Help on what to eat before & after gym!?!

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Brittrom89
Brittrom89 Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I'm needing help and tips on what to eat and what is good to eat for before and after the gym!? :)
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Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Something that fuels you that doesn't want to reappear 20minutes in to your training

    I try and stick to carb and protein, low fat.. But that's not overly important. I often train fasted in the morning, just having a coffee
  • RebeccaD22
    RebeccaD22 Posts: 202 Member
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    What are you trying to accomplish? Gain muscle? Lose body fat?
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    Yeah it's a pretty broad question depending on your goals. But carbs and protein afterwards are damn near a must post workout. Hence all the wonderful brands of protein powders and post carb drinks on the market. Whey isolate for fast absorption, or whey concentrate for lower protein % and slower absorption rate, But have added health benefits namely antioxidants and lactoferin.
  • carlknight1983
    carlknight1983 Posts: 12 Member
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    I have a protein shake and a bannana an hour before with a pre workout 30 mins later. Post work out I have another protein shake and a rice cake with peanut butter on it. Fast acting carbs and protein. Does good for me.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
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    If you're lifting a protein and a slow digesting carb (protein shake with some old fashioned oats is a perfect example) taken 30 - 60 mins prior to training. Post work out you want a protein source with a fast digesting carb to spike insulin response and kick off MPS. Don't however buy into the myth of having to eat within 30 minutes of finishing your workout or else all gains will be lost. You can eat anywhere up to around 4 hours after your work out, your pre work out state has more impact.

    If you're a cardio bunny or endurance training then your carb (slow digesting) load takes priority with a smaller amount of protein.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    I usually have a scoop or two of whey prior to training and a whey isolate/concentrate/casein blend and a banana after.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    It depends what you are doing and for how long.
    My general rule of thumb are complex carbs to fuel my workouts before (not needed if your workout is less than an hour) and protein plus light carbs after.

    hmm pretty much what Ironmaiden said now ive read it.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Ironmaiden4life wrote: »
    If you're lifting a protein and a slow digesting carb (protein shake with some old fashioned oats is a perfect example) taken 30 - 60 mins prior to training. Post work out you want a protein source with a fast digesting carb to spike insulin response and kick off MPS. Don't however buy into the myth of having to eat within 30 minutes of finishing your workout or else all gains will be lost. You can eat anywhere up to around 4 hours after your work out, your pre work out state has more impact.

    If you're a cardio bunny or endurance training then your carb (slow digesting) load takes priority with a smaller amount of protein.

    Is there a name for this, @Ironmaiden4life ? I've seen it thrown around a few times and I'm really interested into reading further into it.

    Or is it literally just "insulin response to kick off muscle protein synthesis"?

  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited June 2015
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    You're better off just focusing on meeting your macros and caloric intake for the day than worrying about timing. Muscles don't go catabolic overnight and a lack of immediate nutrient uptake pre or post workout is not even going to be noticed nor will it deter or slow down your goal toward fitness... at all.

    The whole "timing" thing is mainly all marketing... It is about companies being able to sell you "pre", "intra", and "post" workout supplements along with 3 different types of protein to make more profit. It's insane to think about how a large part of society has actually bought in the timing concept as being important. The whole insulin response thing is not an issue if you are not diabetic.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
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    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Is there a name for this, @Ironmaiden4life ? I've seen it thrown around a few times and I'm really interested into reading further into it.

    Or is it literally just "insulin response to kick off muscle protein synthesis"?

    I'm sure there's some fancy schmancy name for it somewhere but not having a degree in biochemistry I can't say. There's a lot of articles about insulin response and muscle protein synthesis around to read up on but the basic premise is ....

    take in a fast digesting carbohydrate (dextrose is probably the fastest which is why you'll see some body builders throwing pixie sticks down their neck as soon as they put down the weights at the end of the workout and then immediately chugging their protein shake) and a fast digesting protein. The carb will promote a bigger spike in insulin enabling the body to shuttle the protein into cells at a quicker rate to start muscle protein synthesis and get them gainz rolling.

    I prefer using something like a satchet of flavoured instant oats but that's just personal choice.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    For me timing makes a big difference because if I run out of energy thats game over for my workout. It doesnt have to affect anyone doing short workouts, but longer ones it definitely makes a difference.

    Thats different from the protein issue, in which case I think most people accept on here its overall protein intake rather than window arguments.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
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    sixxpoint wrote: »
    You're better off just focusing on meeting your macros and caloric intake for the day than worrying about timing. Muscles don't go catabolic overnight and a lack of immediate nutrient uptake pre or post workout is not even going to be noticed nor will it deter or slow down your goal toward fitness... at all.

    The whole "timing" thing is mainly all marketing... It is about companies being able to sell you "pre", "intra", and "post" workout supplements along with 3 different types of protein to make more profit. It's insane to think about how a large part of society has actually bought in the timing concept as being important. The whole insulin response thing is not an issue if you are not diabetic.

    The nutrient timing or 'anabolic window' debacle came about through a research study and subsequent book by John Ivy PhD and crew.

    The research was essential sound but wasn't made clear were the athletes they conducted the study on were all endurance athletes not strength athletes (glycogen depletion rate is vastly different between the 2 groups). From there bodybuilders everywhere jumped on the 'gotta eat within 30 minutes or all gains will be lost forever' myth.

    Sixxpoint is right, marketing companies then saw a great opportunity to separate consumers from their hard earned moolah and the rest is history as they say lol

    Newest research to date deems pre-workout nutrition to have more impact than the post work out nutrition. For most people who are looking to get fitter his advice is very sound but if your goals are to make muscle gains and or body building then keeping up with the science is important.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
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    Eating in a fasted state or on a full stomach is up to the individual. Personally, I would feel lethargic training if endurance training in a fasted state, and quite ill if training HIIT on a full stomach.

    Timing food is personal preference and will likely have zero impact on your body composition, muscle gain/loss, or long term results. There are extremely fit people who eat one large meal a day... just as there are the same group of people who eat 6 smaller meals a day.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    err you are talking about body composition, thats different from having enough energy to get through your workout.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
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    Nutritional timing and partitioning has no effect on overall weight correct but nutritional partitioning can and does have an effect on body composition and long term results.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited June 2015
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    999tigger wrote: »
    err you are talking about body composition, thats different from having enough energy to get through your workout.

    It's called caffeine.
    Ironmaiden4life wrote: »
    Nutritional timing and partitioning has no effect on overall weight correct but nutritional partitioning can and does have an effect on body composition and long term results.

    Disagreed. If you're consistently training and hitting your daily macros and caloric goal, that will be the prime factor for long term results. Timing a sandwich at 1pm, 3pm, 5:30pm, 4am, etc. will have ZERO bearing on your long term results.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
    edited June 2015
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    sixxpoint wrote: »

    Disagreed. If you're consistently training and hitting your daily macros and caloric goal, that will be the prime factor for long term results. Timing a sandwich at 1pm, 3pm, 5:30pm, 4am, etc. will have ZERO bearing on your long term results.

    Nutritional partitioning is not timing (I agree with you 100% about timing) I am referring to how you optimize your macronutrients around workout times dependent on your goal
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    err you are talking about body composition, thats different from having enough energy to get through your workout.

    We went off on a tangent...... I'm known to do that lol

  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Ironmaiden4life wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »

    Disagreed. If you're consistently training and hitting your daily macros and caloric goal, that will be the prime factor for long term results. Timing a sandwich at 1pm, 3pm, 5:30pm, 4am, etc. will have ZERO bearing on your long term results.

    Nutritional partitioning is not timing (I agree with you 100% about timing) I am referring to how you optimize your macronutrients around workout times dependent on your goal

    I would disagree with that as well. Having a pre or post protein shake isn't going to make or break you. That type of timing bears no actual real life consequence whatsoever. People overthink things far too much.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
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    All depends on your goal as I previously said.

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