Save carbs for post-workout?

dill_milk
dill_milk Posts: 61 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been reading about insulin and cortisol and I am so confused. Is it optimal to weight train fasted and then eat carbs after? If you eat breakfast before training should you stick to protein? Apparently carbs in the morning spikes your insulin and makes your body burn less fat throughout training...? But then if you have no insulin your cortisol will be high and break down your muscle? What the heck is a person supposed to do?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    dill_milk wrote: »
    I've been reading about insulin and cortisol and I am so confused. Is it optimal to weight train fasted and then eat carbs after? If you eat breakfast before training should you stick to protein? Apparently carbs in the morning spikes your insulin and makes your body burn less fat throughout training...? But then if you have no insulin your cortisol will be high and break down your muscle? What the heck is a person supposed to do?

    It doesn't matter when you eat the carbs. Your body burns most of the fat while you are sleeping anyways, pending you are in an overall deficit.

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I would say don't overcomplicate it. Do what makes you feel best and gives you the most optimal workout performance.

    I eat carbs all the time, I don't train fasted, I sometimes don't eat after workouts.. I have never had any issue with lowering my bodyfat. Maybe it can come into play for that last 1%, the stubborn fat getting to bodybuilding lean levels, but unless that is the case I wouldn't worry too much.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    dill_milk wrote: »
    I've been reading about insulin and cortisol and I am so confused. Is it optimal to weight train fasted and then eat carbs after? If you eat breakfast before training should you stick to protein? Apparently carbs in the morning spikes your insulin and makes your body burn less fat throughout training...? But then if you have no insulin your cortisol will be high and break down your muscle? What the heck is a person supposed to do?

    None of this really matters...this *kitten* isn't that complicated.
  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
    As everyone is saying above, don't stress it too much. If you like training fasted, do that, if you like training fed, do that. If you like eating carbs after your workout, do that, if you like them before, do that too. I assume you are not a professional athlete, so it will have minimal impact on your progress

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