Fuel your training correctly and you'll recover faster, perform better, and hit the test in peak condition.
You need to fuel your training, recover between sessions, and peak on test day. Most fitness nutrition advice is overcomplicated. These are the principles that actually matter for someone training for firefighter selection.
Aim for 1.6–2g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. At 80kg, that's 128–160g of protein daily. This supports muscle repair and adaptation. Good sources: chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yoghurt, lentils, cottage cheese. A whey protein shake post-training is simple and effective — not essential, but convenient.
Carbohydrates are your fuel. Rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, bread. Eat more on training days and slightly less on rest days. Don't cut carbs when training hard — it will hurt your performance and slow your adaptation.
Eat 1.5–2 hours before training. A meal with carbohydrates and some protein — porridge with milk, rice and chicken, toast with eggs. Too close to training and you'll feel sick. Too far away and you'll feel depleted.
Eat within 60 minutes of finishing training. Protein and carbohydrates together. A whey shake and a banana, or rice and chicken. This is when your muscles absorb nutrients most efficiently.
Drink 3 litres of water per day minimum. More on training days. Your urine should be pale yellow — dark yellow means you're under-hydrated. Dehydration reduces strength, endurance, and cognitive performance — all of which matter in training and on test day.
Carb-heavy dinner — pasta, rice, or potatoes. 2.5–3 litres of water throughout the day. No alcohol. Bed by 10pm. Nothing new — stick to foods you know.
Eat 2–3 hours before test time. Porridge or eggs on toast. Sip water steadily in the hours before — don't chug 500ml immediately before the test. Nothing new or unusual.
12 weeks. All 6 UK selection tests. Bleep test, Chester treadmill, equipment carry, dummy drag, nutrition guide, and test day strategy.