What to eat before workouts

[alpha]

I've been eating a banana 5-10minutes before my workouts. Sometimes I drink a glass of glucose mixed in water instead.
What is the best thing to consume before a workout? And how soon before the workout should i eat\drink it?

[wildman536]

bro i usually drink a myoplex about a hr before my workouts so i have that protien and a little amount of carbs available during....

[MsFit]

Some good complex carbohydrates will give you sustained energy, but just don't overdo it.
MsFit

[Iron-T]

For most people it's an hour before a workout...you don't want digestion to get in way, yet you need energy for your workout.
_ 1/2 mealreplament shake ( the other half afterwards )

OR

small chickenbreast and some oatmeal or brown rice

OR

nonfat cottage cheese and a piece of fruit

[wildman536]

Half a MRP? eat the whole thing.....

[alpha]

I dont like using suppliments much. I only use whey protien after workouts.

What is dextrose? What natural food is it found in? Is it found in any fruit? I've heard it good to have it right after workouts, is that true?

Is a potato a composed of complex-carbohydrates? Should i have a potato 1hr before workouts?

I'll try oats+chicken or cottage cheese+fruit 1hr before workouts.

Thanx for the help.

[wildman536]

a potato would not be bad, eat a sweet potato and a chicken breast about 1 hr before a workout....

[Viola]

What time of day do you work out?
In the mornings I like my oatmeal with wheat germ.
In the afternoons I go for a protein bar and a peice of fruit, or I'll have a bagel with peanut butter on it.

I find that if I don't have some complex carbs that I'm ready to eat the whole house afterwards.

[TrishB]

I never eat before a workout.
But then I am at the gym by 5am, so it is not much a problem. Occasionally I have felt weak on my workouts, but I can usually attribute that to my last meal of the nite before, or not getting enough sleep.

[BigPete]

Originally posted by TrishB
I never eat before a workout.
But then I am at the gym by 5am, so it is not much a problem. Occasionally I have felt weak on my workouts, but I can usually attribute that to my last meal of the nite before, or not getting enough sleep.

When you wake up, you are highly catabolic. If you do not eat after u wake up and go workout; you can pretty much bet you won't be gaining muscle.

[TrishB]

Originally posted by BigPete
When you wake up, you are highly catabolic. If you do not eat after u wake up and go workout; you can pretty much bet you won't be gaining muscle.

Never heard that one before Pete.

[invincible]

Originally posted by BigPete
When you wake up, you are highly catabolic. If you do not eat after u wake up and go workout; you can pretty much bet you won't be gaining muscle.

Yo, can you plz confirm this! I was under the assumption that by doing a workout on an empty stomach, your body will look towards stored fat for energy. Where as, be consuming food prior to a workout, your body will use that. Am I wrong?

[BigPete]

Originally posted by invincible
Yo, can you plz confirm this! I was under the assumption that by doing a workout on an empty stomach, your body will look towards stored fat for energy. Where as, be consuming food prior to a workout, your body will use that. Am I wrong?

Actually, by consuming a low carbohydrate food , more than likely after a workout you will deplete your glucose stores in your muscles. liver. That would force your body to use fat.


trishb, Pre workout is an extremely important meal, I have NO clue why you would not eat prior. Are you saying u do not realize you're are in a catabolic (muscle wasting) state when you wake up? If you elaborate by "never heard of that" I can go into more detail.

[ctgblue]

Originally posted by invincible Yo, can you plz confirm this! I was under the assumption that by doing a workout on an empty stomach, your body will look towards stored fat for energy. Where as, be consuming food prior to a workout, your body will use that. Am I wrong?

This is only relative if you are going for a "Cardio ONLY" workout.
Then it is OK to do a morning cardio session on an empty stomach, followed by a light carb high protein meal.
However, it is NOT a good idea to do a strength training workout if you have not eaten in the past 1-2 hours. Your body does not have the energy stores to get an effective workout and you can catabolize some muscle, especially if it's a morning workout on an empty stomach.
TrishB, if you are hitting it at 5am, I'd at LEAST do a bar on the way to the gym. Your muscles will thank you.
Again, cardio only, empty stomach is OK, strength training, you need energy.

[TrishB]

I did not realize I could get into a catabolic state during sleep since very little energy is being used.
I have always worked out on an empty stomach in the mornings.

So now I will have something before....

Thank you

[IPR]

are you still on keto?

If you are I believe things are a little different as you won't have the same problems of w/o without eating beforehand as youre already in a fat burning condition. You should however, have a high fat meal before bed to ensure sufficient energy for your w/o.

If you are not on keto, go with what the other guys say.

[invincible]

Originally posted by BigPete
Actually, by consuming a low carbohydrate food , more than likely after a workout you will deplete your glucose stores in your muscles. liver. That would force your body to use fat.

I'm sorry you've confused me, can you plz repeat what you said? I couldn't make sense. Thnx!

Originally posted by ctgblue
This is only relative if you are going for a "Cardio ONLY" workout.
Then it is OK to do a morning cardio session on an empty stomach, followed by a light carb high protein meal.
However, it is NOT a good idea to do a strength training workout if you have not eaten in the past 1-2 hours. Your body does not have the energy stores to get an effective workout and you can catabolize some muscle, especially if it's a morning workout on an empty stomach.
TrishB, if you are hitting it at 5am, I'd at LEAST do a bar on the way to the gym. Your muscles will thank you.
Again, cardio only, empty stomach is OK, strength training, you need energy.

OMG! I've always trained this way! Thanks for clearing this up, I guess I better go and grab a bite to eat before heading to the gym for today! Btw, I'm on a cutting diet, would you recommend a high-protein meal (for muscle-building) or a high-carbohydrates (for energy) meal prior to workout?

[wildman536]

moderate carbo (20-25) high protien (40-50)

[Hibiscus09]

In the mornings, I have oatmeal & eggwhites before I lift. If I'm lifting later, usually it's chicken & brown rice. (About an hour & a half before I lift). I can't lift without food on my stomach -- it makes me sick. I do sometimes do about 20-30 minutes of cardio pre breakfast.

[wildman536]

i dont do the cardio part but i have to also have a meal in me when im hitting the weights, not something heavy just some protien and carbs to get me through....

[Esperantisto]

Something which really irks me is that it is thought that cardio is so easy on the body..
Well, cardio on empty stomach is ONLY OK if it is just low-impact for 20-30 mins.
My cardio on an empty stomach only started 45 mins after getting up as it involved moving my a$$ to the gym with a 35-45 min bike ride AND then lifting after having consumed a whey drink.. I'd feel miserable for the next 45 mins until the calories finally kicked in.
And I'd be really feeling like a dead corpse if I started with a spinning lesson right away.

Now I have a keto breakfast (eggs with some cheese and mushrooms or eggs with smoked salmon) and down the shake upon arrival AND take some extra carbs (35 g of licorice provides 2 g of protein and 25 g of carbs). Now I feel just fine.

But a spinning lesson which some people consider as cardio, is definitely more like weight training.. I can do WT without eating, but I can't do a spinning lesson without eating.

Espi

[str8flexed]

Originally posted by TrishB
I never eat before a workout.
But then I am at the gym by 5am, so it is not much a problem. Occasionally I have felt weak on my workouts, but I can usually attribute that to my last meal of the nite before, or not getting enough sleep.

The main catabolic hormones upon rising are glucagen and cortisol. These hormones de-aminate muscle tissue and use the aminos for glucose production. Cortisol is also the main catabolic hormone released while working out. If you do not eat in the morning and you go workout you can bet you are losing muscle. If you workout in the morning you need some type of fast digestin meal before you go workout...I suggest whey protein/dextrose mix with perhaps a small bannana to replenish liver glycogen.
Peace

[X-Manifest]

Just came across this thread, some good info here....would like to get some more 'personal' advice relative to my specific routine.

I work out in the evenings...say 7 pm. I see it is a must to eat carbs as well as protein before a work out....AS WELL as after.I think what im getting at is what quantities i need before and after....

before work out i would typically have a small tuna sandwhich on whole wheat (or chick piece). that caters for my complex carbs as well as protein.

An hour or so later i will do about 30 min cardio/resistance training, and then end off with doing actual heavy weight lifting for about 20 min. Reason why i say cardio/resistance for the forst 30 min is that im not sure which one it is...im basically doing hand stands (not up against the wall but balancing),holding my body up balancing for periods of up to 1 min at a time,with a few SMALL pushups in between while inverted. And then a few other gymnastic type moves on my hands....break dancing is what im doing,but because i do it in the garden its more basic hand stands and practising balance etc rather than actual stand up cardio dance moves. what i want to know....for cardio or longer work outs one should eat complex sugars as you need that long sustaining energy,whereas quick short bursty work outs one could eat small amount of simple sugars as it digests quickly and would be suited to a short bursty work out (probably not that healthy though). Im trying to figure out what my routine would be and what i should eat. As well. after my 50 min work out...is it necessary to eat protein AGAIN even though I ate protein before the work out? same for carbs ?

I thought that eating carbs afterwards helps replenish glycogen levels in muscles....but if you have had enough carbs before your work out....surely this will not be needed as there is still storage left over? maybe somone could shed some light here...same with protein, surely if you eat enough protein before hand you will have supplemented your body/muscles enough to not have to eat it again after the work out?

Any help would be appreciated!

[amcrnilovic]

Some good complex carbohydrates will give you sustained energy, but just don't overdo it.
MsFit

Do you need protein as well? I workout at 5:30 AM so I don't have much time to get something in. I am wondering if I should have anything at all and leave it for after my workout. It just seems like a lot to have pre-and post workout meals before 7:00 AM and still have enough calories left (of the allotted calories for the day) to fill out the rest of the day.

Lately I have been having 1/2 scoop isopure protien poweder and 1 slice ezikiel bread pre-workout (1/2 hour before I train) and 1/2 scoop isopure protein powder and 3 rice cakes post workout. Currently, I am trying to put on as much muscle as I can with minimal fat gain and will start my contest prep diet in mid-august for an October show.

Does that sound ok of pre/post nutrition? Is there enough time before my meal and my training?

[amcrnilovic]

The main catabolic hormones upon rising are glucagen and cortisol. These hormones de-aminate muscle tissue and use the aminos for glucose production. Cortisol is also the main catabolic hormone released while working out. If you do not eat in the morning and you go workout you can bet you are losing muscle. If you workout in the morning you need some type of fast digestin meal before you go workout...I suggest whey protein/dextrose mix with perhaps a small bannana to replenish liver glycogen.
Peace

I also workout at 5:00 AM. I was doing it on an empty stomach, but I am trying to put on size so I am trying 1/2 scoop whey protein and slice Ezikiel Bread before workout and 1/2 scoop whey and 3 rice cakes after workout. I thought the pre-work out carb was supposed to be slow digesting carbs and post workout was supposed to be fast digesting. Should I have rice cakes instead of the ezikiel bread pre-workout since they are fast digesting?

[amcrnilovic]

Just came across this thread, some good info here....would like to get some more 'personal' advice relative to my specific routine.

I work out in the evenings...say 7 pm. I see it is a must to eat carbs as well as protein before a work out....AS WELL as after.I think what im getting at is what quantities i need before and after....

before work out i would typically have a small tuna sandwhich on whole wheat (or chick piece). that caters for my complex carbs as well as protein.

An hour or so later i will do about 30 min cardio/resistance training, and then end off with doing actual heavy weight lifting for about 20 min. Reason why i say cardio/resistance for the forst 30 min is that im not sure which one it is...im basically doing hand stands (not up against the wall but balancing),holding my body up balancing for periods of up to 1 min at a time,with a few SMALL pushups in between while inverted. And then a few other gymnastic type moves on my hands....break dancing is what im doing,but because i do it in the garden its more basic hand stands and practising balance etc rather than actual stand up cardio dance moves. what i want to know....for cardio or longer work outs one should eat complex sugars as you need that long sustaining energy,whereas quick short bursty work outs one could eat small amount of simple sugars as it digests quickly and would be suited to a short bursty work out (probably not that healthy though). Im trying to figure out what my routine would be and what i should eat. As well. after my 50 min work out...is it necessary to eat protein AGAIN even though I ate protein before the work out? same for carbs ?

I thought that eating carbs afterwards helps replenish glycogen levels in muscles....but if you have had enough carbs before your work out....surely this will not be needed as there is still storage left over? maybe somone could shed some light here...same with protein, surely if you eat enough protein before hand you will have supplemented your body/muscles enough to not have to eat it again after the work out?

Any help would be appreciated!

I have the same question and would love to hear input on this. I think having two of my 5 meals for my workout before 7:00 AM (since I workout at 5:00 AM) is not the best thing as it only leaves 3 more meals for the next 16 hours I am awake.

[Miranda]

for cardio or longer work outs one should eat complex sugars as you need that long sustaining energy,whereas quick short bursty work outs one could eat small amount of simple sugars as it digests quickly and would be suited to a short bursty work out

the higher the intensity level the more you use glucose for energy.
low-to moderate activity (60-70% HR) uses predominantly fatty acids, but you always use a mix of glucose, fatty and amino acids.

i'm not tearing open the pandora's box discussion about whether cardio should be done on an empty stomach or not
just remember a calorie deficit is what makes one lose weight. how you created the deficit is another question.

I thought that eating carbs afterwards helps replenish glycogen levels in muscles....but if you have had enough carbs before your work out....surely this will not be needed as there is still storage left over?

intense weight lifting tears down muscle tissue and depletes them of glycogen. the simple rule of thumb is you should eat (complex) carbs before weight lifting for energy and fast-acting carbs (dextrose, banana) immediately afterwards together with a fast-acting protein (whey) to help kickstart the recovery process. an hour or so later have another meal with complex carbs, no matter what time of the day it is.

surely if you eat enough protein before hand you will have supplemented your body/muscles enough to not have to eat it again after the work out?

protein should be spread equally over all of the day's meals. eat a minimum of 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight.

[emunah]

To tag on, research DOES show that the PRE workout meal is more important than the POST. Even a fast acting whey shake takes 45 minutes - hour to even reach the muscle. If you eat prior to your workout, that protein will already have hit your muscle by the time you are done with your workout.

Unless you are doing a glycogen depletion workout, the amount of glycogen you lose in a typical lifting workout isn't great. I don't remember the exact number, but its relatively low. Of course if you're doing cardio in the same session, that's a different story.

[sokwatson]

...Just in answer to the FIRST basic question asked...-

I have 1 scoop whey + 1c cooked oats 1 hour before workout.
Then 1.5-2 scoops whey + banana immediately after workout.

[X-Manifest]

<To tag on, research DOES show that the PRE workout meal is more important than the POST. Even a fast acting whey shake takes 45 minutes - hour to even reach the muscle. If you eat prior to your workout, that protein will already have hit your muscle by the time you are done with your workout.>

Which begs the question...is that a good thing or a bad thing? Should you aim for the protein to hit the muscle while working out...or only after the work out. I assume after?

Another quest...

<the higher the intensity level the more you use glucose for energy.
low-to moderate activity (60-70% HR) uses predominantly fatty acids, but you always use a mix of glucose, fatty and amino acids.>

I would like to know significance of glucose,glycogen and which gets broken down into what, as well as what is used for energy at what point in time.... as far as i understand...(please correct me)...

1. Carbs are converted to glucose which is used for energy. You mention high intensity means that glucose will mainly be used up, does this mean the available glucose stored in your body/cells from previously eating carbs? (why i ask is...i thought glucose came from broken down acids too)

2. ....you say less intensive mean burning more fatty acids (fat cells?),amino acids (protein) as well a bit a of stored glucose (say from carbs). Are amino and fatty acids when used for energy actually broken down into glucose first before being used as energy?

3. Am i right in saying that.... when you eat carbs, automatically this is borken down into glucose and stored for energy and is therefore ALREADY AVAILABLE before your work out. Whereas amino/fatty acids are not already available for energy use,they still need to be broken down into glucose before being used which happens during the work out on the spot....ie. in the case of less intensive training where acids are used for energy and not as much glucose originating from carbs.

4. Is glycogen simply glucose stored in muscle tissue? and comes from carbs (or some other form of glucose)?

Ive repeated myself a few times here but am battling to word what i want to know...hope you get the drift!