If you’re an active person and want to perform your best and recover from your exercise, meal timing comes into play a bit more. Carbohydrates play a large role in both fueling your exercise and helping you recover. It makes sense then to place a significant portion of your carbohydrates before and after intense physical activity, as this will give you the most benefit from them. This is especially important if you’re dieting, and your carbohydrates are getting lower and lower.