Fueling our workouts can be just as tricky as mastering technique and intensity. In a recent YouTube video shared on May 8, 2025, exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel designed the perfect pre-workout meal, taking timing, food sources, and macro ratios into consideration.
Dr. Israetel has become a trusted resource in the fitness community, drawing on his experience and education as a physiologist. He uses science-based principles to help steer lifters in the right direction, whether it’s a matter of diet, technique efficiency, or training frequency. With over 3.63 million YouTube subscribers, his perspective and opinions are highly sought after.
How Dr. Israetel Designs the Perfect Pre-Workout Meal
In the recent YouTube video, Dr. Israetel shared the purpose of a pre-workout meal, which is to provide the body with adequate physical and mental energy to fuel muscle growth after a session.
“It’s making sure that you have enough energy physically and mentally for your muscle growth workout right after, because how much energy you can put in and how much training effort you get out of that is a huge unlock to more gains. That’s one of the biggest reasons pre-workout feeding is such an essential topic.”
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Macros for Pre-Workout Meals
30 minutes before a workout, he explained that the meal should be approximately an eighth of your daily calories with a 1:3 ratio of protein to carbs.
“If you’re eating your meal around half an hour before your workout, which can even be right before, an eighth of your daily calories is a good idea,” he explains.
“If it’s right before the workout, 30 minutes before a meal, a 1:3 ratio of protein to carbs.”
Specifically, Dr. Israetel suggested 60-70 grams of carbs for an effective pre-workout meal.
“60-70 grams of carbs, maybe a few bananas or something like that, that’ll do you really good, or some Gatorade or something like that. Remember, carbohydrates do most of the fueling, and protein is there to make sure your muscles don’t fall off.”
What Kind of Foods Should Be Included?
Less than an hour before training, he believes sticking with fast-digesting carbs and protein is best. He said to steer clear of fats since they digest slowly.
“For that 30 minutes before the workout, you want fast-digesting carbs, fast-digesting protein, and trace fats. Almost no fats because fats digest slow.”
One example of a solid pre-workout meal would be a protein shake paired with a banana or perhaps a Gatorade alongside one or two pieces of white bread.
“A really good pre-workout meal 30 minutes out is like a Genius Shot or whatever protein of choice, and a Gatorade or a gatorade or a slice or two slices of white bread. Poof, it just disappears into pure sugar when it hits your lips. That’s a really good idea. You do not want to be excessively full right before you got to the gym and lift weights.”
If it’s two or three hours before training, Dr. Israetel listed some optimal foods to include in a pre-workout meal.
“You want moderately digested proteins like chicken, beef, protein shakes that are milky and creamy.
You want moderately digesting carbs, rice, pasta, whole grain bread, really traditional bodybuilding foods. You want to use some healthy fats. If you use more fats, your carbs can be quicker digesting.”
For those aiming to train four to six hours after their last meal, Dr. Israetel outlined what’s best to eat for workout performance:
“If that’s your last meal before training, you want moderately or slow-digesting proteins like some fatty steak or salmon, for example. They are full of fats.
Moderately or slowly-digesting carbs, piling on veggies, whole grains, beans, all that really good stuff, and if you have some fats in the meal, it’s going to be critical because those fats are going to keep you full for a long time.”
In addition to pre-workout meals, Dr. Israetel has also weighed the value of using pre-workout supplements. He believes they have merit, but advised individuals to approach them cautiously at first until they know what to expect.
“Start with as little as you need to get you going, and if you need to titrate and work your way up from there, that’s a good thing.”
Pre-workout nutrition can make a substantial difference for individuals aiming to improve their performance. Dr. Israetel believes 60-70 grams of carbs with 20-30 grams of protein is a good base for most people aiming to make gains.
RELATED: Grow a Massive Back With Dr. Mike Israetel’s Top 5 Exercises and Expert Tips
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