Nutrition is the single most powerful lever available for improving body composition, performance, and long-term health — and the single most misrepresented area of the fitness industry. This section cuts through the noise with evidence-based guides covering everything from the fundamentals of macronutrients and caloric balance, to sport-specific nutrition strategies for muscle building and cardiovascular health, to an independent review of the best nutrition tracking apps. No fad diets. No supplements pushed as replacements for food. Just clear, honest information grounded in the research.

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Muscle Building Nutrition

Caloric surplus strategies, protein targets, nutrient timing, and the role of supplementation in supporting muscle growth alongside structured strength training.

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Cardiovascular Health

Eating strategies that support heart health, endurance performance, and long-term metabolic function — including evidence-based guidance on fats, cholesterol, and anti-inflammatory eating.

Read the cardiovascular guide →

Nutrition Apps

Independent reviews and rankings of the best macro tracking, meal planning, and dietary logging apps — from Cronometer’s micronutrient accuracy to MyFitnessPal’s food database.

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Nutrition Education

The fundamentals — macronutrients, micronutrients, meal timing, caloric balance, and the science of how the body uses food for energy, recovery, and health across different activity levels.

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The Nutrition Fundamentals Worth Knowing

Before diving into specific strategies, it is worth establishing a few things that the evidence on nutrition is genuinely clear about — because the noise-to-signal ratio in nutrition media is extremely high.

Calories are the dominant variable for body weight. Everything else — meal timing, food quality, macro ratios — operates within the context of energy balance. You cannot out-supplement a caloric surplus or under-eat your way to good body composition through nutritional complexity. Getting caloric intake right for your goal is the single most impactful nutritional change most people can make.

Protein is the most important macronutrient for anyone who trains. It builds and maintains muscle mass, supports recovery, and is the most satiating macronutrient per calorie. Research consistently supports a target of 0.7–1g per pound of bodyweight daily for active individuals — a level most people eating a typical diet fall well short of. Our protein powder guide covers supplementation options for those who struggle to hit this through food alone.

Consistency beats optimisation. Hitting 90% of an adequate nutrition plan every day produces better long-term outcomes than hitting 100% of a perfect plan three days a week. The most effective nutrition strategy is the one you can sustain.

Key nutrition targets at a glance

Daily protein target (active)	0.7–1g per lb of bodyweight
Caloric deficit for fat loss	200–400 kcal/day below maintenance
Caloric surplus for muscle gain	150–300 kcal/day above maintenance
Carbohydrates before training	1–4g per kg bodyweight, 1–4 hrs before
Post-workout protein window	20–40g within 2 hours of training

Also in the nutrition section

Nutrition works best alongside structured training and, where appropriate, well-chosen supplementation. See our strength training guide for how to align your eating with your programme, our supplements section for independent reviews of protein powders, creatine, and other evidence-backed options, and our fitness app reviews for the best tools to track your intake.

Guide

How to Approach Nutrition for Your Training Goals

Nutrition apps and coaching programs can genuinely help, but they're tools for executing a plan — not a substitute for the fundamentals. Here's how to think about what actually matters before choosing a specific app or program.

The Basics That Matter More Than Any App

Total calorie intake and protein intake drive the large majority of your results — everything else (meal timing, food quality nuances, supplement stacking) matters far less by comparison. Get calories and protein right first; a tracking app is only useful once you know what you're actually trying to hit.

Do You Need an App, or Just a Plan?

A tracking app like the ones covered in our Nutrition Apps section is most useful if you genuinely don't know your current intake — most people underestimate calories significantly until they track for a couple of weeks. If you already know your numbers and just need to hit them consistently, a simple written plan often works just as well without the daily logging overhead.

Matching Nutrition Strategy to Training Goal

Muscle Building nutrition centers on a modest calorie surplus and adequate protein (generally 0.7–1g per pound of bodyweight). Cardiovascular nutrition prioritizes carbohydrate timing around training and adequate hydration. Both benefit from the fundamentals covered in Education before layering on anything more specific. For how training and nutrition combine toward a toning-focused goal specifically, see our toning without bulk guide, which breaks down protein targets and calorie deficit sizing in detail.

Frequently asked

FAQ

Do I need to track calories to lose weight or build muscle?

Not necessarily, but it removes the guesswork — most people are meaningfully off on their actual intake until they track for a couple of weeks. Once you know your numbers, many people transition to a simpler, non-tracked approach successfully.

How many grams of protein do I actually need?

Roughly 0.7–1g per pound of bodyweight per day is a well-supported range for building or maintaining muscle. Going meaningfully higher than this generally doesn't add much additional benefit.

What's the difference between a nutrition app and a diet plan?

An app tracks what you actually eat against your targets in real time. A diet plan prescribes what to eat in advance. Apps suit people who want flexibility within their numbers; plans suit people who prefer not to make daily food decisions.

Is nutrition coaching worth paying for?

It's most valuable for people who understand the fundamentals intellectually but struggle with consistency or accountability. If you're disciplined and just need the information, our Education content plus a free tracking app covers the same ground for free.

Full library

All Nutrition Reviews

Every product we've tested in this category, not just the top picks above