Sports & Nutrition: How to Eat for Energy, Performance and Fitness

Whether you're a weekend warrior, a gym enthusiast, or an aspiring athlete, what you eat has a direct impact on how you perform and recover. The phrase "you are what you eat" has never rung truer than in the world of fitness and sports. Sports nutrition isn’t just about calories - it’s about providing your body with the right nutrients, at the right times, in the right amounts to optimise energy levels, enhance performance, and accelerate recovery.

In this blog, I’ll break down the essentials of sports nutrition, including what to eat before, during, and after workouts, how to balance macronutrients, the role of hydration, and tips for customising your fuelling strategy.

Why is Nutrition Important for Sports Performance?

When you exercise, your body uses up stored energy, breaks down muscle tissue, and loses water and electrolytes through sweat. To perform at your best and recover properly, you need to replenish what’s lost and support your body with the fuel it needs. Proper sports nutrition can:

• Improve endurance and strength
• Enhance focus and reaction time
• Reduce fatigue during training
• Speed up muscle recovery
• Minimise the risk of injury
  
  

It’s not just elite athletes who benefit - anyone with exercises can improve their performance with proper nutrition.

Macronutrients & Sports Performance

Understanding the "big three" macronutrients - carbohydrates, protein, and fats - is foundational to fuelling your body correctly.

1. Carbohydrates: The Primary Fuel Source

Carbs are your body’s preferred energy source during high-intensity workouts. When you eat carbs, your body stores them as glycogen in muscles and the liver. During exercise, glycogen is broken down into glucose to power your movements.

Best sources of carbs: 

Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, and legumes - FYI these are complex carbs not refined carbs (bread, pasta, bagels, cakes - these are the ones to limit).

How much to eat: 

For general fitness, aim for 3–5 g/kg of body weight per day. Endurance athletes may need 6–10 g/kg/day depending on training intensity.

What does that mean in real terms? 

A 60kg female who is training would want to eat 195 - 390g carbs per day

1 sweet potato = 26g carbohydrates

6 tablespoons of oats = 42g

½ cup brown rice = 22g

6 strawberries = 6g

When to eat carbs for energy:

• Pre-workout: A carb-rich meal 2–3 hours before exercise.
  
• During long workouts: For sessions longer than 60–90 minutes, consume 30–60g of carbs per hour. (note: energy gels usually contain this amount of carbs for a quick glucose fix when mid physical activity = cycling or running)
  
• Post-workout: Refuel within 30–60 minutes with carbs to replenish glycogen stores. This is very important - otherwise your body will burn muscle for energy (kind of defeats the purpose of the training then!)

2. Protein: For Muscle Repair and Recovery

Protein plays a vital role in muscle repair, recovery, and growth. It’s especially important post-exercise to rebuild muscle tissue damaged during training.

Best sources of protein

Lean meats, poultry, eggs, dairy, tofu, tempeh, lentils, and protein shakes. Read on to find out more of the best vegan sources of protein.

How much protein should I eat

Most active individuals need about 0.8 1.2 g/kg of body weight per day, depending on training volume and goals.

2 eggs = 12g protein

100g chicken breast = 31g protein

100g tofu = 8g protein

When to eat:

• Throughout the day: Spread your intake evenly across 3 x meals and snacks.
  
• Post-workout: Consume 20–30g of high-quality protein within an hour of finishing exercise. - remember this is important to prevent muscle wastage

3. Fats: Essential for Endurance and Hormone Health

Fats provide a slow-burning fuel, particularly for low to moderate-intensity exercise. They also support hormone production and nutrient absorption. It's a common misconception that fats make you fat, they absolutely don't! Fats make you smart, refined carbohydrates increase fat.

Best sources of healthy fats

Avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines), and coconut oil.

How much to eat

Around 20 - 35% of your total daily calories should come from fat. Focus on unsaturated fats and limit trans fats and excessive saturated fats (sausages and processed meat, industrially farmed meat sources and processed and packaged food.

When to eat

Include healthy fats in meals throughout the day, but avoid heavy, high-fat meals right before intense workouts, as they may cause digestive discomfort.

Don't want to think about calories, macros or the nitty gritty numbers?

I get it, calorie counting can be boring, triggering and not that fun, but don't worry - you do not have to obsess over these numbers to be able to fuel correctly. If you follow these simple steps you will still be able to train well, nourish your body and stay fit and strong.

Carbs - aim for 1 cup of complex carbs on your lunch and dinner plate (rice, grains, potato)

Protein - roughly the size of your palm as a minimum eg: palm sized chicken breast or fish fillet - increase this to 2 palm sizes if you have bigger training goals

Fats - Cook with 1-2tbsp olive oil or coconut oil with your meals, add a  handful of nuts and seeds as a snack or sprinkle on your plate, eat  ½ avocado, your oily fish fillet will double as a protein and fat!

Timing Is Everything: When to Eat Before & After Exercise

Pre-Workout Nutrition

A good pre-workout meal gives you the energy to train hard and stay focused.

2–3 hours before training: Choose a balanced meal with complex carbs, protein, and a little fat (e.g., chicken with rice and vegetables for lunch.

30–60 minutes before: Opt for a light snack high in carbs and low in fat/fiber (e.g., a banana, rice cake with peanut butter)

What to Eat During Exercise

For sessions under 60 minutes, water is usually enough. For longer, high-intensity or endurance workouts:

• Sip water regularly.
• Include electrolytes if you're sweating heavily - you can also add a rock of himalayan rock salt as a cheaper alternative
• Add carbs (like sports drinks, energy gels, or fruit) for sustained energy when exercising for more than 60 mins.
  

Post-Workout Nutrition

Recovery starts the moment you finish exercising. The goal is to refuel glycogen stores (basically the energy you used up), repair muscle tissue, and rehydrate.

Within 30–60 minutes post-workout, eat a snack or meal that includes:

• Carbs: 1.0–1.2 g/kg body weight
• Protein: 20–30g of quality protein
• Fluids: Rehydrate with water and electrolytes

Example: A smoothie with whey protein, banana, oats, and almond milk, or baked salmon with sweet potato and broccoli and green beans.

If you do not eat within 60 mins of exercising you are likely to burn muscle and store fat. It's very important that you replenish your fuel stores to prevent you from undoing your hard work!

Hydration & Performance: The Overlooked Factor

Dehydration can cause fatigue, cramping, dizziness, and decreased coordination. Even a 2% drop in body weight from fluid loss can impair performance.

Hydration tips:

• Before exercise: Drink 500ml of water 2–3 hours before, and another 500ml 30 minutes before.
• During: For heavy exercise Sip 200ml every 20 minutes.
• After: this is very important to remember - drink 500ml - 1 litre after exercise, not all in one go! Good tip - if your urine is darker than normal and more yellow then you may be dehydrated - aim to have relatively clear urine

Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) are especially important during long sessions or in hot conditions. Adding an electrolyte tablet or liquid drops to water is quick, convenient and essential when in hot weather or exercising for 60 mins or more.

Do you Need Supplements for the Best Performance?

While whole foods should be your foundation, some supplements can support sports nutrition goals:

• Protein powders (whey, casein, or plant-based): Convenient post-workout recovery.
• Creatine: Supports strength, power, and muscle gain.
• Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs): May help reduce muscle soreness.
• Caffeine: Enhances endurance and mental focus. Try not to have on an empty stomach though
• Electrolyte tablets: Useful during intense training or hot climates.

Always consult with a healthcare provider or sports dietitian before starting supplements to make sure you actually need the supplements. You don't want to be taking on unnecessary calories or electrolytes if you do not have sufficient energy expenditure during training. It's also important to check they do not interact with any medication or other supplements. Always read the label!

Customise Your Nutrition Plan

Your ideal fuelling strategy depends on factors like your sport, training duration and intensity, body composition goals, dietary preferences, and schedule.

Tips for personalisation:

• Track how you feel during and after workouts with different meals.
• Adjust portions based on your training load - more intense days require more fuel - increase the quantity of protein, fats and carbs accordingly.
• Plan ahead to avoid skipping meals or grabbing poor-quality snacks. This will make a big difference to your training. If you are under-nourished it will impact your energy and ability to sustain the training - you will also be much more fatigued after the exercise.
• Listen to your body - if you’re constantly tired or not recovering well, your nutrition may need a tweak. Women should consider training around their cycle too. After menstruation and in the lead up to ovulation (roughly mid cycle) this is when women tend to feel their strongest.

Final Thoughts

Sports nutrition isn’t about rigid rules - it’s about smart fuelling that aligns with your goals and lifestyle. Eating well before, during, and after workouts can drastically improve how you feel and perform. Whether you’re chasing a personal best or just want to feel energised and strong, your food choices can make all the difference.

Remember: nutrition is your secret weapon in fitness. Use it wisely.