What you eat around your workouts can make a noticeable difference to your energy, performance, and recovery, but for women, it also plays a key role in hormonal health, body composition, and long-term wellbeing.

Before training: fuel, not restriction

The goal before training is to provide your body with accessible energy without feeling heavy. This usually means easily digestible carbohydrates with a small amount of protein.

If you’re eating 2–3 hours before training, a balanced meal works well – think chicken with rice, or oats with yoghurt and fruit. If you’re closer to your session (30–60 minutes), keep it light: a banana with protein, toast with honey, or a smoothie.

For women, this step is often overlooked. Training in a fasted or under-fuelled state can increase cortisol (your stress hormone), which over time may contribute to fatigue, poor recovery, stubborn fat storage, and hormone disruption.

Even a small pre-training snack can help stabilise blood sugar, improve performance, and reduce unnecessary stress on the body, especially important during perimenopause.

After training: repair and rebalance

Post-workout nutrition is where recovery and adaptation happen. Focus on protein and carbohydrates.

Protein is essential for muscle repair, metabolism, and bone health, areas that become even more important as estrogen declines. Aim for around 20–30g after training from sources like eggs, chicken, fish, Greek yoghurt, or a protein shake.

Carbohydrates help replenish energy stores and support recovery, particularly if you’re training regularly. Simple options like fruit, rice, or sourdough work well alongside your protein.

Fats are important for overall hormone health but don’t need to be the focus immediately around training, just keep them moderate in pre- and post-workout meals.

The most common mistake women make isn’t poor timing, it’s under-fuelling. Pairing intense training with low food intake can elevate stress hormones and limit results.

A well-fuelled body is more likely to build lean muscle, support fat loss, and maintain energy, mood, and hormonal balance.

Ultimately, the goal isn’t just to train hard, it’s to recover, adapt, and thrive.