Pre workout meal timing

Pick when your session starts and see the windows for a meal or a snack.

Your details

A full meal before a 18:00 start

14:00 to 15:00

the best window to eat

Full meal14:00 to 15:00
Light meal16:00 to 17:00
Small snack17:00 to 17:30
Carbohydrate in itabout 210 to 279 g (3 to 4 g per kg, the sports dietitians' range for this gap)
Drink beforehandabout 349 to 489 ml slowly, around 14:00 (5 to 7 ml per kg about 4 hours before), then to thirst
During the sessionnot usually needed for 60 to 90 minutes; water, or a sports drink for hard sessions

Go for familiar, mostly starchy foods and keep fat and fibre lower close to the start. Everyone's tummy is different, so practise in training, not on race day.

The working

Counting back from the start

Food	Eat this long before
Full meal	3 to 4 hours
Light meal	1 to 2 hours
Small snack	30 to 60 minutes

For an 18:00 session, a full meal fits best between 14:00 and 15:00, a light meal between 16:00 and 17:00, and a snack between 17:00 and 17:30.

How much

Grams per kg for longer sessions

For sessions over an hour, sports dietitians suggest 1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg in the 1 to 4 hours before (Thomas, Erdman and Burke 2016). At 11 st, a full meal 3 to 4 hours out is about 210 to 279 g, a light meal 1 to 2 hours out 70 to 140 g. Drink about 349 to 489 ml slowly around 4 hours before (5 to 7 ml per kg, ACSM 2007). Over 90 minutes, 30 to 60 g an hour during helps. Under an hour, your usual meals are enough.

What to eat

Familiar, starchy, not too fatty

Full meal: pasta with a tomato sauce, rice with chicken, a jacket potato
Light meal: a sandwich, porridge, a bagel with jam
Snack: a banana, a cereal bar, toast with honey

Fat, fibre and big portions slow digestion, so keep those lower nearer the start.

Morning sessions

Early starts

For an early run or swim, many people do fine on a small snack or nothing at all for easy sessions under an hour. For harder or longer sessions, a little something, like a banana or a slice of toast, usually helps.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Your stomachSome people can eat right before; others need longer.
DiabetesPeople using insulin need their own plan for exercise.
RacesPractise race day timings in training first.

Questions

Common questions

How long before a workout should I eat?

About 3 to 4 hours for a full meal, 1 to 2 hours for a light meal, or 30 to 60 minutes for a small snack.

Is it OK to train on an empty stomach?

For short, easy sessions, many people are fine. For long or hard sessions, eating first usually helps performance.

What is a good pre workout snack?

Something light and mostly carbohydrate, like a banana, toast or a cereal bar.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If food feels hard

If eating, weight or food is on your mind a lot, you are not alone. Your GP can help, and Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677 (England, weekdays 3pm to 8pm).