FSHP Academy
Sports Nutrition — all lessons

Module 1: Foundations of Sports Nutrition

Energy systems and metabolism for nutritionMacronutrients and athletic performanceMicronutrients and hydration essentials

Module 2: Nutrition for Training & Competition

Pre-, intra- and post-workout nutrition strategiesFuelling for endurance vs strength/power sportsCompetition-day meal planning

Module 3: Body Composition & Weight Management

Balancing muscle gain and fat lossSafe weight-cutting practices for athletesNutrition for injury prevention and recoveryEnergy availability and RED-S

Module 4: Supplements & Ergogenic Aids

Evidence-based supplements (creatine, caffeine and others)Avoiding banned substances and doping risks

Module 5: Practical Applications

Creating individualised nutrition plansSports nutrition case studies

Pre-, intra- and post-workout nutrition strategies

What to eat before, during and after training — evidence on carbohydrate and protein timing, practical meal ideas and when timing matters most.

Intermediate Evidence: Strong evidence 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Plan pre-exercise meals by timing and session type
  • Prescribe carbohydrate during exercise by duration
  • Plan post-exercise recovery nutrition
  • Identify when nutrient timing matters most

Before this lesson

Why this matters

The right food at the right time improves training quality and recovery, especially when sessions are long, intense or close together.

Before exercise

  • 1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 1–4 h before key sessions [thomas2016].
  • Closer to training: smaller, lower fat and fibre to limit gut discomfort.
  • Indian examples: idli with sambar, poha, banana with curd, toast and peanut butter.

During exercise

Jeukendrup’s duration-based guidelines [jeukendrup2014]:

DurationCarbohydrate
<45 minNot needed
45–75 minSmall amounts or mouth rinse
1–2 hUp to 30 g/h
2–3 hUp to 60 g/h
>2.5 hUp to 90 g/h, glucose + fructose

Train the gut — practise race nutrition in training.

After exercise

  • Protein: ~0.25–0.4 g/kg (≈20–40 g) within a few hours, and every 3–4 h across the day [jager2017].
  • Carbohydrate: if the next session is within ~8 h, ~1.0–1.2 g/kg/h for the first 4 h restores glycogen fastest; otherwise normal meals suffice [kerksick2017].

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Case study

A badminton player has matches at 10:00 and 15:00. Plan: breakfast at 07:30 (upma, eggs, juice); after match 1, a sandwich, banana and milk (carbohydrate + protein); sips of sports drink before match 2. Energy in the second match improves compared with previous tournaments.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Introductory needs verification — opens a YouTube search

What to eat before and after training

sports dietitians (search)

You will understand: practical pre- and post-workout meals

Why: Practical guidance.
Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Carbohydrate during exercise

Asker Jeukendrup / mysportscience (search)

You will understand: how much and what type

Why: Leading researcher.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. For an exercise bout of 2–3 h, carbohydrate intake during exercise is generally recommended at…

Answer B. Jeukendrup’s guidelines scale intake with duration.

2. Rapid post-exercise glycogen restoration (e.g., ~1–1.2 g/kg/h carbohydrate) is most important when…

Answer B. Short recovery windows require aggressive refuelling.

3. A post-exercise protein dose of about…

Answer B. ISSN recommends ~0.25–0.4 g/kg.

4. For events over ~2.5 h, up to 90 g/h carbohydrate requires…

Answer B. Different transporters allow higher absorption.

5. The ISSN position on timing states…

Answer B. Context-dependent effects.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Plan nutrition for a 6 a.m. swim session and a 5 p.m. gym session on the same day.
  2. Design race nutrition for a 3-hour cycling event.
  3. Suggest Indian post-workout snacks providing ~25 g protein and carbohydrate.

Key takeaways

  • Pre-exercise: 1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 1–4 h before key sessions; smaller, lower-fibre meals closer to training.
  • During: 30–60 g/h for 1–2.5 h efforts; up to 90 g/h of mixed carbohydrates for longer events.
  • After: ~0.3 g/kg protein and carbohydrate; rapid glycogen restoration matters when sessions are <8 h apart.
  • Total daily intake matters most; timing fine-tunes it.

Connected topics

sports nutrition

Competition-day meal planning

sports nutrition

Fuelling for endurance vs strength/power sports

strength conditioning

Nutrition, sleep and regeneration strategies

References

  1. Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14:33. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4 Position stand check pending
  2. Jeukendrup A (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine, 44(Suppl 1):S25–S33. Narrative review check pending
  3. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016). American College of Sports Medicine joint position statement: nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(3):543–568. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852 Position stand check pending
  4. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8 Position stand check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.