Should I be eating more carbs before workout?

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Replies

  • yasminara
    yasminara Posts: 247 Member
    Oh gosh!!! I needed to hear this! I sleep well, and eat well (need more carbs per day but working on it!)

    ANEMIA!! Duh, I know I don't have enough iron intake. Thank you!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,422 MFP Moderator
    yasminara wrote: »
    Oh gosh!!! I needed to hear this! I sleep well, and eat well (need more carbs per day but working on it!)

    ANEMIA!! Duh, I know I don't have enough iron intake. Thank you!


    Just make sure you get blood test to confirm it before taking an iron supplement, as there are many other vitamin deficiencies that can have similar results.
  • biodigit
    biodigit Posts: 145 Member
    I consume majority of my calories around my workouts. 2-3 hours prior to my workouts (WO fuel) and the remaining calories post workout (recovery). Although these are not absolutely necessary, but it works the best for me.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    dhiggins210 wrote: »
    yellowantphil wrote: »
    dhiggins210 wrote: »
    yellowantphil wrote: »
    If you eat carbs when you're tired after your workout, do you get your energy back quickly? If you hit the wall/run out of glycogen, you'll feel terrible. I don't think that sleeping would make you feel better in that situation though.

    You're right. If I fall asleep, I feel so irritable when I wake up!

    If the problem is running out of glycogen, carbs will fix it. You could either eat carbs before your workout, or have some sugar while working out. If glycogen isn't the problem, then the carbs won't make much difference.

    What type of sugar could I eat while working out?

    snickers is my go to fast acting food. not so heavy you'll puke- but it's got a decent macro split to get you through the hump.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    When's the last time you took a week off?
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited August 2015
    _benjammin wrote: »
    When's the last time you took a week off?

    What an interesting question. Thanks for asking that. I was wondering last week if it's a good idea to take a week off, I don't know, once a quarter. Sometimes I do by happenstance (e.g. travel or, more seldom, sick), but never intentionally. I don't have a balls-to-the-wall hard core routine. Sounds similar to OP's, maybe. I run or do sprint intervals over a 4mi route 6x/wk and ST 3x/wk with one day rest. If I skip the rest day, I miss it, but I suspect that's more mental than physical.

    Do moderate exercisers benefit from a week off? A triple-digit heat forecast for an entire week made me think that would be a good week to take off. I've been running in the low 80'sF in the AM which is really nothing to complain about. But it prompted the pondering.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    @ahoy_m8
    Sounds like you would benefit from a week off at least every 3 months or at least cut your volume in half (deload) every 2 months or so and possibly take the week off from running completely while deloading.
    A week of 100+ temps sounds like the perfect week to take off! As mentioned, if you are antsy to do something, do your strength training at a reduced volume.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    @_benjammin
    Thanks tons for the reply! What is the benefit of deloading?
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    ^Allows your body (and mind) time to completely recover.
    http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/deloading-101-what-is-a-deload-and-how-do-you-do-it
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Thanks again. Didn't mean to derail the thread. Maybe OP will respond to your question.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    dhiggins210 wrote: »
    I workout every morning and suffer from post-workout fatigue. Sometimes I feel like I can't even function, especially after a hard session. I just want to sleep!! I usually have toast with PB&J and a banana for breakfast and drink 100-120 ounces of water each day. I know dehydration is not my problem. Should I be eating more carbs before I workout?

    Do you incorporate proper rest days into your exercise regimen?

    Do you vary your degree of intensity?

    Do you ever de-load or take some meaningful time off

    Exercise is just like anything else...if you had to go to work every day year 'round at 100% intensity, you'd be pretty burned out...that's why people have weekends and holidays and vacations and whatnot. Do the same with your fitness.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    dhiggins210 wrote: »
    I workout every morning and suffer from post-workout fatigue. Sometimes I feel like I can't even function, especially after a hard session. I just want to sleep!! I usually have toast with PB&J and a banana for breakfast and drink 100-120 ounces of water each day. I know dehydration is not my problem. Should I be eating more carbs before I workout?

    If you're working out in the morning after having not eaten anything since dinner the night before, you're in a fasted state. Your glycogen levels are low and so is your insulin. Fasted training can help you burn fat faster since stored fat is the only readily available energy source, but some people tolerate it better than others.

    I train fasted in the mornings. On weekdays I get up at 4 AM and start my workout shortly after. I do it not to lose weight faster, but because it doesn't bother me. Weekends are another story. I sleep in a couple more hours and then take my sweet time doing other things before starting my workout. A lot of times my late weekend workouts will leave me feeling weak and dizzy. Other times I stop in the middle of a workout because I just have to eat before continuing.

    I'd suggest experimenting and seeing if a pre-workout meal helps with your problem. In the article linked below, Mike Matthews suggests 30 to 40 grams of protein and 25 to 50 grams of carbs for a pre-workout meal. It should also help you work harder with more intensity in your workout.

    muscleforlife.com/pre-workout-nutrition/

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