Do I eat pre or post workout?

mommonster323

I am working out at around 6:30 pm and am ravenous prior. I usually am in bed by 9pm (yes I lead a thrilling life) so I wake up around 5am for my 8 month old. I have been eating dinner at 5pm prior to working out. I try to eat about 6oz of a protein and a small carb. I am a little nervous though to go to the gym tonight because I will be taking a bootcamp class I signed up for. Is eating prior going to make me nauseous? And what is a good thing to eat when I come later at night, but right before bed? I usually only have about 200 cal or less left at that point. I really can't change my routine much as my husband comes home, we eat dinner, I leave to go to the gym and when I get back I shower and put the kids to bed. Any advice is appreciated!

Chief_Rocka

Some people can't eat solid food less than 2 hours before a workout, others can eat a Big Mac while driving to the gym.

The only way to know which camp you fall into, or if you're somewhere in the middle, is trial and error.

mizzzc

When I went to the gym after work I would eat something with carbs about an hour before hand like sandwich, rice, apples. etc.

After my workout I'd eat protein right away e.i chicken, beef jerky, protein shake

Good luck

BeTheChange352

if you eat at 5 and don't have class until 6:30 your stomach will probably be ok. eat whatever you want before bed, really doesn't matter.

mommonster323

Thanks for the response. I guess I will see tonight. I have been only doing the treadmill and ellipitical. Boot camp is a whole other story.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

I eat before and after but thats just me. If I dont fuel up before then I dont have the energy to finish my workout.

cwolfman13

Personal preference, there's no right answer. I personally would be ill if I ate an actual meal shortly before working out.

During the week I hit the gym a couple of nights right after work...I usually have a snack in the car on my commute...usually an apple and some protein and I have dinner later when I get home. I usually eat dinner around 8:30 or so in the evening.

flatlndr

For me, a banana 30-60 mins before I hit the gym works nicely.

But that's me. Some want no food, others want a meal. You need to figure out what works best for you.

allaboutthecake

If what you are doing thus far has been working for you, then keep doing it. If you are hungry after gym, eat whatever you want in your calorie goal. If you aren't, save the extra calories for your next meal or whenever you need that extra boost.

Darren261

Both, eat something high energy before so something moderately high in carbs to give you some energy and post workout have something high protein to feed the muscles and make sure the meal also has moderate carbs to refill your glycogen sources, but that's just what I do which works well for me. Give different things a go and see which suits you better everyone is different.

sympha01

Agree with Chief. Pay attention to how you feel. If you feel underfuelled during your workout, you might need to switch things up so you've got some food -- especially carbs -- in you before working out. If you feel great during the workout, don't change a thing. If your tummy is complaining, the "before" part should be probably more like 2 hours, and less like 30 minutes.

Also, for most of us who are not hard-core gymgoers or athletes, I'd say don't pay too much attention to a lot of the talk about performance and timing meals around workouts, pre- or post-. At the intensity and effort and performance levels many of us are likely to be working with, it is much more important to just be hydrated and generally fuelled properly (enough calories) on a daily basis.

At a more advanced level of intensity, it can make a difference to have some carbs within a few hours before working out and enough protein throughout the day. I really don't understand where people are coming from about eating protein right after working out -- it takes your body several hours after you put it in your belly to access protein from food. Protein takes time to digest. Your body uses protein after working out, but to do that you have to have it readily available. And that means eating it pretty much all the time; right after a workout is kind of too late. If a nutritionist or legit scientist wants to contradict me on that please have at it, I've got an open mind but I'll keep the source in mind LOL.

Chief_Rocka

sympha01 wrote: »

Your body uses protein after working out, but to do that you have to have it readily available. And that means eating it pretty much all the time; right after a workout is kind of too late. If a nutritionist or legit scientist wants to contradict me on that please have at it, I've got an open mind but I'll keep the source in mind LOL.

Muscle protein synthesis is elevated for 24 hours after a workout. So as long as you're getting enough on a daily basis, timing really doesn't matter.

Disclaimer: I'm not a nutritionist or legit scientist, but this sentiment has been confirmed by Alan Aragon, who, if you're not familiar, happens to be the bro version of Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

sympha01

^Passes inspection as far as I'm concerned.

ETA: And very much in line with my general thought that protein timing does not matter.

AllAboutThatSpace

I like to eat before and after. Eating a light meal before makes me feel as if I have more energy.

mommonster323

Thanks for all the replies! I am sticking to what works best then