Skip to Content Skip to Navigation Accessibility Policy Click to login to your Account
Double the points! Earn 2x the loyalty points on all purchases Join Now
Shop All
Featured New Arrivals Subscribe & Save Deals of the Week Build Your Own Bundle
Shop by Category Coffee Mix-Ins MCT Oil Supplements Collagen Protein Bars On-The-Go Accessories & Apparel
Not Sure Where to Start?
Not Sure Where to Start?
Take our quiz to get product recommendations tailor-made for your wellness goals. Plus, score 20% off! Take the Quiz
Shop All Products
Best Sellers
Coffee The Original Ground Coffee The High Achiever™ Enhanced Coffee The Original Coffee Pods
Supplements Greens Vitamins A-D-K Apple Cider Vinegar Max Gummies Sleep Gummies
Mix-Ins Bulletproof Original Creamer Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil Unflavored Collagen Peptides InnerFuel Prebiotic
Create Your Custom Bundle
Build Your Own Bundle
Save up to 20% when you stock up on your go-to product or mix and match all your Bulletproof favorites. Bundle & Save
Shop All Best Sellers
Coffee
Shop by Form Ground Coffee Whole Bean Coffee Coffee Pods
Shop by Roast Light Roast Coffee Medium Roast Coffee Medium-Dark Roast Coffee Dark Roast Coffee
Enhanced Coffee The High Achiever™ The Maximizer™ New The Original + Collagen Coffee Pods New Keto Coffee Pods
The Maximizer™
The Bulletproof difference
Make your morning routine work harder with premium coffee plus metabolism and gut health support. Shop Now
Shop All Coffee
Supplements
Shop by Form Capsules & Softgels Gummy Vitamins Powders
Shop by Benefit Daily Wellness Immune Support Stress & Sleep Gut & Digestive Health Energy Support Brain Health Bone & Joint Support
Your Wellness, Your Way
Save 20% with the Daily Wellness Bundle
Create your custom supplement bundle, and save on everything you need to feel your best. Bundle & Save
Shop All Supplements
MCT Oil
MCT Oil Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil MCT Oil
Products with MCT Oil Brain Octane Softgels CoQ10 Energy Apple Cider Vinegar Max Gummies Energy Gummies Coffee Creamer Keto Coffee Pods Bulletproof Starter Kit
What is MCT Oil?
What are MCT Oils?
Learn more about the quality fat that supports sustained energy, boosts metabolism and provides brain fuel.† Learn More
Shop All MCT Oil
Mix-Ins
Coffee Creamer Original French Vanilla Hazelnut
Quality Fats Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil MCT Oil Grass-Fed Ghee
Powders Unflavored Collagen Energy Collagen InnerFuel Prebiotic Greens
Build Your Perfect Cup
Save 20% On Your Custom Coffee Routine
Save up to 20% on everything you need to make Bulletproof Coffee when you build your own bundle. Bundle & Save
Shop All Mix-Ins
Collagen
Collagen Peptides Unflavored Chocolate Vanilla
Collagen Plus Support Gut Health Energy Sleep
Products with Collagen The Original + Collagen Coffee Pods New Collagen Protein Bars Collagelatin
What is Collagen?
What is Collagen?
Learn more about this amino acid rich protein that helps support glowing skin, flexible joints and strong bones.† Learn More
Shop All Collagen
Protein Bars
Collagen Protein Bars Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Vanilla Shortbread Fudge Brownie Lemon Cookie
Protein Crisp Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Chocolate Mint Chip
Bundle Your Favorite Bars
Bundle Your Favorite Bars & Save 20%
Can’t choose just one? Get all your favorites and save up to 20% when you build your own bundle. Bundle & Save
Shop All Protein Bars
About
Company Our Story Contact Us Store Locator
Learn The Bulletproof Diet Books Recipes Blog
Online Exclusives Subscribe & Save 20% Earn Bulletproof Rewards Become An Ambassador
The Recipe That Made Us Famous
Bulletproof Coffee Recipe
What exactly is Bulletproof Coffee? How do you make it? Get the answers to all your butter coffee questions. Learn More
Learn More
Deals
Bundle & Save Build a Bundle (Save 20%) Starter Kits (Save 10%)
Ways to Save Subscribe & Save 20% Give $15, Get $15 Earn Bulletproof Rewards Sign Up For Email & SMS Free Shipping Orders $49+ & Subscriptions*
All Benefits. No Hassles.
Current activation
Subscribe to your favorite products and never run out, get 20% off every order, change or cancel anytime and get 10% off order add-ons. Subscribe & Save
Shop All Deals
Subscribe & Save 20% Learn More Search Account Cart
Search

Share

product
https://www.bulletproof.com/diet-articles/healthy-eating/best-post-workout-meals-muscle/ article-24824 Best Pre- and Post-Workout Meals to Fuel Your Sweat Session https://www.bulletproof.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Image20220125164436-300x160.jpg 1 USD InStock Healthy Eating Fitness Nutrition article
Home / Diet / Healthy Eating
|December 10, 2021

Best Pre- and Post-Workout Meals to Fuel Your Sweat Session

By Spencer Brooks
Reviewed by Emily Gonzalez, ND for Scientific Accuracy

Best Pre- and Post-Workout Meals to Fuel Your Sweat Session
  • What you put into your body both before and after your workout can either inhibit or boost your progress and recovery.
  • Whether you fast or eat before a workout, it’s best to consume quality carbs after you train to replenish glycogen-depleted muscles.
  • Use the easy-to-make recipes for pre- and post-workout meals outlined below to give your body the nutrients it needs to thrive.

You may have heard the saying: “Abs are made in the kitchen.” It’s true: the food you eat has a bigger impact on muscle-building and fat loss than you might think. If you don’t fuel your body properly with the right pre- and post-workout meal, you won’t take full advantage of your workouts and your progress will slow down.

As a quick example: eating 75 grams of sugar (about the amount in a 20-ounce bottle of soda or a fruit-packed smoothie) causes an immediate 25% drop in your testosterone, and it stays low for several hours.[1] Testosterone plays a huge role in both muscle gain and fat loss; if you’re having cookies as a pre-workout meal or a sugary protein shake for a post-workout meal, you’re going to seriously undercut your progress.

But if you fuel your workouts with nutrient-dense, high-quality food, you’ll see a dramatic difference in how you look and feel. Here are the best pre-workout meals and best post-workout meals to help you perform better in the gym and reach your fitness goals.

3 best pre-workout meals

As you read a moment ago, you want to avoid sugar for both pre-workout meals and post-workout meals because it will cause your testosterone to dip (although there’s a good case for having some carbs in your post-workout meal, which you’ll read about in a moment).

Instead, load up on fast-burning fats for your pre-workout meal — or don’t eat at all. Here are three excellent options for a pre-workout meal.

Eat Nothing

best workout mealsIf you haven’t tried intermittent fasting before, skipping food before a workout may sound strange. Shouldn’t you fuel your body? Won’t you lose muscle?

Not necessarily. Working out while fasting can actually help you gain muscle and shed fat simultaneously. Here’s why:

  • Intermittent fasting alone puts you into fat-burning mode,[2] and working out fasted makes you burn even more body fat.[3]
  • Men who ate all their meals in an 8-hour window every day for 8 weeks, combined with lifting, lost significantly more body fat than those who ate an identical diet spread across the whole day.[4] No muscle loss, either.
  • Fasting dramatically increases human growth hormone (HGH). A 24-hour fast doubled HGH levels, and a 48-hour fast increased HGH 5-fold.[5] HGH helps you put on muscle faster and also speeds up muscle recovery, so you can get back in the gym faster with less soreness.[6][7]
  • Trying to burn fat while maintaining (not gaining) muscle? Fasting is four times better at preserving muscle than normal daily calorie restriction.[8]

There’s a compelling case for skipping a pre-workout meal entirely and working out before your first meal of the day.

Drink Bulletproof Coffee

Young woman making Bulletproof Coffee recipe.

If fasted workouts are a little too intense but you don’t want to eat anything heavy for a pre-workout meal, Bulletproof Coffee is the perfect option. Here’s why:

  • Caffeine helps you work out harder. People who drank coffee or took caffeine before an endurance workout — biking, in this case — were faster and put out significantly more power than their caffeine-free counterparts.[9] Weightlifters saw similar benefits from caffeine.[10]
  • Caffeine speeds up your metabolism to help you burn more fat.[11]
  • Brain Octane Oil rapidly converts to ketones,[12] giving your cells the fuel to have a great workout. Brain Octane also increases your metabolism.[13]

Bulletproof Coffee is a light and energizing pre-workout meal.

Nutrition Info (per 8 oz cup):

  • Calories: up to 330
  • Total Fat: up to 38g
  • Protein: .3g
  • Net Carbs: 0g

Fill up on fat & protein

Hamburger salad with avocado

If you prefer a full pre-workout meal, focus on fat and protein; you’re best off saving your carbs for after your workout, when they can help with recovery.

This keto hamburger salad fits the bill perfectly. It has high-quality protein to support muscle growth and repair, and plenty of slower-burning fat for sustained energy while you sweat.

Drizzle a tablespoon of Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil over the salad to get an immediate energy boost and enhance fat-burning. If you’re building muscle on the keto diet, this low-carb recipe is also a great post-workout meal.

Nutrition Info (per serving):

  • Calories: 697
  • Total Fat: 50g
  • Protein: 48.7g
  • Net Carbs: 6.6g

More Diet Tips From Bulletproof

  • Alkaline Diet
  • Foods High in Potassium
  • Post Workout Meal Ideas for What to Eat
  • Vitamin D Foods

3 best post-workout meals

Your post-workout meal is just as important as your pre-workout one.

This is the time to eat some high-quality carbs; they’ll replenish the muscle glycogen that you depleted during exercise, and you’ll have increased insulin sensitivity from the workout so your blood sugar won’t spike too much.[14] You’ll also want more protein that your muscles can use for growth and repair.

Salmon & cauliflower

This creamy spiced tandoori salmon recipe with cauliflower rice comes together in minutes for a simple paleo, keto, and Whole30 weeknight dinner.

This easy baked tandoori salmon with cauliflower rice (or regular rice) has everything you want post-workout: plenty of complete protein from the salmon, fiber-rich cauliflower, lots of nutrient-dense herbs and spices, and quality fat from avocado oil. Salmon is also an exceptional source of omega-3s that will help minimize joint inflammation after exercise.[15] If you want to keep it low-carb, stick with the cauliflower rice. To refill your glycogen stores as quickly as possible post-workout, swap the cauliflower rice for organic white rice.

Nutrition Info (per serving made with cauliflower rice):

  • Calories: 432
  • Total Fat: 23g
  • Protein: 34g
  • Net Carbs: 13.9g

Grass-fed beef & sweet potatoes

Paleo meatballs with sweet potato noodles on white plate

This post-workout meal of grass-fed beef meatballs and sweet potato noodles feeds your muscles and your joints. It combines a complete protein source with a nutrient-dense carbohydrate that will replenish depleted glycogen stores.

Full of flavor, quality fats and protein, this Thai-style dish is a delicious way to jumpstart the post-workout recovery process.

Nutrition Info (per serving):

  • Calories: 648
  • Total Fat: 36g
  • Protein: 24g
  • Net Carbs: 46g

Sushi (sweet potato style)

Paleo sushi rolls with purple sweet potato

This recipe for purple sweet potato salmon sushi rolls includes a fiber-rich source of carbohydrates that adds a serious pop of color to the dish. Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein.

Ultimately, the simple combination of fish and veggies wrapped in seaweed will provide the nutrients you need for growth and repair.

Nutrition Info (per roll):

  • Calories: 368
  • Total Fat: 26g
  • Protein: 16g
  • Net Carbs: 12g

The bottom line: If you’re not a fan of fasted workouts, stick to quality fats and protein prior to training. Your post-workout meal should include protein and quality carbs to help repair damaged muscle tissue and replenish glycogen levels. Let these recipes serve as a guide for you to make gains and achieve your fitness goals.

The recovery process includes more than what you put on your plate. Use the tips and tricks from our comprehensive recovery guide to get your body ready for your next gym session.

Join the Bulletproof Revolution

Sign up for early access to sales, product launches, the latest Bulletproof news and more!

Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Products sold on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for direct, individual medical treatment or advice. It is the responsibility of you and your healthcare providers to make all decisions regarding your health. Bulletproof recommends that you consult with your healthcare providers regarding the diagnosis and treatment of any disease or condition.

About Spencer Brooks

Spencer Brooks is a science writer with a background in psychopharmacology and nutrition. Brooks received his BA in Neuroscience from Skidmore College. His interests and expertise encompass health, nutrition, neuroscience, psychology, and food. You’ll find his work featured across other health and wellness brands including Signos and Mindbetter. When he's not writing, he's cooking, studying winemaking, competing in Brazilian jiu jitsu, and rocking out to the greatest hits of the '80s.

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22804876
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7625336
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6033499/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5064803/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1548337
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12425705
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2355952
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2355952
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3616086/
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26890974
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27824614
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4878196/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2021124
[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10683091
[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28900017

TAGS

FitnessNutrition

Related Bulletproof Diet Tips

table of healthy green vegetables
Alkaline Diet
Foods High in Potassium
Post Workout Meal Ideas for What to Eat
foods containing vitamin D
Vitamin D Foods
Sign up today & save 15%
SHOP
  • Coffee
  • Mix-Ins
  • MCT Oils
  • Supplements
  • Collagen
  • Protein Bars
  • All Products
Learn
  • Bulletproof for Beginners
  • Recipes
  • Newsletters & Guides
  • Bulletproof Blog
  • Books
CUSTOMER CARE
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs
  • Shipping Policy
  • Return Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
COMPANY
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Careers
  • Customer Reviews
  • Rewards
  • Give $15, Get $15
PARTNERS
  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale
  • Ambassador Program
  • Affiliate Program
Discover What Better Feels Like
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

†Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for individual medical advice. | ©Bulletproof 360, Inc. 2013–2023

  • Privacy Policy|
  • Terms|
  • Reseller Policy|