The Best Foods To Fuel Your Evening Workouts

Timing your meals before exercise can be challenging—especially if you tend to work out later in the day. 

If you’re going to put in a decent shift, it’s important that you fuel your body to cope with the demands. 

When you’re exercising late afternoon or early evening, you’ll use a lot of your energy up through work and your daily chores. So it’s essential that you stock up on fuel so you have reserves to meet the demands of physical exercise too.

Meeting the demands of fueling your evening exercise often means fitting it in with work schedules. But most people find that once they get into a regular routine, it's pretty straightforward. The key to juggling meal planning with exercise is to stay consistent.

During the day aim to include carbs in your meals, preferably those with a higher fiber content so they release energy more slowly without causing spikes and crashes, as well as some lean protein. 

How much you need to eat and in what proportions will depend on the intensity of your planned exercise, as well as your individual needs.

Timing is important, too. Trying to pack in a high-energy meal just before you start your workout won't work, as you need to allow your food time to be digested.

Consuming food that will help your recovery is also a good idea. It will prevent you from taking in too much food late at night, which can cause stomach and sleep issues.

Here, we’ll be looking at the best way to fuel up to make sure you have enough energy to power through your night workouts and make them count.

What is the best fuel for an evening workout?

To power through your workout in the evening, it’s important to choose food containing the nutrients that will support your physical efforts—and help with recovery.

Protein

Some lean protein will help to support your muscle function and speed up recovery. It’s also important for your immune function and metabolism. Protein contains essential amino acids which will help muscle growth and repair.

Carbohydrates

Complex carbs will help to give you a steady energy release. Consuming carbohydrates before exercise will help you to maintain optimal levels of glycogen, reduce the signs of early fatigue, and promote recovery.

Water

It’s essential to keep hydrated before, during, and after exercise to avoid premature fatigue. Carrying a water bottle with you is a great way to remind yourself to keep topping up throughout the day.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are essential for maintaining fluid balance, supporting muscle function, regulating blood pressure, and ensuring proper hydration levels in the body.

Read: The 7 Best Snacks To Eat Before A Workout

The best foods to fuel your nighttime exercise

When looking to fuel your body for a workout routine later in the day, remember to leave some time for your food to digest before you get stuck into your exercise routine. Some people prefer to keep it light and aim for 70% of a meal prior to exercise and 30% post-workout. 

This is fine, but there’s no issue preparing a meal and eating the whole thing prior to your activity, just leave a couple of hours to allow your food to be digested. This will enable nutrients to break down and enter your system and reduce the chances of stomach cramps.

Protein-rich foods

The bulk of your pre-workout meal should consist of high-quality protein foods. These will be easily absorbed into your system and will flood your system with essential amino acids for muscle repair and muscle building. 

The best sources of easily digestible protein foods include…

• Greek yogurt
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Fish
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbs provide a sustained and slow-release energy, releasing glucose into your bloodstream gradually. 

This provides a steady energy boost over a longer period. They are also great for supporting digestive health and managing blood sugar. Some of the best sources are…

• Quinoa
• Oatmeal
• Beans
• Whole grain bread or toast
• Sweet potatoes

Healthy fats

Getting your fill of foods rich in healthy fats will give you a concentrated source of energy. Healthy fats are essential for powering anything from low to vigorous exercise, as well as supporting muscle building and nutrient absorption.

Rich sources of healthy fats include…

• Avocado
• Almonds  
• Seeds
• Fatty fish
• Fruits and vegetables:
• Bananas
• Leafy greens  
• Hummus

Some sample pre-workout meals

When preparing a meal prior to physical activity, it’s a good idea to mix it up and get a nice balance of carbs, protein and healthy fats. 

The quality of your evening workouts will rely on how you fuel your body, and making the right choices will seriously benefit your physical performance.

Here’s a body-boosting pre-workout meal example…

• Skinless chicken with leafy greens and sweet potatoes
• Salmon with green beans and carrots
• Wholegrain toast with cottage cheese and hummus

Read: How Important Is Nutrition For Fitness Goals?

The best supplements to fuel working out at night

Evening exercisers need to get their timings right as it can have a negative impact on their sleep quality. 

Raising your heart rate and taking supplements containing caffeine can mean you have difficulty falling asleep. So it's important to stagger your supplement consumption well to improve your sleep efficiency.

Pre-workout

A decent pre-workout can help you power through your evening workouts while giving you greater muscle mass and strength—supercharging your performance in the process.

If you're exercising later in the day, it's important to remember that pre-workouts usually contain a certain amount of caffeine. 

If you're planning to head to bed shortly after your workout, it's a good idea to limit the amount of pre-workout you take to help you get better sleep.

Protein Powder

Whey protein has many health benefits and is a great supplement for working out at night. It supports physical activity and helps fast-charge recovery after exercise. 

Research shows that consuming protein later in the day can have a positive impact on muscle protein synthesis.

Read: How To Avoid Common Mistakes When Using Whey Protein Powder

Creatine

If you're performing intense evening exercises, a dose of creatine will definitely give you a boost, especially if you're feeling tired after a long day. 

It's great for regular exercise and is perfect for strength training as it gives you surplus energy for quick, sharp bursts of intense exercise.

Let Crazy Nutrition power your evening workouts

To get the best out of your evening workout, it’s important to be powered by the best supplements. And we’ve got something just for you.

The Crazy Nutrition Fitness Stack includes…

• CRN-5 is a creatine formula made with 5 grams of creatine plus added electrolytes for muscle hydration so you can lift harder and recover faster.

• Tri-Protein is a delicious protein formula made with 4 types of proteins that are absorbed in 3 different rates for longer-lasting muscle build & recovery.

• Pre-Train is a pre-workout formula containing 23 powerhouse ingredients to help ignite the brain and body for intense focus, drive, and energy like never before, and without overloading on caffeine.

FAQs

When should you eat prior to a workout?

If you're planning a high-nutritional meal, it's important to allow a couple of hours before exercising at night. 

If you eat too late in the day and don't give your body enough time to digest the food, it will hurt your workout and it can disrupt sleep.

Can you eat carbs late at night?

Whether you decide on a morning workout or working out at night, you shouldn't avoid carbs. Your evening exercise will benefit from carbohydrates, especially if it was a hard session. 

Your muscles need to refuel after nighttime workouts so eating carbs after intense exercise will help you to recover quicker and help you to get a good night's sleep.

Which foods should you avoid prior to an evening workout?

Food that is high in sugar and highly processed foods will negatively impact your workout. If you want to get to your fitness goals more quickly, you must choose food with high nutritional quality, especially before exercising at night. 

Whether you're exercising to lose weight, relieve stress, or build muscle bulk, the quality of your exercise performance will be negatively affected if you include too many of these food types.