Protein before exercise carbs after

DavidRocketts

I recently read this is the best way to eat to get in good shape and lose fat. Does anyone have experience with this routine..?
Thanks..

SideSteel

DavidRocketts wrote: »

I recently read this is the best way to eat to get in good shape and lose fat. Does anyone have experience with this routine..?
Thanks..

For the most part, provided we are comparing equal total calorie intake, you're not going to see a significant difference in fat loss based on different placement of macronutrients around the training bout unless it somehow causes substantial differences to performance.

galgenstrick

Doesn't matter much. Meal timing doesn't affect weight loss, total calories are what matter. Meal timing does help with training though. Mainly you will be able to train with higher intensity if you're not training fasted.

SideSteel

Also, this may be of use to you from a practicality standpoint:
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-10-5

SideSteel

Another thing to consider too is that almost all the time when someone makes an argument about fasted training or training without carbs they are making big assumptions based on what happens in a short window of time.

For example if you train completely fasted, acute fat oxidation goes up during the training bout. You burn more fat in that period of time. But it doesn't translate to greater whole body fat oxidation over longer periods of time largely because if you're holding calories constant and you're fasting until you train, you're just eating MORE calories after training compared to a situation where you eat some of those calories before training. (What I'm getting at is that if we hold calories constant all you're doing is moving them from before training to after training). And so when you train fasted you're increasing fat oxidation but then you're eating more after training and blunting fat oxidation and increasing fat storage.


And so basically it's a wash, for the most part. I just wanted to chime in with this additional info because that's the argument that's typically made by people who promote fasted cardio and it's likely a similar argument for avoiding carbs pre workout and only eating protein and it suffers from the same issues as the above.

Here's something relevant:
http://www.lookgreatnaked.com/articles/does_cardio_after_an_overnight_fast_maximize_fat_loss.pdf
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7

vixtris

Like people said above, when it comes to weight loss, it doesnt matter. However, if you are lifting, you may feel you will perform better with some protein before and carb/protein after. With cardio, I know I feel better if I eat more carbs than protein before my workout, and carbs+protein afterwards. The macro nutrient timing is more to help your body recover from the workout.

ajwcyclist2016

Carbs before protien after. When exercising the body will always choose carbs first as they are easier to break down. It can still use protien but is harder to break down. Plus when you are putting your body under stress why is the body going to make its own job hard

Azdak

DavidRocketts wrote: »

I recently read this is the best way to eat to get in good shape and lose fat. Does anyone have experience with this routine..?
Thanks..

If you are trying "to get in shape and lose fat" meal/macronutrient timing is one of the last things you should be concerned with. It is a perfect example of the "80/20" principle, except in this case the ratio is more like 98/2.

rks581

Protein before exercise helps prevent the body from using muscle tissue as energy. Generally I think the usual advice is to have some carbs, mostly but not all complex carbs, and some protein before exercise, and protein after. But as has been said, this does not affect weight loss. It just may help you see some performance gains -- I know I perform better when I've had lots of protein, some carbs and BCAAs. Carbs especially help with running performance. Oh, and pre-workout, can't forget that.

singletrackmtbr

rks581 wrote: »

Protein before exercise helps prevent the body from using muscle tissue as energy.

This isn't true. The body looks first to glucose as an energy source, especially in short duration and high intensity workouts. As the body works longer, a higher percentage of energy comes from fats. Protein breakdown for energy is more complex, and is a last resort.

http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/the-three-metabolic-energy-systems

http://www.livestrong.com/article/554481-when-does-the-body-start-to-use-muscle-tissue-for-energy/

If what you said was true then everyone who doesn't take protein before working out (myself included) would be wasting away from their workouts.

I have heard Jim Stoppani mention that a mixture of carbs and protein before and after a workout can enhance creatine absorption, so if you supplement with creatine that might be a consideration.

sijomial

For most exercise routines timing and macro manipulation is of absolutely trivial importance - you have abundant glycogen and fat stores to fuel your exercise. It's very, very unlikely you are going to burn muscle for fuel and pre workouts aren't necessary.

Start exercising hard for 2+ hours then it's important, in which case you will be most likely be best served taking on carbs before (and maybe during) exercise.

best way to eat to get in good shape and lose fat.

IMHO a combination of a good strength resistance routine and cardio to "get in shape" and a sustainable and appropriate calorie deficit to lose fat.

Packerjohn

rks581 wrote: »

Protein before exercise helps prevent the body from using muscle tissue as energy. Generally I think the usual advice is to have some carbs, mostly but not all complex carbs, and some protein before exercise, and protein after. But as has been said, this does not affect weight loss. It just may help you see some performance gains -- I know I perform better when I've had lots of protein, some carbs and BCAAs. Carbs especially help with running performance. Oh, and pre-workout, can't forget that.

Yeah you can actually. Fix your diet and sleep habits so you don't need a dose of stimulant.

cgvet37

I look at is fueling my body not only for the day, but tomorrow. I try to have carbs and protien with every meal.

Aidan2552

I will usually eat some carbs before a workout, usually a fruit such as a banana or apple. This way I have some simple sugars in my system that can be broken down during my workout and turned into energy.

Like a lot of people have said, it's more about total macronutrients, the meal timing is a personal preference.

AnvilHead

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