Pre-Workout Meals for Endurance Training: What to Eat and When

The job of a pre-workout meal for endurance athletes

A pre-workout meal for an endurance athlete has one primary job: arrive at the start of the session with adequate glycogen and blood glucose, without digestive discomfort slowing you down. Secondary considerations include hydration and avoiding foods that cause GI distress mid-session — a concern that runners and triathletes in particular know well.

The meal does not need to be large, complex, or perfectly timed to the minute. But it does need to be intentional: choosing foods that digest well, provide available carbohydrates, and don't leave you feeling heavy or bloated when the session starts.

Timing and portion size: the primary variables

2–3 hours before training: this is the ideal pre-workout window for a full meal. Enough time for meaningful digestion and gastric emptying before the session begins. Portion sizes can be normal — include carbohydrates as the primary energy source, a moderate protein component, and keep fat and fibre on the lower side compared to rest-day meals (both slow gastric emptying).

30–60 minutes before training: a smaller, easier-to-digest snack rather than a full meal. At this window, the carbohydrate source should be simple and familiar — banana, toast with honey, a small bowl of oats, or a sports drink. Protein and fat at this window are minimal because they slow digestion and may cause discomfort during the session.

Fasted training (no pre-workout food): appropriate for low-to-moderate intensity sessions under 60–75 minutes when glycogen is already adequate from the previous day's eating. Not appropriate for high-intensity sessions, long runs, or sessions where output quality matters.

Pre-workout foods that work for endurance athletes

Foods that consistently work well: oats or porridge, toast or bagels, bananas, rice-based meals, potatoes (including sweet potato), yogurt with fruit, fruit-based smoothies, energy bars with familiar ingredients. These all share the same profile: carbohydrate-primary, moderate protein, low fat, low to moderate fibre.

Foods to avoid in the 90 minutes before endurance training: high-fat meals (slow digestion), high-fibre foods (cruciferous vegetables, beans, high-fibre cereals — GI risk during running especially), highly processed or unfamiliar foods, excess caffeine without food, and anything that has previously caused GI issues for you personally. The gut is highly individual — what works for another athlete may not work for you.

Pre-workout nutrition by training time of day

Early morning sessions (6–7 AM): often the hardest to fuel well without getting up early to eat. Options: (1) train fasted if the session is low-intensity and under 75 minutes; (2) eat something small 20–30 minutes before (banana, toast, sports drink) and accept that it's a compromise; (3) shift the main nutrition to the evening before — a good dinner with adequate carbohydrates means morning glycogen is relatively well-stocked.

Lunchtime sessions (12–1 PM): usually well-positioned to eat a proper pre-workout meal. A mid-morning snack 2 hours before the session and a light top-up 30 minutes before covers most athletes well. Avoid a heavy lunch immediately before — the standard mistake of eating a large meal at 11:30 and attempting a hard session at 12:30.

Evening sessions (6–8 PM): the easiest to fuel because there's ample time from breakfast and lunch to have good glycogen availability. An afternoon snack 1.5–2 hours before the session (carbohydrate-focused, modest protein) is typically sufficient. Heavy dinners before evening runs or rides are rarely necessary unless the athlete is in a very high-volume training phase.

Trialling pre-workout nutrition in training, not racing

The most important pre-workout nutrition rule for endurance athletes is consistent: never try something new on race day. The pre-workout meal strategy needs to be trialled and confirmed in training — ideally in conditions that approximate race conditions (same time of day, same session type, similar intensity).

If gut issues during endurance training are a recurring problem, keep a simple food log alongside training notes for two to three weeks. The pattern of what causes issues — and what doesn't — emerges quickly. Most athletes find 2–3 pre-workout meals or snack options that work reliably and stick with them across training blocks and races.