Pre-fuelling training is one of the most overlooked parts of an athlete’s routine, yet it can completely change how a session feels. What you eat in the final 60 minutes often decides whether you start sharp and energised, or whether you feel flat, heavy, and struggling to keep pace. That last hour matters, but it doesn’t stand alone. How well you’ve fuelled across the day, the type of session ahead, and your ability to tolerate food all influence what works best.
In this blog, we’ll look at how to plan your pre-fuel, which carbohydrates are most effective, practical snack ideas, and how training the gut helps you absorb and use what you eat. Think of it as preparing both your muscles and your digestive system so you can get the most out of every session.
Looking Back: How Well Have You Fuelled Leading Into the Session?
The last 60 minutes can only top things up. If you arrive under-fuelled, no quick snack can make up the difference. That’s why it’s worth reviewing what you’ve eaten earlier in the day — and even the day before.
Meals and Snacks Earlier in the Day
Your body relies on glycogen stored in the muscles and liver. These stores are built from meals and snacks, not just the final bite before training. A balanced breakfast, lunch, and top-up snacks give you a stronger foundation than grabbing something last minute. Picture a lunchtime workout on a busy day: if you skip breakfast and only grab a coffee mid-morning, that 12pm session will feel much harder, even if you eat something right before.
Carry-Over from the Previous Day
Recovery nutrition shapes how you start tomorrow. Train hard but skip refuelling, and you’ll begin the next day already in a hole. Even if you eat right before, low glycogen leaves you at a disadvantage. Consistency counts.
Signs You’re Not Topped Up
Heavy legs, sugar cravings, poor focus, or irritability before training often signal that you’re running low. These are signs to look at your overall fuelling, not just the pre-fuelling snack.
Session Demands: Type and Duration of Training
Your approach to pre-fuelling training should reflect the type and length of the session ahead. Not every workout needs the same strategy.
Short, High-Intensity Sessions
Intervals, sprints, and circuits rely heavily on carbohydrate. Go in low and you’ll quickly feel flat. A small snack, around 0.5 g/kg body weight (30g for a 60kg individual), like fruit, toast with jam, or a sports product can sharpen energy without sitting heavy.
Longer Endurance or Mixed-Modal Sessions
Sessions lasting over an hour place more strain on your energy stores. Aim closer to 1 g/kg body weight (60g for a 60kg individual), such as crumpets with jam and juice or rice cakes with banana. This level of fuelling delays fatigue and keeps output steady. If your workout runs past 60–90 minutes, plan to add extra fuel during the session.
Training the Gut and those 5.30AM Starts.
The looks I get when I suggest fuelling at 5.30am are priceless. Eating before training is hard, eating before very early training is harder. That’s why we take a gradual approach to training the gut. Like your muscles, the gut adapts with practice and becomes better at absorbing nutrients.
Start small… I mean, really small. It could be as little as 100 ml of smoothie. Then, two to three times a week, increase the volume to 150 ml, then 200 ml, and so on. Over time your gut will tolerate more without discomfort. You can make your own blend with oats, tropical fruit, and juice for a high-energy option, or simply buy a supermarket smoothie for convenience. The goal is consistency, not perfection, and every small step builds tolerance and confidence for when fuelling matters most.
Carbohydrates: The Main Player in Pre-Fuel
I have lost track of how many people, highly trained athletes included, say they avoid sugar or keep it to the minimum. Yet when it comes to fuelling the hour before training, carbohydrates, including simple sugars, take centre stage. They are the body’s preferred energy source for exercise, especially when intensity increases. Having available carbohydrate in the bloodstream and muscles helps you start strong, sustain effort, and recover more effectively afterwards.
Why Carbs Are Key for Performance
Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which fuels your working muscles and supports brain function. Starting a session with low carbohydrate availability can leave you sluggish, reduce power output, and impair concentration. For high-intensity or endurance work, carbs are essential to perform at your best.
Choosing the Right Type
Not all carbohydrates work the same in the pre-fuelling window. Complex carbs, like whole grains and beans, release energy slowly, making them better for meals eaten hours before training. In the final 60 minutes, simple carbs — such as white bread, fruit, or rice cakes — are easier to digest and provide quick energy without weighing you down. This is also where training the gut helps, as regular practice improves how well your body handles these foods close to exercise.
Examples of Low-Fibre, Easy-Digest Options
Fibre is great for health, but too much right before training can cause stomach discomfort. Opt for lower-fibre choices like:
- White toast with jam or honey
- A banana or ripe peach
- A handful of dried fruit like mango or raisins
- Rice cakes with a small topping
- A fruit smoothie made with juice or milk
These options provide quick energy, are easy on the stomach, and can be adjusted in portion size depending on the session demands.
Practical 60-Minute Pre-Fuel Options
As a guide, aim for around 0.5 g/kg body mass before shorter or easier sessions, and closer to 1 g/kg before longer or harder ones. For a 60 kg athlete, that’s 30–60 g of carbohydrate.
30–45 g Carbohydrate Ideas
- Large Banana with tbsp honey
- Two slices of white toast with tbsp jam
- 30g Cornflakes and 125ml milk
- 2-3 Medjool dates
- Small rice pudding pot
60–90 g Carbohydrate Ideas
- Bagel with tbsp honey or jam
- 500 ml fruit smoothie with 2 tbsp oats, large banana, 200ml fresh juice
- Two Weetabix, milk tbsp honey and banana
- 2 Crumpets with jam
- 250g cooked white rice with 2tbsp soy sauce or honey
Smoothies, Sports Products, and Whole Foods
Smoothies are a simple way to boost carbs if chewing feels unappealing. Sports drinks, gels, or chews provide quick absorption for tougher sessions. Whole foods like pretzels, fruit loaf, or rice cakes are also reliable, especially if you prefer everyday options.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Even with good intentions, pre-fuelling training can go wrong. Here are the three pitfalls I see most often.
Skipping Pre-Fuel and Running on Empty
Some avoid eating before training, hoping to adapt or burn more fat. In reality, most just feel flat, underperform, and struggle to complete the session. I’ve seen athletes lose confidence in their training simply because they didn’t give themselves the energy to perform.
Too Much Fibre, Fat, or Protein
Large amounts of fibre, fat, or protein right before training slow digestion and often cause bloating or cramps. A bowl of porridge with nuts may be healthy, but eaten 30 minutes before a hard interval session, it will likely feel heavy and uncomfortable. Keep it light and carb-focused.
Not Practising Race-Day Nutrition
Never save new fuelling strategies for race day. Use training to practise and adapt, so nothing feels unfamiliar when performance matters most. This is where training the gut becomes invaluable — it lets you turn your fuelling into part of your race-day routine, not a gamble.
Take-Home Messages
Pre-fuelling training means matching intake to the demands of the session.
Around 0.5 g/kg body mass works for short sessions, 1 g/kg for longer ones.
Simple carbs are your friend in the final 60 minutes.
Training the gut builds tolerance and confidence.
Always test strategies in training, not on race day.
Not sure where to start? That’s exactly where personalised support can make the difference. I help athletes create fuelling strategies that fit their training load, lifestyle, and race goals. No generic templates, just practical advice tailored to your schedule, preferences, travel, and competition demands.
With the right approach, you’ll train with more energy, recover faster, and perform at your best when it counts.
