Should you eat high carbs after cardio ?

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joowelz
joowelz Posts: 170 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just realized thanks to a free trial of MFP Premium that i eat the least amount of carbs after my regular jogging routine at noon, and the most carbs for dessert after dinner around 8pm.

Would switching this up impact my hunger, cravings and energy levels?

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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    If you are recovering from your cardio with the intention of doing another session that day then carbs after exercise is a great idea.

    But if you aren't doing either very long duration runs or training twice a day it really doesn't matter.
    The carbs you are eating in the evening are stored away ready for tomorrow's run.
    As with most food related questions the totality of your diet matters a lot more than the timing.

    You don't mention the duration of your jogging routine, duration and intensity make a difference as does if you are in an overall deficit or not.

    "Would switching this up impact my hunger, cravings and energy levels?" -
    For short duration cardio it wouldn't impact me in the slighest, but I'm not you and likely not exercising like you or dieting like you.

    For cardio of 3hrs and up then yes, how I recover immediately post exercise does impact my hunger and energy levels. 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein is my goal in those circumstances. Two hours of cycling today and 939 net cals burned just fits in my normal eating pattern and no special loading or recovery required.
  • joowelz
    joowelz Posts: 170 Member
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    30 minute runs at an intense pace (level 8 heart beats) @sijomial
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,547 Member
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    If weight loss is your goal and you don't have a lot of physical activity to do after your exercise, I'd say no. IMO, it's just calories you can save for later.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    joowelz wrote: »
    30 minute runs at an intense pace (level 8 heart beats

    30mins shouldn't need any special nurturing. Think of your glycogen a bit like the the fuel in your car's tank..... Full to the brim or half full makes no difference to how your car works.
    (It only gets to be a problem when you run out!)

    The exceptions would be if carbs before running made you feel more energized and you performed better then that's worth shifting your allowance around.
    Ditto if recovering with carbs simply makes you feel better / feel less hungry.

    Wanting to time your carbs without actually needing to is a valid choice.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    It’s all very individual. If I am only doing cardio, I won’t go out of my way to eat before hand unless I am already hungry. I find that for about an hr or so after an intense cardio workout, I’m not that hungry.

    If I am lifting weights, I need to eat before the gym or I don’t have enough energy to push myself to my (sad) max weights. So, I try to time weight lifting for post dinner. I will also have a protein shake after a weight workout.

    If you don’t feel the need to eat those carbs after your run, don’t. I like to save carbs for dessert as long as I can work dessert into my calories for the day. Personally, I need to eat the foods I enjoy to continue eating in a deficit. If I deprive myself of them, I will just binge and derail my entire plan.

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