Nutrition Basics for Fitness: Macros, Meal Timing, Recovery Meals

Well-planned nutrition turns your training from “hard work” into “measurable progress.” This tutorial covers how to set your macros, time your meals around workouts, and design recovery meals that rebuild muscle and restore energy efficiently—without getting lost in fads or micromanagement. Whether you lift, run, or mix both, the principles here will help you fuel smarter and recover faster.

Macro fundamentals that drive performance

Macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) supply energy and building materials. For fitness outcomes, all three matter—but they don’t play the same role.

• Protein: Repairs and builds muscle, supports immune function. Aim for 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day for most active people. Older athletes, those in a calorie deficit, or heavy lifters may benefit from the higher end.
• Carbohydrates: Primary fuel for high-intensity work and endurance. Adequate carbs preserve training quality and speed recovery.
• Fats: Support hormones, cell health, and satiety. Keep fats moderate and avoid very low fat for long periods.

Fiber and micronutrients: Aim for 25–40 g fiber/day (scaled by body size and tolerance) and eat a variety of colorful produce for vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols that support recovery and health.

Calorie targets and setting your macros

Your daily energy balance sets the foundation. A practical way to estimate:

1. Estimate maintenance calories

• Quick start: bodyweight (kg) × 30–33 for moderately active athletes.
• Adjust up if highly active (e.g., manual job + daily training) and down if lightly active.

1. Choose your goal

• Muscle gain: +5–15% above maintenance.
• Fat loss: −10–20% below maintenance.
• Performance maintenance: hover near maintenance and periodize around hard blocks.

1. Assign macros

• Protein: 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day (non-negotiable for most lifters).
• Fat: 0.6–1.0 g/kg/day (don’t undercut 0.5 g/kg for long).
• Carbs: Fill the remainder with carbs. Carbs scale with training volume and intensity.

Example (75 kg intermediate lifter, moderate training, body recomposition):

• Maintenance: ≈ 75 × 32 = 2400 kcal
• Target: maintenance (2400 kcal)
• Protein: 2.0 g/kg = 150 g (600 kcal)
• Fat: 0.8 g/kg = 60 g (540 kcal)
• Carbs: remaining ≈ 2400 − (600 + 540) = 1260 kcal → 315 g carbs

Note: Reassess every 2–4 weeks. If performance flags or weight changes too quickly, adjust by 150–250 kcal/day.

Meal timing fundamentals

Timing improves how your body uses the fuel you eat. Think in three windows: before, during, and after training. Then spread the rest of your daily intake to maintain steady energy and recovery.

• Protein distribution: 3–5 meals/day, ~0.3 g/kg protein each (e.g., 20–40 g depending on body size). Include a pre-sleep slow-digesting protein (e.g., Greek yogurt or casein) to support overnight repair.
• Carb placement: Emphasize carbs before and after training to boost performance and recovery. Use slower-digesting carbs (e.g., oats, rice, whole grains) away from training for satiety and steady energy.
• Fat placement: Keep fats lighter in the 1–2 hours before and after training; they slow gastric emptying and can blunt rapid fuel availability.
• Fiber: Keep low fiber before training to reduce GI distress; return to higher fiber the rest of the day.

Pre-workout fueling

Goal: start your session energized, not heavy or hungry.

Timing options:

• 2–3 hours pre: 1–2 g/kg carbs + 0.3 g/kg protein; low-moderate fat, moderate fiber.
• 60–90 minutes pre: 0.5–1 g/kg carbs + 20–30 g protein; low fat, low fiber.
• 15–30 minutes pre: 15–30 g quick carbs if needed (e.g., banana, sports chew, toast with honey).

Examples:

• Strength or mixed training (75 kg): 60–90 min pre: bowl of rice with lean chicken and a small fruit (≈ 60–80 g carbs, 25–35 g protein).
• Endurance session (>60 min): 2–3 h pre: oatmeal with milk, berries, and a drizzle of honey + eggs or yogurt (≈ 1–1.5 g/kg carbs + 25–35 g protein).

Caffeine: 2–3 mg/kg 30–60 min pre can boost performance. Don’t overdo it late in the day if sleep quality matters.

Intra-workout strategies

• Strength sessions <90 minutes: Generally water is fine. If depleted or training fasted, 15–30 g carbs can help.
• Endurance 60–90 minutes: 30 g carbs/hour.
• Endurance 90–150 minutes: 30–60 g carbs/hour.
• Endurance >150 minutes or very high intensity: 60–90 g carbs/hour, often using multiple transportable carbs (≈ 2:1 glucose:fructose blends).
• Electrolytes: 300–600 mg sodium/hour for heavy sweaters or hot conditions; adjust by sweat rate and saltiness of sweat.

Train your gut: Practice fueling during training so race day or PR attempts feel normal.

Post-workout recovery meals (the 3 Rs)

The priorities after training:

• Refuel: restore glycogen with carbohydrates
• Repair: supply amino acids for muscle repair
• Rehydrate: replace fluid and electrolytes

Protein target:

• 0.25–0.4 g/kg high-quality protein within 1–2 hours post-workout.
• In a calorie deficit or older athletes: lean toward 0.4–0.5 g/kg.

Carb target:

• If another hard session occurs within 24 hours, prioritize carbs: 1.0–1.2 g/kg in the first 1–4 hours post-workout, especially for endurance.
• If training again later in the week, be less aggressive—just ensure daily totals remain adequate.

Fat:

• Keep moderate; a bit of fat is fine, but avoid very high-fat meals immediately post-workout if rapid refueling is the goal.

Sodium and fluids:

• Include salty foods (e.g., broth, salted rice, pickled veg) or an electrolyte drink—especially after long, sweaty sessions.

Examples by goal:

• Strength-focused recovery (75 kg): 30 g whey in milk + rice bowl with lean beef and vegetables (≈ 0.3–0.4 g/kg protein; 80–120 g carbs).
• Endurance refuel (60 kg): smoothie with yogurt, banana, berries, oats + turkey sandwich with fruit (≈ 1–1.2 g/kg carbs; 0.3–0.4 g/kg protein).

Evening training: If you train at night, combine your post-workout with a pre-sleep protein (casein-rich dairy or a slow-digesting protein) to support overnight recovery.

Hydration and electrolytes

Hydration deeply affects performance and recovery.

• Pre-post weigh-ins: Each 0.5 kg (1 lb) lost ≈ 0.5 L fluid deficit. Replace 125–150% of the loss over the next 2–4 hours to account for ongoing urine production.
• Sodium: Aim for 500–1000 mg per liter of fluid after very sweaty sessions; heavy or salty sweaters may need more.
• Urine color: Pale straw suggests adequate hydration; dark yellow indicates you likely need more fluids.
• Practical mix: Water + sodium + a bit of carbohydrate improves fluid uptake vs. water alone after hard efforts.

Day templates you can copy

Strength day (evening lift, 75 kg, maintenance):

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt parfait (30–35 g protein) with oats and fruit; nuts on top for healthy fats.
• Lunch: Quinoa, chicken, roasted vegetables; olive oil; fruit.
• Pre-lift snack (60–90 min pre): Rice cakes with turkey and honey; small coffee.
• Post-lift dinner: Lean beef, rice or potatoes, mixed vegetables; a glass of milk or fortified plant milk.
• Pre-sleep: Cottage cheese with berries or a casein shake.

Endurance long run morning (60 kg, moderate deficit, hot weather):

• Pre-run (90 min pre): Toast with jam and banana + 200–300 mg caffeine.
• During (2 hours): 30–45 g carbs/hour + electrolytes targeting 300–600 mg sodium/hour.
• Post-run (within 60 min): Smoothie with yogurt, banana, oats (≈ 25 g protein, 80 g carbs).
• Lunch: Big burrito bowl: rice, beans, lean protein, salsa, avocado; extra salt.
• Evening: Salmon, couscous, salad; dark chocolate; hydrate to urine pale straw.

Vegetarian and vegan swaps:

• Protein: tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, edamame, soy milk, textured soy protein; supplement with soy/wheat/pea blends.
• Leucine: ensure 2–3 g leucine per meal (~30–40 g most plant proteins or blended servings).

Best practices

• Anchor protein: Hit 0.3 g/kg protein at 3–5 meals, including after training and before sleep.
• Carbs to match work: Scale carbs with training volume; pack more around sessions.
• Pre-session GI-friendliness: Keep pre-workout fiber and fat modest; test foods during training blocks, not on event day.
• Manage weekly rhythm: Plan higher-carb days for your hardest sessions; slightly lower carbs on rest days while keeping protein steady.
• Sleep: Good recovery nutrition helps, but 7–9 hours of sleep remains non-negotiable for adaptation.

Common pitfalls (and fixes)

• Under-fueling carbs: You feel flat, cut sets short, or can’t hit paces. Fix: add 30–60 g carbs pre-workout and 60–120 g carbs post-workout on hard days.
• Protein clumping at dinner: Big single protein dose is less effective than even distribution. Fix: add 20–40 g protein at breakfast and lunch.
• High-fat pre-workout meals: Can cause sluggishness or GI distress. Fix: keep fat light 1–2 hours before training.
• Ignoring hydration: Headaches, performance drops, post-workout fatigue. Fix: track body mass changes and replace 125–150% of losses.
• Weekend warrior extremes: Huge Saturday session without fueling, then overeating at night. Fix: fuel before and during long sessions; steady meals afterward.
• Chasing supplements over basics: Creatine and caffeine are useful; most others are marginal vs. hitting macros, timing, and sleep.

Putting it all together: a simple decision framework

• Training today?
  • Yes, 2–3 h before: 1–2 g/kg carbs + 0.3 g/kg protein; low fat and moderate fiber.
  • 60–90 min before: add 0.5–1 g/kg carbs + 20–30 g protein if needed.
  • During (if >90 min endurance): 30–60 g carbs/h (up to 90 g with mixed sugars) + electrolytes.
  • After: 0.25–0.4 g/kg protein + 1.0–1.2 g/kg carbs if training again within 24 h; otherwise, ensure daily totals.
  • Evening: pre-sleep protein (20–40 g) to support overnight repair.
• Not training today?
  • Keep protein steady, carbs lower but adequate, and focus on micronutrient-rich foods and hydration.

Key takeaways

• Start with solid daily macros: protein 1.6–2.2 g/kg; fat 0.6–1.0 g/kg; carbs fill the rest to meet your energy needs.
• Time carbs and protein around training: fuel before, optionally during longer sessions, and recover after.
• Recovery meals = Refuel, Repair, Rehydrate: combine carbs, protein, and sodium-rich fluids.
• Adjust based on feedback: energy, performance, and body composition trends guide fine-tuning.

Use these principles as defaults, then personalize based on your sport, schedule, and gut tolerance. Nail the basics consistently, and your training will feel better—and deliver more.