Many services allow consumers to elect for high calorie or lower calorie meals, however, preprepared meals that are chosen from menu’s may not be fully customisable.

Some meal services allow consumers to buy or add additional protein or carbohydrates to meals.

Many workout services cater to dietary requirements or preferences such as lactose and gluten-free options. For those with allergies or other dietary requirements, you may need to speak directly with the provider to seek out specifics.

Food 4 Fitness specifies if consumers have any dietary requirements, they offer a selection of customisable dietary options to select from. Food 4 Fitness meals are also available in stores within selected locations around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide.

There are a few options that cater to vegan workout meals such as:

– My Muscle Chef
– Workout Meals

– Foober

My Muscle Chef has gained a lot of popularity for its delicious and multipurpose meal service. There are many options to choose from with My Muscle Chef including a menu consumers can choose from as a one-off buy or meal plans based on specific active goals such as calorie control, muscle gain and a performance plan. Even though they cater to most workout goals there is also the availability for consumers to build a custom meal plan based on the quantities and volume they need. There are over 80 meals to choose from including snacks and sides using their menu builder on site.

Protein an important nutrient that is responsible for a lot of functions in the body whilst providing structural integrity and repairing/ building muscle (Berg, Tymoczko et al. 2002).

Consuming adequate protein and essential nutrients post-exercise can optimise recovery lowering the muscle protein breakdown, encourage muscle growth and restore glycogen stores.

Dietary Guidelines suggest 10-35% of our energy needs should come from protein, a high protein diet is estimated to have protein values of over 35% (Marta Cuenca-Sánchez 2015) (Samuel 2014).

High protein meals may be more suited to those with higher energy output and demands.

Pre-workout nutrition is highly valuable and important to optimise to get the most out of training sessions and performance. Some benefits from optimising pre-workout nutrition include:
– Hydrate and fuel bodies adequately for the exercise output ahead.

– Maintain quality and the intensity of the session for longer.
– Control appetite and avoid digestive upsets by fuelling properly
– Meet body composition goals by fuelling adequately

(SDA, 2021)

Again, this is a very individual preference and will differ from person to person. Some people may find they don’t tolerate much in their stomach going into a big training session, whereas others heavily rely on eating before a workout. It’s important to familiarise yourself and practice with foods before big or important exercise events to avoid any upsets.

Ideally, you want to lean into a rich carbohydrate source to kick start your energy stores and opt for low fibre – moderate to high fibre sources can cause digestive upsets. Foods that are higher in fat content take too long to digest and may cause stomach upsets too (SDA, 2021).

Supporting the body post-exercise is important to replenish and refuel the body appropriately after exhaustion. It also is an essential part of meeting specific health or composition goals such as muscle gain. When adequate recovery is achieved through nutrition the body can:
– Refuel energy stores
– Repair & grow muscle
– Adapt and optimise training sessions
– Support the body’s immune function (SDA, 2021).

Everyone’s requirements will differ as will their preferences or what feels right post-exercise. For some their appetite might be more heightened than others, or others may struggle to comfortably consume food post-exercise. For these reasons, there may be an element of trial and error to figure out what works best for you post-exercise.

Ideally, foods post-exercise should contain a protein source to repair muscle, a high-quality carbohydrate source to refill muscle stores and a fluid to rehydrate effectively. A very common example of an easy and reliable post-exercise nutritional option is a protein shake or a smoothie as they tick all the above boxes regarding refuelling, repair and hydration but they can also sit easier on an uneasy stomach or for those that may not have as sharp of an appetite post-workout (SDA, 2021).

A, H. and K. T (2015). “Mg, Zn and Cu Transport Proteins: A Brief Overview from Physiological and Molecular Perspectives.” Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology 61 Suppl.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26598820/

Berg, J. M., et al. (2002). “Protein Structure and Function.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21177/

Cooper, G. M. (2000). “Signaling Molecules and Their Receptors.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9924/

Cooper, G. M. (2000). “The Central Role of Enzymes as Biological Catalysts.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9921/

J, H. (2006). “The role of albumin in fluid and electrolyte balance.” Journal of infusion nursing : the official publication of the Infusion Nurses Society 29(5).
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17035887/

Koh, J. M. a. G. (2020). “Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss.” J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sep 30; 29(3): 166–173.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7539343/

NRV (2021) . Nutrient Reference Values – “What are Nutrient Reference Values?”
https://www.nrv.gov.au/introduction

Sports Dietitians Australia (2021). “EATING & DRINKING BEFORE EXERCISE”.
https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/factsheets/fuelling-recovery/eating-drinking-sport/

Sports Dietitians Australia (2021). “RECOVERY NUTRITION”.

https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/factsheets/fuelling-recovery/recovery-nutrition/