to eat before or after workout
- Thread starter MikePanic
- Start date
An hour before. You eat then workout you'll get a stomach ache from the diversion of blood from your digestive organs to muscles.
And maybe it's an Asian myth, but my parents always told me that if you do anything demanding after you eat, you can get appendicitis (that sharp pain in your gut) :frown:
And maybe it's an Asian myth, but my parents always told me that if you do anything demanding after you eat, you can get appendicitis (that sharp pain in your gut) :frown:
3chordcharlie
Diamond Member
- Mar 30, 2004
- 9,859
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Cramps maybe - appendicitis is a dangerous medical condition, that fortunately you can only get once 
After. You don't want to be digesting during a workout. It's unnecessary "extra" work for your body, and if your workout is intense there's the possibility of hurling for some people. After the workout is when your body needs refueling, so feed it some protein (or whatever you like) then.
Gunslinger08
Lifer
- Nov 18, 2001
- 13,234
- 2
- 81
i heard a trainer explain this very well to someone yesterday at the gym.... to cut a long story short- eat nothing for 2 hours before you work out.
after- depends on what you're trying to do. if you're after losing weight, only drink water and maybe have a small snack. wait for 2 hours before you eat. your body is then forced to dig into its reserve (i.e. burn up some fat). if you're after putting on, you want to eat right after, so your body will immediately get to work satisfying its needs...
after- depends on what you're trying to do. if you're after losing weight, only drink water and maybe have a small snack. wait for 2 hours before you eat. your body is then forced to dig into its reserve (i.e. burn up some fat). if you're after putting on, you want to eat right after, so your body will immediately get to work satisfying its needs...
thats the equivalent of fueling your car after the tank is dry, isn't it?
Anyways, for specifics, don't eat carbs before a workout since they take time to be processed. Simple sugars and calorie foods will do you good before a workout (candy bar, power bar, GNC calorie shake, etc).
Then follow what Alkaline5 said with the after workout meal.
And if hurling for anorexics feels good, why can't it feel good for normal people?
Amused
Elite Member
- Apr 14, 2001
- 57,137
- 18,685
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This is what I have found to be most effective for my weight training workouts:
Eat a high carb meal 1-2 hours before I leave for the gym. Right before I leave for the gym, I slam down a carb drink (essentially, just sugar). When I return from the gym, have a high protein shake and a high carb/creatine mix. An hour later, I eat a moderate carb, high protein meal. As the day goes on, my meals have fewer carbs and more protein. I eat 5-6 meals a day.
Eat a high carb meal 1-2 hours before I leave for the gym. Right before I leave for the gym, I slam down a carb drink (essentially, just sugar). When I return from the gym, have a high protein shake and a high carb/creatine mix. An hour later, I eat a moderate carb, high protein meal. As the day goes on, my meals have fewer carbs and more protein. I eat 5-6 meals a day.
I like to eat afterwards. I don't digest ANY carbs well (everyone's different people!!), so if I did eat anything, it would be protein. I used to take a protein shake in the morning about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes before I ran, then I'd take one again later in the day before lunch.
Eating before bothers many people because you are frequently tightening your stomach muscles, which could mess with your digestion.
As for the "fueling your car after the tank is dry" suggestion, it's nothing like that. Your body has fat reserves, and your blood certainly has sugar in it for quick energy. Again, he's talking about losing weight, so obviously you have to use more energy than you take in.
The body is nothing like an internal-combustion engine. The two don't compare.
Eating before bothers many people because you are frequently tightening your stomach muscles, which could mess with your digestion.
As for the "fueling your car after the tank is dry" suggestion, it's nothing like that. Your body has fat reserves, and your blood certainly has sugar in it for quick energy. Again, he's talking about losing weight, so obviously you have to use more energy than you take in.
The body is nothing like an internal-combustion engine. The two don't compare.
Your body uses glucose as the main store of energy. When you do anaerobic excercises, you use up that glycogen store. When it's empty, it catabolitizes protein into fuel. When you do aerobic excercise, your body converts the fat into energy. You HAVE to fuel your glycogen stores immediately after a workout with a high amount of carbs.
NuclearNed
Raconteur
- May 18, 2001
- 7,873
- 364
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The wrapper on my PowerBar says to eat one immediately after a workout to reduce the recovery time from the workout. Whatever that means.
edro
Lifer
- Apr 5, 2002
- 24,326
- 68
- 91
After.
If you have anything more than a small meal in your stomach, you will divert too much blood flow to your stomach and away from your muscles... (leaving you feeling sluggish and not allowing your muscles to pump to their fullest)
Eat before can also cause cramps.
I am not saying not to eat anything before, but I would limit it to a meal bar or something.
Right after a workout is when you should eat a large meal.
If you have anything more than a small meal in your stomach, you will divert too much blood flow to your stomach and away from your muscles... (leaving you feeling sluggish and not allowing your muscles to pump to their fullest)
Eat before can also cause cramps.
I am not saying not to eat anything before, but I would limit it to a meal bar or something.
Right after a workout is when you should eat a large meal.
both, eat something small 20+ minutes prior and something small after. You need to have energy to burn before and your body needs food to recooperate after.
I usually eat something small (bowl of cereal, Vector) before practice/workout in the morning. Then I eat a bigger one once I get home. For afternoon work outs I eat a big lunch about 3 hours before workout and then something smaller about 50 minutes before. Then afterwards I'll eat a big well balanced dinner.
So I guess it looks like I do both.
There is one thing I won't eat before, yogurt. Everytime I've had it, I've thrown up at practice.
So I guess it looks like I do both.
There is one thing I won't eat before, yogurt. Everytime I've had it, I've thrown up at practice.
A very few simple carbs before, then 20 minutes after I ingest mostly protein but some carbs as well. Usually Myoplex with milk and p-nut butter.
wow... the whole gammet is here... some say before, some after, some say high carbs, some say low carbs, lol
konakona
Diamond Member
- May 6, 2004
- 6,285
- 1
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the thing about carb ratio is probably due to the field of athelticism they are geared toward; i am not a heavy lifter, more of an endurance with moderate muscle strength type. therefore i go high carb, rice or past few hours before working out, maybe some simple sugar right before. eventually my next meal after workout turns out closer than the meal i have before the work out, so i would say after the work out.
i guess i should be a lil more specific... im doing all cardio, to help loose weight, regain flexability and to help speed up my recovery from spinal surgery in march of this year
currently i eat a bowl of ceral or 2 eggs scrambled wrapped in a tortilla 30-45 min before my workout. i go to the gym before work... so its about the only option i have, unless i get up an extra hour earlier and go to the gym, shower there, come home, make food then drive to work... which doesnt make much sense to me
currently i eat a bowl of ceral or 2 eggs scrambled wrapped in a tortilla 30-45 min before my workout. i go to the gym before work... so its about the only option i have, unless i get up an extra hour earlier and go to the gym, shower there, come home, make food then drive to work... which doesnt make much sense to me
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
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Originally posted by: Atomicus
thats the equivalent of fueling your car after the tank is dry, isn't it?
Anyways, for specifics, don't eat carbs before a workout since they take time to be processed. Simple sugars and calorie foods will do you good before a workout (candy bar, power bar, GNC calorie shake, etc).
Then follow what Alkaline5 said with the after workout meal.
And if hurling for anorexics feels good, why can't it feel good for normal people?
Well 1) sugar is carbs so I don't know where you are going with that, but a highly glycemic meal like a candy bar (which i wouldn't use) is better after a meal to glycogen load.
Now you really have to ask are you trying to get big or just tone up and drop weight.
If big you want to be eating almost every 3 hours....so chances are you'll have a meal before and after the workout sometime.
Pre-workout I'd go with some complex carbs and a little protein...I normally don't eat anything as I am trying to lose still. When I am in in bulking mode my meal is usually oatmeal + protein powder mixed in. I try to eat at least an hour prior. If not you can both cramp and you won't have time to digest your calories anyway.
After my workout I usually wait until lunch still as I am cutting down, but normally I'd have a grape juice, my creatine and supplements and then a protein with some carb shake an hour or so after.
Post workout until about 1 hour later is the time where the foods you normally should avoid can do you good. The stouffer's french bread pizzas or better yet the healthy choice ones is a crappy meal normally (enriched flours), but post workout it's almost perfect.
However, in general most could just follow their normal healthy diet and get the same results. A lot of people end up fatter because they start consuming calories they are no where close to burning.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
Posted during my post....
Most cereals are terrible, too glycemic...you get a quick rush and nothing else. Oatmeal is a better choice, and with fruit or flavored protein powder pretty good once you get used to going from a crunchy cereal to a soft one.
30-45mins is close to the workout to be eating....45-60mins would be better, esp cardio.
However, if you are looking to lose weight, exercising after a fast is going to put you almost immediately into fat burning mode....of course YMMV with skipping meals.
After, at least an hour after, if you eat before you are only burning off the calories you just consumed, making you hungry again after you workout, while you are working out (and for at least an hour afterwards for me) you aren't hungry, then after an hour or so you've maximized the calories you are going to burn from working out and then you can eat (eat slowly though, then you don't have as much of a tendency to over eat) eat untill you are full though.
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