How to Recover Between Two Sessions in One Day
Two practices, a doubleheader, a tournament Saturday. Here is what to eat and drink in the hours between, and what the protein research does and doesn't tell you.
How to recover between two sessions in one day comes down to three jobs. Refuel with carbohydrate as soon as you can, add protein at each meal and snack, and drink with some sodium to replace sweat. Then eat something light and familiar before the next start. This post gives you a timeline for the hours in between, with the numbers and where they come from.
How to recover between two sessions in one day.
A second session changes the job. You aren't recovering for tomorrow. You're recovering for this afternoon.
That shifts the priorities. Energy and fluid come first, because they decide how the next session feels. Protein still matters, but it sits alongside the carbohydrate, not ahead of it.
- Start refuelling as soon as you can after you finish.
- When the gap is under about eight hours, start carbohydrate as soon as practical. For the first four hours, the guideline is 1.0 to 1.2 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight each hour (Burke and colleagues, Journal of Sports Sciences). After that, eat regular meals and snacks.
- Add 0.3 to 0.4 g/kg of protein at each meal and snack (Australian Institute of Sport).
- Drink to replace sweat, and include sodium.
- Eat a light, familiar snack before the next start.
What the research says about protein between sessions.
A 2025 narrative review by Witard, Hearris and Morgan in Sports Medicine looked at protein for endurance athletes. It suggests about 1.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 75 kg (165 lb) athlete, that works out to roughly 135 g across the whole day.
The same review says guidance for how much protein to eat per meal can't be definitive for endurance athletes yet. The evidence isn't there to set one number.
The Australian Institute of Sport gives a working range for athletes in general. Its isolated protein supplement fact sheet encourages athletes to include a small serve of protein-rich foods at 3 to 5 eating occasions each day. It adds that targets of 0.3 to 0.4 g/kg typically equate to 15 to 30 g of protein at each meal or snack. For a 75 kg athlete, 0.3 to 0.4 g/kg is about 23 to 30 g.
How to read that. The Witard review is a review, not a trial of a two-session day, and it covers endurance athletes. The AIS figures are general guidance for athletes in heavy training, not a rule for double days or for every sport. Both give averages to aim for, not guarantees. If you want a target built around your sport and your body, a sport dietitian can set it.
The protein review sets a daily average and says a per-meal number can't be fixed yet for endurance athletes. For a short gap, the carbohydrate guidance below gives you the firmer number to plan around.
Carbohydrate comes first when the gap is short.
Burke and colleagues' review of carbohydrates for training and competition treats recovery between sessions as a race against the clock. The goal is to make the most of the time you have before the next one. When there are fewer than about eight hours between two demanding sessions, it advises taking in carbohydrate as soon as practical after the first workout. The 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg per hour guideline applies to the first four hours of recovery.
For a 75 kg (165 lb) athlete, that is 75 to 90 g of carbohydrate an hour, for up to four hours. It is a lot of food in a short window, which is why easy carbohydrate foods and drinks matter. Protein goes in next to it. It is a good partner, not a replacement.
How to read that. It is a review of the evidence for athletes who need to refuel fast, such as tournament players and endurance athletes. It is a general guideline, not a per-meal rule. It covers the early hours only, and a lighter session or a longer gap needs less.
Chocolate milk, or yogurt with fruit and a handful of granola.
A turkey sandwich on white bread, a banana, and a glass of milk.
Rice or pasta with chicken in a container, plus fruit.
Go liquid: a smoothie, a shake or a drink with carbohydrate and protein, sipped steadily.
A timeline for the hours in between.
Take a four-hour gap, such as a morning game and an afternoon game. Adjust the times to fit yours.
Drink first. Then eat carbohydrate and protein together. Keep it simple: a sandwich, milk, fruit. Change out of wet gear and get off your feet.
Keep the carbohydrate coming toward your hourly target, with a proper meal and a protein source in it. Add a little salt through food. Keep sipping fluids.
Eat a small, familiar snack: a banana, toast with jam, a few pretzels. Nothing new. Top up your bottle before warm-up.
With a gap of two hours or less, compress it. Skip the full meal. Go with liquids and small snacks, and spend the time sipping and resting.
With a longer gap, such as five to eight hours, use the hourly carbohydrate target for the first four hours only. After that, eat a full meal with protein in it, then a snack close to the start.
Fluids and sodium between sessions.
You'll start the second session behind if you haven't replaced the first one's sweat. Sweat carries water and sodium, and losses differ a lot from one athlete to the next.
The AIS sports drinks fact sheet notes that higher sodium concentrations target the replacement of sweat electrolyte losses. It adds that they have greater effects on fluid absorption and retention, so they may be more effective in recovery after exercise.
In practice, that means sipping fluids through the whole gap instead of drinking it all at once. Pair them with sodium from salty foods like soup, pretzels or a sandwich with deli meat, or from a drink made for the job. If you are a heavy or salty sweater, or you play in a hot rink or a warm field, plan for more.
How to read that. The fact sheet describes how sodium works in drinks. It doesn't set one amount for every athlete, and it isn't a test of any single product. A sport dietitian can test your own sweat losses and set a plan.
Grab-and-go options for the tournament bag.
Tournament days are short on time and kitchens. Pack for the whole day before you leave.
- A cooler bag with milk or chocolate milk, yogurt and fruit.
- Sandwiches or wraps made the night before.
- Dry carbohydrate: pretzels, rice cakes, bagels, granola bars.
- A large bottle for each session, filled and labelled.
- A spare shirt and socks, so you can eat in comfort.
Test every item at practice first. Game day is a bad time to find out what doesn't sit well.
Recovering between two sessions: FAQ.
What should I eat between two games in one day?
Start with carbohydrate and protein as soon as you can: a sandwich, fruit and milk is a solid example. Keep the carbohydrate coming through the early part of the gap, then finish with a lighter, familiar snack in the hour before the next start.
How much carbohydrate do I need between two sessions?
For fewer than about eight hours between demanding sessions, a review in the Journal of Sports Sciences says to start as soon as practical. It gives 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg per hour for the first four hours. For a 75 kg athlete, that is 75 to 90 g an hour. Lighter sessions need less.
How much protein do I need between sessions?
The AIS says targets of 0.3 to 0.4 g/kg typically equate to 15 to 30 g at each meal or snack. A 2025 review says a per-meal number can't be definitive for endurance athletes yet, and suggests about 1.8 g/kg a day.
Should I eat protein or carbohydrate first?
Carbohydrate leads when the gap is short, because the next session depends on energy. Eat protein in the same meal, not instead of the carbohydrate.
What if I can't eat solid food after a hard session?
Go liquid. Milk, a smoothie or a shake with carbohydrate and protein, sipped steadily, works for many athletes.
Plan the gap before the first session starts.
Tonight, write your timeline for the day: what you'll eat in the first hour, the middle hours and the last hour. Work out your hourly carbohydrate target for the first four hours from your body weight. Then pack the food, fill the bottles and set a reminder for each step.
References & further reading
Burke et al., Journal of Sports Sciences (2011): Carbohydrates for training and competition
Australian Institute of Sport: isolated protein supplement fact sheet
Australian Institute of Sport: sports drinks fact sheet
Disclaimer: This article is general information for athletes, not medical or individual dietary advice. A registered sport dietitian can set targets that fit your body, sport and schedule.
