What to eat before and after a workout (desi edition)

Whether you lift, run, play cricket or go to a dance class, what you eat around training affects how you feel, perform and recover.

Before: fuel up

1 to 4 hours before, have a meal or snack built around easy-to-digest carbs with some protein, and go easy on fat and fibre if your stomach is sensitive.

• Banana with a few dates
• Oats made with milk and topped with fruit
• Whole-wheat toast with peanut butter
• A small chicken or egg roll in a whole-wheat roti

Training first thing in the morning? A banana or a couple of dates 30 to 60 minutes before is often enough.

During: only if it's long

For most sessions under an hour, water is enough. For longer or very sweaty sessions, a sports drink, dates or a banana can help keep your energy up.

After: repair and refuel

Within a couple of hours after training, aim for protein plus carbs. Research suggests that around 20 to 40 g of protein per meal, spread across the day, supports muscle repair.

• Chicken tikka with rice and salad
• Daal chawal with a bowl of yoghurt
• Lassi (lightly sweetened) and a boiled egg
• Chana chaat with yoghurt
• An omelette with whole-wheat toast

Don't forget fluids

Weigh yourself before and after a sweaty session. For every kilogram lost, drink roughly 1.25 to 1.5 litres of fluid over the next few hours. Add a pinch of salt or a salty snack if you sweat heavily.

Train hard, eat well, rest properly. That's the whole secret.

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