The work after the work: what I eat after training, on rest days, and between matches

The workout is only half of it.

Last week was all about the plan before the big day. This week is about what comes after: how I refuel after a run, a ride or a lift, what changes on rest days and tournament days, and how I keep up with allergy recalls after the food is already in my pantry.

After every workout: protein plus carbs, soon after

My rule is simple. After every workout, I eat protein and carbs together. Carbs refill the energy I just used, and protein gives my muscles what they need to rebuild.

I eat within 30 minutes of finishing. That’s my habit, not a hard rule. The International Society of Sports Nutrition says high-quality protein eaten anywhere from right after exercise up to 2 hours later strongly boosts muscle building. Timing matters most when you need to recover fast, like when your next session is less than 4 hours away.

Here’s what that looks like for me:

• After a run: my Isagenix shake with IM8. A few hours later, I eat a bigger meal.
• After a long ride: Equip Prime Protein right away, plus French toast made with 2 eggs and my homemade gluten-free sourdough. It’s protein and carbs I can eat with my allergies.

On longer days, I eat more, but I keep the same balance. And I skip the junk afterwards. I want quality food doing the recovery work.

Run day vs. lift day: what changes before

A run and a lift ask different things of your body, so I fuel them differently, especially beforehand.

Before a run or ride, I eat straight carbs. It’s usually my homemade gluten-free bagel, 45 minutes to 1 hour before I head out. I’ve trained my stomach for that timing. General guidelines for sessions longer than an hour suggest carbs 1 to 4 hours before, and they suggest keeping high-fat and high-fiber foods away from your workout because they digest more slowly (Human Performance Resource Center). Research on endurance athletes also links fat and fiber to more stomach trouble (Jeukendrup, Gatorade Sports Science Institute).

Before a lift, I have my Isagenix shake plus 5 dates, about 15 minutes before I start. Together that’s about 48 g of carbs and 24 g of protein, so more carbs than protein. I love these dates because they’re organic and pitted, so they’re easy to eat and not messy.

After both, it’s protein plus carbs. After a lift, it’s often a slice of raw Parmesan, 2 grass-fed jerky sticks and an apple. Other days, honestly, it’s Three Wishes cereal. Protein plus carbs still counts, even when it isn’t a perfect plate. Progress over perfection.

Tournament days: the next match starts now

On Nov 6 to 9, my mom and I are playing the USTA National Family Clay Court Championships in Florida. After the injuries I’ve come back from, I don’t take a day on court for granted.

In a tournament, the work after one match is the start of the next one. I won’t know my schedule until the draw comes out, so I plan the pieces instead of a fixed menu:

• Before: my Isagenix shake, plus dates for extra carbs.
• During: one bottle of electrolytes and one of plain water. It’s hot, and in heat you lose more sodium in sweat, so plain water alone isn’t the whole plan (Today’s Dietitian, 2025).
• Right after: tart cherry powder mixed into another shake, then a real fork-and-knife meal. A 2021 review of 14 studies found tart cherry can help some parts of recovery, with a small drop in muscle soreness and a moderate benefit for getting strength back (Hill et al., 2021).
• On the road: Kevin’s Natural Foods, plus a bag of frozen mixed veggies and sweet potatoes to make it a complete meal.

When the label is wrong: October’s allergy recalls

Reading every label is step one. But sometimes the label itself is wrong. That’s what an allergy recall is: the allergen is in the food, but not on the package.

Here are October’s allergy recalls, from the FDA’s notices:

1. Undeclared sesame: Riad’s Oliva to Go Baba Ghanouj, Spicy Baba Ghanouj and Hummus (Oliva LLC). 14 oz containers, best-by 10/10 to 10/18/26. Sold in Litchfield County, CT and Great Barrington, MA. Announced Oct 9.
2. Undeclared sesame: Para Bien Al Grano bread (Pan Pepin Inc.). 24 oz box, sell-by Oct 12 to 21, 2026. Sold in Puerto Rico. Announced Oct 13.
3. Undeclared milk: Nature’s Own Hawaiian Bread (Flowers Foods). 20 oz loaf, best-if-used-by Oct 8 to 18, 2026, and the 40 oz two-pack. Sold in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Announced Oct 2.

No illnesses were reported for any of them.

How I keep up: I look for recall emails from the companies I buy from. Not every company sends them, so FARE’s allergy alerts page is my back-up.

The package in my hand in this photo is from Just Ingredients, a brand I love. It is NOT recalled. Not sponsored, not affiliated.

Rest is part of the plan

I take one full day off every week. It’s fully off, so my body can recover, but it isn’t a couch day. It’s normal life and playing with my kids. And yes, sometimes that includes ice cream.

I eat the same on rest days as on training days, because my body is still recovering. Eating too little for what you do, over time, is linked to lower strength, a weaker response to training and slower recovery (IOC consensus statement on REDs, 2023). My one change: the day before a long ride or run, I eat even more carbs.

My old coach used to say, “You either run the sport or the sport runs you.” That’s why I never skip rest days, and why I take time off after races.

Your one next step

Pick your next workout and decide what you’ll eat when you finish: protein plus carbs, ready to go. Then put one full rest day on next week’s calendar.

Want a plan built around your training, your week and your food allergies? Book a 30-minute Nutrition QuickStart and we’ll see if we’re a good fit.

General information, not personal or medical advice. If you have a medical condition or food allergy, check with your care team.

Disclosures: I’m an Isagenix affiliate. I’m an IM8 ambassador: code JHW10 saves you 10% on your first order. I’m an Equip affiliate: code JHW saves you 10% on your first order. Sunny Fruit, Three Wishes, Kevin’s Natural Foods, Just Ingredients, Velomix and Babolat: not sponsored, not affiliated.

Sources

• Kerksick CM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. JISSN, 2017: doi.org
• Human Performance Resource Center (Uniformed Services University), Guide to Nutrient Timing: Basics: hprc-online.org
• Jeukendrup A. Training the Gut for Athletes. Sports Science Exchange #178, GSSI, 2018: gssiweb.org
• Spano M. Nutrition for Athletic Performance: A Focus on Hydration. Today’s Dietitian, Sept 2025: todaysdietitian.com
• Hill J, et al. Tart cherry supplementation and recovery from strenuous exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis. IJSNEM, 2021: researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk
• FDA, Oliva LLC allergy alert (Oct 9, 2026): fda.gov
• FDA, Pan Pepin Inc. allergy alert (Oct 13, 2026): fda.gov
• FDA, Flowers Foods Nature’s Own Hawaiian Bread recall (Oct 2, 2026): fda.gov
• FARE, Allergy Alerts & Ingredient Notices: foodallergy.org
• IOC consensus statement on REDs, 2023: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov