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Training days vs rest days

How to eat on each · Last checked November 2026

Keep your daily calories and protein the same, and change the timing. On training days, eat a meal with protein and carbs within a couple of hours of your session. Your daily total of protein matters far more than the exact minute you eat it.

What the research says

Total protein beats timing. A 2013 review of 23 studies found that once total protein was taken into account, eating protein right around training made no difference to muscle growth. Total daily protein was the strongest predictor.
There’s no 30-minute window. If you ate a protein meal within a few hours before training, your next normal meal 1–2 hours after is enough. If your last meal was 4–6 hours before, eat soon after you train. (Aragon & Schoenfeld, 2013)
Spread protein out: about 0.4 g per kg of body weight per meal, over at least 4 meals. (Schoenfeld & Aragon, 2018)
Carbs refill your muscle fuel. Hard, high-volume training uses up the most stored carbs (glycogen). Carbs with protein after training help refill it faster. (ISSN position stand, 2017)

What it looks like

A 75 kg person on 2,200 kcal and 150 g of protein:

Training day: 4 meals

Breakfast: 550 kcal, 36 g protein
Lunch: 660 kcal, 37 g protein
Dinner: 660 kcal, 37 g protein
After training: 330 kcal, 40 g protein, 38 g carbs, almost no fat

Rest day: 3 meals

Breakfast: 660 kcal, 48 g protein
Lunch: 770 kcal, 51 g protein
Dinner: 770 kcal, 51 g protein

Same day total either way. On training days, the after-training meal takes a share from the others.

What to eat after training

Protein plus fast carbs. For example, a protein shake and a banana, chicken with rice, or yogurt with fruit. Keep it low in fat.

How BECOME does it

Your meals follow your schedule. On the days you train, BECOME adds an “After training” meal with your biggest protein serving of the day and fast carbs. On rest days you get 3 meals.
Same totals every day, so your weekly check-in compares like with like.
Every meal has its own target, so you know what to put on the plate.

Download BECOME

Sources

Schoenfeld B.J., Aragon A.A., Krieger J.W. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013. PMC3879660
Aragon A.A., Schoenfeld B.J. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013. PMC3577439
Schoenfeld B.J., Aragon A.A. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2018. PMC5828430
Kerksick C.M. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017. PMC5596471

General guidance, not medical advice.

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