Sports snacks: do you need them for workouts under 90 minutes?

Sports bars at work, gels tucked into a gym bag, shakes during a lunch break: sports snacks now appear to be everywhere.

Many recreational runners and gym users almost feel at fault if they exercise without carrying a bar or drink. Brands repeatedly suggest that “fuel” delivers performance, even for a brief workout. But for most people exercising for less than 90 minutes, the body operates very differently from those marketing messages.

The modern sports snack ritual

A trip through a supermarket in the UK or US reveals the same scene: aisles filled with “energy” bars, “performance” biscuits, protein muffins, vitamin gummies and brightly coloured drinks. Once aimed at marathon runners, these products have become part of a lifestyle category.

People who exercise casually now purchase them for a 45-minute spin class or a short weights session after work. Many leave a bar in their bag “just in case”, as though failing to eat before or after every workout could undermine their progress.

The widespread belief: every workout needs a special snack, or your body will “run out of fuel”.

Sports nutrition researchers say this assumption seldom reflects how the body truly handles energy. For most healthy adults undertaking moderate exercise for up to an hour and a half, existing energy stores are more than capable of meeting the demand.

What physiology says about shorter workouts

On a standard 45- to 60-minute run, gym circuit or indoor cycling class, muscles primarily draw on two fuel sources:

• glucose already present in the bloodstream
• glycogen stored in the muscles and liver

These reserves are supplied by meals consumed over the previous hours and days, rather than only by what is eaten 10 minutes before exercise. Sports scientists regularly assess athletes who are fasting or have eaten lightly before short sessions, without observing major energy crashes, provided their overall diet is balanced.

Only certain circumstances alter this: very low-calorie diets, prolonged fasting periods, particular medical conditions, or demanding training on consecutive days. In ordinary life, the human body generally handles 30 to 90 minutes of activity without difficulty.

Genuine benefits versus clever packaging

This is not to say that sports snacks are entirely useless. Rather, they have a more limited role than their packaging implies. In shorter sessions, the additional energy from gels and bars often becomes excess calories instead of improving performance.

For many recreational athletes, sports snacks mainly help brands’ sales figures, not 5K times.

Coaches notice the same trends among their clients:

• gradual weight gain despite exercising regularly
• feeling bloated or heavy while training
• disappointment when “eating like an athlete” fails to produce the hoped-for results

In this situation, one bar or drink is not the issue. The problem is the automatic response: a workout means a snack, no matter its length, intensity or the meals already eaten.

How to eat for sessions under 90 minutes

Avoiding the sports nutrition aisle does not mean exercising without food. A straightforward eating routine, with some thought given to timing, will usually support short to moderate sessions effectively.

Timing regular meals around exercise

Dietitians who work with recreational athletes frequently recommend a simple approach such as this:

• Morning workout: eat a proper breakfast 60–90 minutes beforehand, such as wholegrain toast, fruit, yoghurt or eggs, with a handful of nuts
• Lunchtime workout: have a light, balanced breakfast and a moderate lunch slightly earlier than usual, or choose a mid-morning snack if lunch will be late
• Evening workout: eat a normal lunch, followed by a small afternoon snack 1–2 hours before going to the gym

For exercise lasting up to an hour in moderate conditions, plain water will generally meet hydration requirements. Flavoured sports drinks are mainly useful during long, sweaty or high-intensity sessions, when carbohydrate and electrolyte losses increase.

For most gym sessions after work, water and a sensible lunch are a better combo than a sugary “performance” drink.

When sports snacks genuinely have a role

Sports products were first created for scenarios in which timing, convenience and digestive tolerance are genuinely important. Their purpose is easier to understand by considering specific situations rather than advertising claims.

Situation	Are sports snacks useful?	Why
45-minute casual gym session	Rarely	Existing glycogen stores cover the effort
Long run over 90 minutes	Often yes	Carb intake delays fatigue and “hitting the wall”
Two intense sessions in the same day	Sometimes	Fast-digesting carbs and protein help refuel between efforts
Very lean athletes with high training volume	Sometimes	Easy calories help match high energy needs
Light jog after a normal lunch	No	Extra snack adds calories without real benefit

This short list differs sharply from how brands market these products: as everyday essentials for anybody who puts on trainers or scans a gym membership card.

Common traps created by smart marketing

A number of tactics encourage consumers to buy snacks they may not need:

• Fear-based messaging: warnings of energy “crashes” for almost any type of effort.
• Health halo: terms such as “protein”, “fitness” and “natural” make ultra-processed products seem virtuous.
• Mimicry: amateurs imitate elite marathon runners without considering their training volume or race distance.

The final point is significant. A professional triathlete training 25 hours each week has an entirely different relationship with food from a person attending three 45-minute classes. Their equipment may look alike, but their nutritional requirements do not.

Listening to your body, not the packet

Sports nutrition specialists increasingly promote a message that may seem unfashionable: pause and assess how you feel before opening another wrapper. The body often provides sufficient signals, provided you take a moment to notice them.

Signs you may not need a bar

Before choosing a gel or snack, some coaches encourage clients to consider two brief questions:

• When did I most recently eat a proper meal containing carbohydrates, protein and some fat?
• How long and how demanding will this session really be?

If the response is “I ate a normal lunch two hours ago” and “I’m doing a 40-minute strength workout”, the body probably already has adequate fuel. The sense that “I should eat because I’m training” often comes from habit or anxiety, rather than genuinely low blood sugar.

True hypoglycaemia feels dramatic: shaking, cold sweat, dizziness, sudden weakness. Mild boredom or craving for sweetness is something else.

Remembering that difference can help sever the connection between every form of movement and automatic snacking.

Straightforward real-food alternatives

For those who occasionally require something before exercising, dietitians often favour familiar basic foods that the digestive system already handles well. Options include:

• a banana, providing readily available carbohydrates and potassium
• a slice of wholegrain bread with a thin spread of soft cheese or nut butter
• a small pot of plain yoghurt with a spoonful of oats or berries
• a handful of dried fruit, such as raisins or dates, for runners wanting something especially compact

These choices provide energy without the lengthy ingredient lists and added sweeteners found in many “fitness” products. They can also keep a person’s overall diet closer to ordinary eating rather than turning it into a constant supplement routine.

Beyond 90 minutes: when the strategy changes

The situation changes when exercise regularly extends beyond an hour and a half. Carbohydrate availability and digestive comfort then become more significant limits on performance. For longer runs, cycle rides or extended hikes, a plan covering fuel, fluids and electrolytes can genuinely determine whether a session succeeds or fails.

This is where specialist products may justify their place: they provide rapidly absorbed carbohydrates in a small volume and are designed to be gentle on the stomach. Runners preparing for half-marathons or marathons commonly trial gels, drinks and chews to identify what works for them on race day. In that setting, a more technical approach is warranted.

For everyday gym users, recognising this difference can reduce the noise. Short sessions are best supported by normal meals and water. Longer efforts, particularly those at greater intensity, may call for measured carbohydrate intake and sometimes sodium. Treating both situations alike leads to confusion and needless snacking.

Other points worth considering

One issue that receives too little attention is habit formation. Making every workout an excuse for a sweet bar can reinforce the association between exercise and dessert. Across several months, this habit may alter total calorie balance enough to slow weight-loss or muscle-definition goals, even where the wrapper presents the snack as “healthy”.

Younger athletes are another consideration. Teenagers who train in clubs often copy adults using sports snacks without understanding the right amount, timing or whether they are needed at all. Coaches and parents who present these products as occasional tools rather than routine treats can encourage a healthier relationship with food and performance from an early stage.

For anyone who still enjoys a post-gym snack ritual, a practical middle ground is to treat it as any other snack: include it in the day’s intake, read the label for sugar and ultra-processed ingredients, and consider whether fruit or a homemade sandwich would work equally well. That brief pause begins to move control away from the packet and back to the person exercising.