Goal guide

Sports & Training

Match energy, hydration and recovery to your workout: how long it lasts, how hard it is, how warm it is and how much you sweat.

For gym sessions, classes, cardio, sport and longer sustained activity. Building muscle with weights? See Gym & Muscle.

A man and a woman stretching on the gym floor after training
Start here

Match the product to the session

Hydrate for longer, hotter or sweatier sessions, Prolong Energy Gel for hard, sustained effort, Rebuild Strength after resistance or anaerobic training, and LiftOff Max as an optional caffeinated pre-workout.

Shorter, lighter sessions are covered by water and your normal meals.

Find your session

Short or light

  • Usually enough: water and your normal meals.
  • Product fit: your everyday routine covers it, so keep the sports products for bigger sessions.

Regular session

  • Before: a normal meal earlier in the day; LiftOff Max if you want an optional caffeinated lift.
  • After: Rebuild Strength after resistance or anaerobic training, otherwise your next meal.

Intensive

  • Before: a carbohydrate-based meal 2 to 3 hours ahead.
  • After: Rebuild Strength within 30 minutes after resistance or anaerobic work, then a protein-containing meal.

Hot or high sweat

  • During: Hydrate in 500 ml water, even on a session that would normally need only water.
  • Good to know: drink to stay ahead of thirst rather than to a fixed rate.

Long or sustained

  • During: Hydrate for fluid and electrolytes, plus Prolong Energy Gel for hard, sustained effort of about an hour or longer.
  • After: a proper meal; Rebuild Strength if the session included resistance or anaerobic work.

Before, during and after

Before

A meal 2 to 3 hours before a harder session. Closer to the start, an easy carbohydrate snack, or LiftOff Max if you want a caffeinated lift.

During

Water for most sessions. Hydrate when it is longer, hotter or sweatier; Prolong Energy Gel for hard, sustained effort of about an hour or longer.

After

Rebuild Strength within 30 minutes after resistance or anaerobic training, then a normal meal with protein and carbohydrate.

Training examples

Pick the card closest to the session you actually do.

Short or light session

A light run, an easy class or a short gym visit

Your normal routine covers it.

  1. BeforeWater, and your usual meals.
  2. DuringWater.
  3. AfterYour next normal meal.

Regular session

Roughly 45 to 75 minutes of gym, cardio or a class

Water during, a sensible meal around it.

  1. BeforeA normal meal earlier in the day; LiftOff Max if you want an optional caffeinated lift.
  2. DuringWater throughout; Hydrate if it is warm or you sweat heavily.
  3. AfterRebuild Strength within 30 minutes if it was resistance or anaerobic training, otherwise your next meal.

Intensive session

Hard intervals, circuits or a demanding match

Asks more of food, fluid and recovery.

  1. BeforeA carbohydrate-based meal 2 to 3 hours before. Closer to the start: Mark’s banana, honey and coffee shake (below).
  2. DuringWater, plus Hydrate if it is warm or you sweat heavily.
  3. AfterRebuild Strength within 30 minutes after resistance or anaerobic work, then a protein-containing meal within around 2 hours.

Long or sustained session

A long ride, run, match day or hard effort of an hour or more

Plan fuel and fluid before you start.

  1. BeforeA proper meal 2 to 3 hours before.
  2. DuringWater and Hydrate through the session. For hard, sustained effort of about an hour or longer: Prolong Energy Gel as on the label, never more than 4 sachets a day.
  3. AfterA proper meal with protein and carbohydrate; Rebuild Strength if the session included resistance or anaerobic work.
Personal help

Everybody is different

Duration, intensity, heat, sweat rate and the rest of your day all change what makes sense.

For personal advice, ask Keely (or Mark).

How to use each product

Hydrate pack
Hydration and electrolytes

Hydrate

1 stick pack (5.3 g) in 500 ml water, shaken; 12 kcal per prepared serving. With magnesium, which contributes to electrolyte balance.

LiftOff Max pack
Caffeinated pre-workout

LiftOff Max

1 sachet (4.2 g) dissolved in 250 ml water before a workout; 180 mg caffeine per sachet. One sachet a day. Not recommended for children or pregnant women.

Rebuild Strength pack
Post-workout recovery

Rebuild Strength

1 sachet or 5 level scoops (50 g either way) in 250 ml water, within 30 minutes after resistance or anaerobic training. 25 g protein, added L-glutamine and BCAAs.

Prolong Energy Gel pack
Sustained training fuel

Prolong Energy Gel

30 g carbohydrate per sachet. 1 sachet per hour of intense exercise under 1.5 hours; 2 sachets per hour between 1.5 and 2 hours; never more than 4 sachets a day.

Formula 1 shake mix pack
Meal around training

Formula 1 shake

A practical meal 2 to 3 hours before or after training; not a drink for during the session.

Training-day snack

Protein Bars

A portable protein snack for your kit bag.

Worth knowing

Practical tips

  • Water covers most sessions; add Hydrate, Prolong Energy Gel or Rebuild Strength when the session calls for it.
  • Carbohydrate during exercise starts to matter from about an hour of hard work.
  • Rebuild Strength within 30 minutes is on the label; 40 minutes is no reason to panic.
  • One caffeine source before training: LiftOff Max or coffee, not both on top of each other.
  • Drink to stay ahead of thirst before, during and after, not by a fixed rate.
What you actually need

Your session products

Sources & guidance

Product preparation, timing and dosing guidance is based on current Herbalife UK labels, with general sport-nutrition guidance from recognised UK sources.

General guidance only. This page does not replace advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.

Common questions

Is water enough for a normal gym session?
Usually, yes. A short, light session or a regular 45 to 75 minute session is usually fine with water. Use Rebuild Strength afterwards when it was resistance or anaerobic training.
When does Hydrate make sense?
Hydrate makes sense on a longer or warmer session, or a hot, high-sweat day, when water alone is not quite enough. Mix 1 stick pack (5.3 g) in 500 ml water; 12 kcal per prepared serving (current UK label).
Is LiftOff Max a sports drink?
No. LiftOff Max is a caffeinated drink: 180 mg caffeine per sachet, one sachet a day dissolved in 250 ml water, before a workout if you like. For fluid and electrolytes use Hydrate; for energy during long, hard sessions use Prolong Energy Gel. Not recommended for children or pregnant women.
When should I use Prolong Energy Gel?
Use Prolong Energy Gel for hard, sustained exercise lasting about an hour or longer, not for shorter sessions. 1 sachet per hour under 1.5 hours, 2 per hour for 1.5 to 2 hours, never more than 4 a day.
Do I need Rebuild Strength after every workout?
No. Rebuild Strength is for after resistance or anaerobic training. After a light or easy session, your usual meal does the job.
What should I eat before training?
Before a harder session, a light carbohydrate snack or meal 2 to 3 hours before: banana and oats, or toast with jam. If you want a caffeinated lift, LiftOff Max is an option: one sachet in 250 ml water, 180 mg caffeine.
What should I eat after training?
A normal protein-and-carbohydrate plate within a couple of hours: chicken or fish with rice or potatoes and vegetables. After a genuinely hard session, Rebuild Strength within 30 minutes. Not sure what fits your week? Ask Keely.
What changes on a long or sustained session?
A long, easy session and a hard, sustained one are different. Once hard effort reaches about an hour, Prolong Energy Gel’s own dosing applies; add Hydrate for fluid and electrolytes, especially when it is warm.
What changes in hot weather or heavy sweat?
Heat and heavy sweat increase fluid and electrolyte losses, so a session that normally needs only water can benefit from Hydrate, even if it is short. Drink to stay ahead of thirst rather than to a fixed rate.

See the full FAQ

Here when you need us

Tell us about your training week

Keely and Mark can help you explore hydration, fuel and recovery around the sessions you do. Tell us what you train for and how your week looks, and we’ll work through the options together.

Contact us