout

45-60 minutes before a gym session is where you should be aiming to eat a small meal that is high in glycemic index carbs.
These are carbohydrates that are easily digestible so our bodies break them down quickly to use for immediate energy.
Protein and Fats take longest to digest, so these should be limited in this meal.
45-60 minutes gives enough time for the food to digest before your session. Preventing any digestive issues when training!

Example: 2 squares bars and jam or 2 rice cakes with chopped banana and honey

Intra-workout

If your training session is over 60 minutes you may benefit from additional carbohydrates (40-60g per hour.) These recommendations are usually training sessions on the pitch rather than in the gym.
You'll often see 40-60G of carbs in the form of a carbohydrate powder added to drinks. This is sipped on throughout the session and causes minimal digestion issues.
Often electrolytes containing sodium, potassium and magnesium are also added to replace what is lost through sweat in sessions.

Post-Workout

The emphasis after a workout session should switch to repair and recovery.

Aim for high glycemic index carbs again. This time to replenish the glycogen stores within the muscles quickly.

We also want to combine this with a lean form of protein to aid muscle repair and promote protein synthesis. Fats again limited in this meal.

After working out your body becomes more sensitive to insulin and our cell membranes become more permeable which means we are able to uptake nutrients easier.

Example Foods used as a post gym meal:

Jasmine rice and chicken

Pancakes, Honey and Greek yogurt

coco pops and protein shake

Protein shake with oats

Chocolate milk

Bagel and jam with protein shake