I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying

“Abs are not made in the gym, they are made in the kitchen.”

Maybe your training goals are much grander than just getting a set of shredded abs, but the same theory also applies.  Whether you’re training to gain muscle, increase strength, or to improve a specific athletic performance, your time spent eating is just as important as the time spent training.

Most people know to eat a balanced meal after their workouts to replenish lost nutrients.  But not too many people focus on eating before, sometimes even during their workouts to really help maximize their gains.

According to Muscle & Fitness, eating a balanced blend of carbs and protein before or during the first half of your workout can be beneficial for a variety of different fitness goals.

The first thing to keep in mind is that whether or not to consume a bar or drink during your workout depends on what you’ve eaten beforehand. If you hit the gym on a relatively full stomach, scratch the bar or shake during the workout and wait until afterward. The nutritional guidelines during or around training are simple: Consume around 20-40 g of protein and around 40-80 g of carbohydrates either within 30 minutes prior to training or during the first part of your workout. Ideally a 2:1 carbs to protein ratio is recommended, but many drinks and bars are closer to 1:1, which is acceptable, too. If weight loss is your goal, aim for the lower end of these ranges. If you’re trying to add size, hit the upper ends.

Why is eating a 2:1 carbs to protein ratio before working out so important? Because our bodies are ridiculously efficient machines that will find and produce energy from whatever they can get their hands on.  So if you decide to do a strenuous work out on an empty stomach, your body will burn through the stored muscle glycogen, and start to breakdown stored fats and muscle tissues for energy.

The metabolic process is different from person to person, but one thing is for sure: if you routinely put your body in a starvation state during a hard workout, it will be way harder for you to put on muscle.

So if you are serious about adding muscle and strength, you should incorporate eating before or during your workout into your nutrition plans.  Here are some tips to live by to plan your pre-workout nutrients to maximize your gains:

I.  Good blend of Carbs and Protein

As mentioned before, the ideal blend is 2:1 carbs to protein.  And to help speed up absorption, make sure you choose whey protein ahead of other forms.

The ideal form of protein during a workout is whey (again, 20-40g of it) because it’s fast-absorbing and gets to your muscles quicker for repair and recovery. Look under “ingredients” on the label to determine what type of protein is in your drink or bar.

II.  Bar or shakes for convenience

When you’re talking about eating before or during a workout, convenience is the key.  Because let’s face it, who’s got time to fire up the pots and pans for a snack?  Luckily, there are tons of bars and powdered supplements on the market that can give you that quick boost when you need it.

However, many protein bars and powder these days tend to lean towards low carbs formulation.  You can fix that easily by eating an apple or banana along with your favorite protein supplement to hit that perfect 2:1 ratio.

III.  Avoid high fat content

Good fats like ones you get from nuts and fish are essential in a healthy diet.  But it is best to avoid them before you workout, because they slow the rate of digestion and absorption of carbs and protein.

If you have a few hours to digest your meal or snack, it may be ok.  But if you’re eating within the hour of your workout, it is best to leave fats for your meal after.