Eating Around Training: How To Optimise Your Performance Through Nutrition

Caitlyn Davey • April 2, 2025

Embarking on a journey toward improved health and fitness means more than just sweating it out in the gym or pounding the pavement.


While exercise is crucial,
nutrition—specifically how you eat around your training sessions—plays a pivotal role in optimising your performance and accelerating your results.


In this blog, we’ll explore why strategic eating before and after workouts matters and how it can fuel your success.


Pre-Workout Nutrition: Energise for Excellence

Think of your body as a high-performance car.


Just as a car needs the right fuel to run efficiently, your body needs
proper nourishment to perform at its best.


Pre-workout nutrition is the key that ignites your engine and prepares you for a productive session.


1. Fueling Your Energy Levels

Consuming a balanced meal before exercise provides a readily available energy source.


A combination of:

  • Complex carbohydrates (like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables)
  • Lean protein


helps sustain energy, prevent premature fatigue, and ensures you can give your full effort through every set and rep.


2. Enhancing Your Performance

Carbohydrates are the preferred fuel source for your muscles.


Eating carbs before training:

  • Boosts muscle glycogen stores
  • Improves endurance, strength, and overall performance


It’s not just about feeling good during your workout—it’s about performing better.


Post-Workout Nutrition: Recovery and Repair

Finishing a workout isn’t the finish line—it’s the beginning of recovery.


Just like a race car needs maintenance after the race,
your body needs nourishment to rebuild and improve.


1. Muscle Recovery

Intense exercise creates micro-tears in your muscles.


Protein, known as the building block of muscle, is crucial for:

  • Repairing tissues
  • Building new muscle fibers
  • Reducing soreness and fatigue


Consuming protein-rich foods or supplements after training supports faster, stronger recovery.


2. Replenishing Nutrients

Post-workout, your body is primed to absorb nutrients efficiently.


Replenishing
glycogen stores with a combination of carbohydrates and protein within about 30 minutes to 2 hours helps:

  • Kickstart muscle recovery
  • Reduce muscle soreness
  • Prepare you for your next session


Hydration: The Unsung Hero of Performance

While food often steals the spotlight, hydration is just as critical.


Proper hydration supports:

  • Muscle function
  • Joint health
  • Cardiovascular efficiency


Even mild dehydration can lead to:

  • Decreased performance
  • Early fatigue
  • Hindered recovery


Tip: Drink water before, during, and after exercise to keep your body performing at its best.


Exercise and Nutrition: The Dynamic Duo

In the realm of fitness, exercise and nutrition are inseparable.


Just like a high-performance car relies on both
quality fuel and expert handling, your body thrives when fuelled at the right times with the right nutrients.

  • Pre-workout nutrition powers your training.
  • Post-workout nutrition lays the foundation for growth and recovery.


By embracing these principles, you're not just boosting today's performance—you're investing in your long-term health and fitness journey.


Ready to Learn More?

Want more in-depth strategies to master your pre- and post-workout nutrition?


📚 Download our FREE ebook on Eating Around Training and take your fitness to the next level! Fuel smart. Train hard. Recover strong.

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A lot of people have completed a marathon but how many people have collapsed at 40km?

Sometimes you do everything right, and shit still doesn’t go to plan.
 Last weekend I ran in the Gold Coast Marathon, my first ever marathon. I trained properly, my body felt relatively good (all things considered when preparing to run 42.2km), I carb-loaded, and my race day nutrition was dialled in.
 I was ready.
 We set off. Jess and the kids met me at different points on the course with signs, the atmosphere was great. I loved seeing the kids with their signs. Pacing felt on point. The first 21km? Easy. I felt great. Maybe I should’ve drunk more water, but I didn’t think too much of it at the time.
 At 25km, I felt slower, but pace wise I was still holding well. I’d kept telling myself throughout the day "The race starts at 30km." And let me tell you, it does.
 By 30km, the sun was out, and I was starting to struggle. My watch started glitching so I had no real idea of my splits. I thought I was slowing down a lot (turns out I wasn’t), but the effort to keep the same pace suddenly felt 10x harder.
 I hadn’t taken on enough water. Usually, I can get away with lower fluids. Not this time. Dehydration crept in. hard.
 At 35km I was in survival mode, one foot in front of the other, flicking between moments of pain and little short lived waves of “let’s go.” But by 39km I was delirious. I could see the finish line, I hit the 40km mark (where I thought enjoyment might return to finish), and I collapsed.
 I was gone. Scary stuff.
 The last few hundred metres were a complete blur. All I remember is the crowd, the medics, and about five paramedics suddenly around me. I was vomiting, shaking, confused, in and out of it. I had this overwhelming, indescribable feeling, and honestly, for a moment, I thought I could die.
 My memory went. I couldn’t recall the day, the year, where I lived, or how to spell. I only knew who Jess and the kids were, and that I didn’t want them to see me with wires in me. 
 My temperature had hit 40°C. Blood pressure crashed. Thankfully, the medics and paramedics were incredible, I had a drip running into me within 10 to 15 minutes.
 As I already knew, I’m stubborn. I wanted to run it all. Not walk. Not stop and breathe and In hindsight, I should have. 
 Seems like my mind was just a bit stronger than my body on the day. I never thought I could push myself there in all honesty. 

Am I gutted? Of course, I was only 2km away but I gave it everything I had on that day. Heat stroke, exhaustion, and dehydration got me. 

I am always reminded here of the quote ‘The man in the arena’ look it up if you need. 
 Will I run 42.2km again? Yes, I feel I need to. 

Would I do things differently, now I’ve run 40km under race conditions? You bet, lessons learnt. Always lessons. Never be scared to not succeed. Be scared to never try in the first place. 
 We go again.
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