Question

How much fat should I eat? What are the recommendations for fat intake prior to, during, and after exercise?

Answer 1

• An endurance athlete. You train for high-level competition. You log a lot of high intensity miles each week. For you, carbohydrate and calorie needs are likely higher. You could add a protein + carbohydrate (P+C) drink during your training.

• Training as a bodybuilder. You lift weights with serious muscle growth in mind. You want to gain weight. Your protein and calorie needs are likely higher. You could also add a protein + carbohydrate (P+C) drink during your training.

• Getting ready for a fitness competition. You accumulate a lot of exercise hours. You’re trying to drop to a single-digit body fat percentage. For you, carb intake should be lower. You’d benefit from the performance-enhancing, muscle-preserving branched-chain-amino acids (BCAA) during your training.

Workout nutrition guidelines by goal and body type

Body type	General goal	Pre-workout	During workout	Post-workout
Ectomorph	Muscle gain or endurance support	Eat normally 1-2h prior	1 P+C drink, BCAA drink, or water during	Eat normally 1-2h after
Mesomorph	Physique optimization or intermittent sport support	Eat normally 1-2h prior	1 P+C drink, BCAA drink, or water during	Eat normally 1-2h after
Endomorph	Fat loss or strength sport support	Eat normally 1-2h prior	1 BCAA drink or water during	Eat normally 1-2h after