Before or after?

maddog1769

Okay so instead of hijacking another thread, I thought I should start my own. As i have been really Intrigued with Keto and exercise recently.

History:
Turning 57, 6-3, 213 pounds (want to be 210)
In my 4th year of Keto
currently at maintenance/slow weight loss, but still pretty intense, never over 30 carbs a day, But usually around 23-25
3rd year of 16:8 eating, I only eat between 12 and 6pm, Love it and will NEVER change that!
I walk, hike at least 120+ Miles a month, with 4 or 5 hikes 16+ miles a day each month

Due to the fires in California I recently started hitting the gym and being OCD have hit it like a beast, I love how quickly and easily I can get to releasing endorphins and am hooked on the feeling and leaving the gym is euphoric.
At the Gym I do Weights, Cardio, and HIIT and mix it up for muscle confusion and crosstraining so I am fitter for hiking/backpacking

Any ways I am looking for an EASY answer to which is better, if there even IS a right answer
To hit the gym In the morning when I am in hours 14-16 of IF
or
After I have eaten a meal.

I will not eat carbs before exercising as I have found that does ME no good as even during the exercising I feel lethargic and sick at this point in my Keto life.

Before exercising If i have a normal keto meal it does not make my exercising any better or worse and I feel fine.

I find it very easy and I have no affects of intense exercise on a VERY empty stomach and do prefer it, I like the Idea of burning 800-1000 calories in hours of 14-16 of IF as i think that has to be fat, but just want to make sure it is not setting me back or doing damage etc.
And I currently I mix it up for sake of body confusion and work schedule.

Any and all input is welcome.
Thanks

tcunbeliever

Long answer short - it doesn't matter.

Eating a keto meal is going to be akin to fasted training, so either way, the end result will be similar and any differences are likely to be statistically insignificant.

I personally have found that carbs AFTER a workout seem to help with muscle growth and recovery more than carbs before/during a workout. But that's totally just me and my observation. In terms of muscle growth based on measurements, I was doing much better with carb/calorie cycling and doing 100-150g of carbs on strength training days (most of it post-workout) and about 50g of carbs on cardio/stretching training days. That was, for me, the peak of growth in size and constantly having to increase weights to keep the workouts challenging.

Currently, I do keto for migraine control, and I am still growing muscles and improving strength, but it's much slower...like what I could do in 12 weeks before now takes a whole year...I still get stronger, and I still get bigger, but the results are slower...and I've been lifting for like 20 years, so none of this is "beginner gains" type results.

Insulin is a transporter hormone, and part of it's job is to facilitate transport into muscle tissue, so that carb boost triggering an insulin boost, it's a beneficial thing when you are strength training.

For me, I'll stick to life without migraines, I'm just mentioning it because if you go with more carbs for a recovery meal post-workout, you might see better results in the muscle growth arena, if that's even a goal for you.

KetoZandra

I've done some research on this and it seems that working out during the last hours of a fast seems to be the way to go and preferred in what I found. But it's personal rather than a "better."

Longshore

Im like you @maddog1769 I cant have CARBS/meal before workouts. I always do my workouts middle/end of my fast. I like to have a meal somewhere around a hour or two after my workouts. Its just a what has always worked for me.