Carbs before... Protein after.... but how much?

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snookumss
snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've heard you should eat some carbs before you workout, and have some protein afterwards. Well, how much of each should one eat??? I have been eating a nature valley granola bar pre-workout, which keeps me from getting hungry in the middle of the workout (and I do have the energy I think)... but how much should I actually eat? Is there a percentage or grams per lb of mass? Some way to figure it out?

Right now I am not focusing much on strength training, so I know I SHOULD eat about 1gram of protein per lb, but how much of it should I eat after a workout? Does this change if I do different things as well???

Replies

  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    post workout carbs are also very important. try for a 2:1 carb to protein ratio after your workout.

    dont have any numbers tho sorry D:
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,761 Member
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    If you have a hard workout, you need to get carbs back in your body.

    A good thing is a 4:1 ratio of carbs/protein. Lowfat Chocolate Milk, while to the best out there is an awesome inexpensive thing to drink afterwards.
  • blanky889
    blanky889 Posts: 4
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    you need some carbs after workouts as they are essentially used as a crarier for your protein to get to your muscles. Chocolate milk is good for this, so is a gatorade, or even juice. Once you get this in your body you want to consume protein, all this should be done within 30 minutes ofr working out if possible
  • Darkness2120
    Darkness2120 Posts: 38
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    Ideally you should consume both protein and carbs before AND after training. As for the amount, I haven't found any evidence indicating a specific ratio or amount that is optimal so essentially eat whatever amount you want as long as it fits into your total daily calorie intake.

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