Pre and post-workout nutrition for the natural trainee who wants results, not a degree in biochemistry
I get asked some version of this question more than almost any other. Should I eat before training? What should I eat after? Does any of it actually matter? I've been asked it by readers in their fifties, their sixties, their seventies — people who are doing everything right in the gym and wondering whether what's happening in the kitchen around their sessions is working with them or against them.
Here is the honest answer: it matters more after fifty than it did before fifty. Not because the principles have changed, but because your body's margin for error has narrowed. The same training stimulus produces a smaller anabolic response than it once did — and the right nutrition around your workouts is one of the levers that helps close that gap.
This page is my attempt to give you a practical answer to the question you actually arrived with. Not a textbook. Not a protocol designed for competitive athletes. Just a clear, sensible approach to eating around your sessions that will serve you well in the decades ahead.
There is a phenomenon that researchers call anabolic resistance. It is not a disease and it is not a sentence — it is simply a biological reality of ageing that is worth understanding.
When you were twenty-five, your muscles responded enthusiastically to both training and protein. A relatively modest amount of either was enough to trigger a meaningful muscle protein synthesis response. After fifty, that response becomes blunted. Your muscles are still capable of growing and getting stronger — the evidence for that is absolutely clear — but they require a stronger signal to do so.
Think of it this way. The volume dial on your muscles' response to training and nutrition has been turned down a notch. The solution is not to panic, or to eat vast quantities of protein at random intervals, or to spend a fortune on supplements. The solution is to be more deliberate about the signal you are sending — and when you send it.
The body after fifty is not broken. It is simply less forgiving of the things you were getting away with before.
Nutrition around your workouts is one of the places where being more deliberate pays real dividends. Not because peri-workout nutrition is magic — it isn't — but because it amplifies the work you are already doing. Done well, it helps you recover faster, adapt more fully, and keep training consistently over the long term. That last part matters more than almost anything else.
If there is one piece of evidence-based advice I wish more older trainees knew about, it is this: taking hydrolysed collagen with vitamin C approximately 45 to 60 minutes before training appears to support connective tissue health in a way that nothing else quite matches.
Here is the reasoning. After fifty, tendons, ligaments, and joint cartilage adapt more slowly than muscle tissue. Your muscles will respond to training faster than the structures supporting them, which is one of the reasons connective tissue injuries become more common as we get older — the tissues around your joints simply cannot keep pace.
Collagen synthesis peaks in the hours following exercise. But the raw material — the amino acids from hydrolysed collagen — needs to be circulating in your blood before that window opens.
Taking collagen after training misses the point. The protocol works because pre-exercise ingestion means the amino acids are available precisely when post-exercise collagen synthesis begins to ramp up. The vitamin C is not optional — it is required for the conversion of proline to hydroxyproline, a key step in collagen formation.
In practice, this is straightforward. Around 15 grams of hydrolysed collagen powder — available from most health food shops and online retailers — taken with a small glass of orange juice or a vitamin C supplement (around 50mg is sufficient) about 45 to 60 minutes before you train. That is it. It does not need to be complicated.
This is not a muscle-building intervention. It is a longevity intervention — something that helps keep you training consistently by reducing the connective tissue cost of the work you are doing. For an older trainee, that distinction matters enormously.
Leucine is an amino acid. It is found in any complete protein source — meat, fish, eggs, dairy — and it acts as the primary trigger for muscle protein synthesis. Think of it as the key that starts the engine.
In younger trainees, the leucine threshold — the minimum amount needed to reliably trigger a meaningful muscle protein synthesis response — sits at roughly 2 to 2.5 grams per meal. After fifty, that threshold rises. Research suggests older trainees need closer to 3 grams of leucine per meal to produce the same signal.
What does that mean in practice? It means the amount of protein you need in your pre-workout meal is higher than you might expect. Around 35 to 40 grams of protein from a good whole-food source will typically clear that leucine threshold for an older trainee. A small chicken breast, a large portion of Greek yoghurt, three or four eggs, a piece of fish — these are the kinds of foods that get you there.
Foods that reliably clear the over-50 leucine threshold
Approximately 35–40g protein, 2.8–3.2g leucine. One of the most reliable pre-workout options — easy to prepare ahead of time and well-tolerated before training.
Approximately 28–35g protein, 2.5–3g leucine. Highly bioavailable and easy to digest. Scrambled or boiled 60–90 minutes before training works well for most people.
Approximately 18–20g protein, 1.6–1.8g leucine. Lower in leucine than meat or eggs, so pair with eggs or a small amount of cheese to clear the threshold.
Approximately 28g protein, 2.5g leucine. A solid pre-workout option that is easy on the stomach. The casein content means it digests steadily, which suits training within 60–90 minutes of eating.
Approximately 30–35g protein, 2.5–3g leucine. Particularly good if you train in the middle of the day and want a lighter pre-workout meal that does not sit heavily.
A word on carbohydrate: if you are training with any real intensity — which I hope you are — having some carbohydrate in your pre-workout meal will support the session. This does not need to be a plate of pasta. A piece of fruit, some oats, a slice of whole grain bread alongside your protein source. Enough to fuel the work without leaving you feeling sluggish.
And if you train first thing in the morning and simply cannot face food beforehand? The collagen protocol still applies — that is easy to take even on an empty stomach. The pre-workout protein meal matters, but if your post-workout nutrition is solid and your total daily protein is where it needs to be, training fasted occasionally will not derail your progress.
You have probably heard about the post-workout window — the idea that you need to consume protein within thirty minutes of finishing your session or the whole effort will be wasted. This idea has been significantly overstated in popular fitness culture.
The post-workout window is real in the sense that muscle protein synthesis is elevated following training and that the body is in a receptive state for nutrients. But it is not a thirty-minute cliff edge. The window is more like a gentle slope — most of the benefit from post-workout protein can be captured within two hours of finishing your session.
Total daily protein matters more than post-workout timing — but for over-50 trainees, getting a substantial protein meal within two hours is still worth prioritising.
Studies consistently show that adequate total daily protein intake is the most important nutritional variable for muscle protein synthesis. Timing adds a modest benefit on top of that foundation. For older trainees with blunted anabolic responses, that modest benefit is worth taking — but it does not require a protein shake the moment you put the weights down.
What I would suggest is this: eat a proper meal within two hours of training. Not a protein shake — a meal, built around a substantial protein source, with carbohydrate to replenish muscle glycogen and support recovery. The same foods that worked pre-workout work here. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy. A carbohydrate source alongside. Vegetables if you want them.
Aim for 35 to 45 grams of protein in that post-workout meal. That figure is higher than older recommendations because it accounts for the leucine threshold issue — you need enough protein to clear the threshold and generate a genuine muscle protein synthesis response, not just tick a nutritional box.
Theory is only useful if it translates into something a real person can actually do. Here is what sensible peri-workout nutrition looks like in practice for an over-50 trainee — without turning every session into a logistics exercise.
Before, during, and after — simplified
Hydrolysed collagen (15g) with vitamin C (50mg minimum — orange juice works). This is the connective tissue investment. Take it before your pre-workout meal, or on its own if you are training soon. It does not need food alongside it.
A meal built around 35–40g of protein from a whole-food source, plus a moderate amount of carbohydrate. Keep it digestible — you are fuelling the session, not testing your stomach's tolerance. If you train early and cannot eat this far in advance, a smaller protein-rich snack is better than nothing.
Water. That is it for most sessions. If you are training for more than 75–90 minutes at high intensity, a small amount of carbohydrate mid-session may support performance — but for the abbreviated training sessions this site recommends, plain water is all you need.
A proper meal: 35–45g of protein from a whole-food source, carbohydrate to replenish glycogen, and whatever else makes the meal complete and satisfying. This is not the time for a protein shake — eat real food. Your body has done real work and it deserves real fuel.
Distribute your remaining daily protein across your other meals in amounts that clear the leucine threshold — at least 30–40g per meal rather than small amounts spread thinly. Total daily protein in the range of 1.6–2.2g per kilogram of bodyweight is the target for older trainees who are training seriously.
A few honest notes on flexibility. Training time varies. Appetite varies. Tolerance varies. If you train at 6am and cannot face a full meal at 4:30am, you are not going to fail — adjust the framework to your life rather than trying to force your life into the framework. The principles matter more than the precise timing.
And if you miss the post-workout window one day? It does not matter. What matters is what you do consistently over weeks and months, not what you do perfectly on any given Tuesday.
Peri-workout nutrition is worth getting right. But it is worth getting right in the same way that a good pair of training shoes is worth getting right — it supports the work, it does not replace it.
The things that will determine your results over the next year are, in rough order of importance: training consistently, training with appropriate intensity, sleeping well, managing stress, and eating enough total protein across the day. Everything on this page sits in service of those fundamentals, not above them.
If you take one thing from this page, let it be this: get your total daily protein right first. Then add the structure around your sessions — the collagen protocol before, the leucine-sufficient meal before, the proper meal after. Each of those things adds a modest benefit. Together, they add up to something meaningful.
The question is never whether the timing is perfect. The question is whether you are showing up, doing the work, and fuelling it well enough to keep doing it. That is the whole game.
Do I need to eat before every workout?
Not necessarily before every session, but consistently enough that it becomes a habit. Training in a well-fed state — with adequate protein and some carbohydrate in your system — supports both performance and recovery. If you train early in the morning and genuinely cannot eat beforehand, prioritise the collagen protocol and make sure your post-workout meal is substantial. Occasional fasted training will not harm your progress; making it the norm is less ideal after fifty.
Is a protein shake a reasonable substitute for a post-workout meal?
It is better than nothing, and there are situations where it is the most practical option. But whole food is preferable for most over-50 trainees. A protein shake typically delivers protein in isolation — real food delivers protein alongside fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that support recovery in ways a shake cannot replicate. If a shake is the only option after a given session, use it. Just do not make it the default when real food is available.
How important is the collagen protocol if I have no joint problems?
It is still worth considering, because the goal of the protocol is to maintain connective tissue health and reduce the risk of injury — not just to treat existing problems. Many over-50 trainees do not have joint issues until they do, and by then some damage has already accumulated. Treating the collagen protocol as a preventative measure makes more sense than waiting for a problem to develop before addressing it.
What if I train in the evening and cannot eat a full post-workout meal without disturbing my sleep?
A smaller, protein-rich meal or snack before bed is a reasonable solution. Cottage cheese is particularly useful here — its high casein content means it digests slowly overnight, providing a sustained supply of amino acids during the hours when muscle repair is most active. Greek yoghurt with a small amount of fruit is another option. You do not need a large meal — you need enough protein to support recovery without leaving you too full to sleep well.
Does the post-workout window matter more or less after fifty?
It matters in the sense that being deliberate about post-workout nutrition is worth more to an older trainee than to a younger one — because your anabolic response is more easily blunted by poor nutrition timing. But the panic about thirty-minute windows is no more warranted after fifty than before. Getting a substantial protein meal within two hours of finishing your session, consistently, is the practical target.
Can I take creatine around workouts, and does it interact with any of this?
Creatine is one of the most consistently supported supplements for older trainees, and the timing of when you take it matters far less than simply taking it daily. There is a modest argument for taking it post-workout, but the evidence suggests that regular daily supplementation produces the same long-term result regardless of timing. It does not interfere with the collagen protocol or any of the protein timing recommendations on this page.
The Minimum 12
Abbreviated training, practical nutrition guidance, and a recovery framework built specifically for the over-50 trainee. Everything on this page, put into a complete system.
Get The Minimum 12 — £19