“What and when you eat before exercise can make a big difference to your performance and recovery,” says Brian St. Pierre, Director of Nutrition for Precision Nutrition, “In the three hours before your workout, you’ll want to eat something that helps you sustain energy, boost performance, hydrate, preserve muscle mass, and speed up recovery.” Ideally, “You want to eat one healthy meal about 1 to 3 hours before exercise that has carbs, fat, and protein,” says St. Pierre, adding that the timing window is something that you can individualize based on what feels right with your body.