Exercise Calories-when to eat them?

slainger

I've been curious about when you should eat your exercise calories. So far I've been eating them whenever throughout the day, but lately I've been wondering if I really should be eating them before I exercise. For example, if I know I'm going to burn 300 calories in the evening, should I eat them in advance so I have the energy from those calories stored and ready to be burned? It seems that makes more sense than to eat them after I've exercised...the calories consumed won't be burned. What has made think about it is that when I was preparing for my half marathon, I've been told and read about "carbing up" 1-2 days before the race. Makes sense. So if I go for a long run and burn 900 calories in the a.m., and then eat those calories in addition to my daily allotment after the run, I'm not going to burn them all in the rest of the day. Does this make sense? Or am I complicating it more than I should?

ElizabethRoad

Or am I complicating it more than I should?

Yeah. Don't forget, just because your food journal is based on a 24-hour period, doesn't mean your body is.

dad106

Yes, you are over complicating things.

Eat them when you want.. it doesn't make a difference. Besides, what says your only burning calories when you exercise? If you move you burn calories, go to bathroom-calories burned, chew food-calories burned...

If you are having a hard time eating them and want to spread them out through out the day, then yes pre-plan.. but otherwise, just let your body do what it wants.

starracer23

You do need to intake some kind of protein with-in an hour after you work out...to feed your muscles.

anubis609

Or am I complicating it more than I should?

Yeah. Don't forget, just because your food journal is based on a 24-hour period, doesn't mean your body is.

Lolwut? The body stops functioning for certain hours of the day?

IDontLikeRegistering

I've only recently started my fitness programme, but it makes sense to me to eat some of my daily calories before exercise, give myself time to digest properly, then do the exercise, then refuel afterwards with the exercise calories I have earned.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Should_you_eat_before_or_after_you_exercise

slainger

Thanks for the comments. I do eat throughout the day very regularly, just was wondering if I should front load the calories.

IDontLikeRegistering

I found these articles which might help:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1074
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1082