When to eat versus when to exercise

TWrecks1968

This might have been asked before, but does it matter when you eat versus when you exercise, or is it just calories in and calories out. Case in point, went on a 15 mile bike ride yesterday, which put me in a 700 calorie deficit. Had a Sunday splurge which made up for it. I still fell under the daily calorie requirement, but I am worried about storing fat. Anyone have any opinion about this?

bcattoes

It's calories in vs. calories out. The perfect time to eat and the perfect time to exercise are those that fit easily enough in your schedule so that you'll stick with it.

TWrecks1968

That is what I thought, and I know sore muscles means burning calories as they repair themselves. Thanks for the response bcattoes.

ahni77

I've read that the best time to workout is in the mornings before a full breakfast. That way you burn more fat. However, you still want to eat something light in the AMs to get your metabolism going. If you don't workout in the AM, working out 2 to 3 hours after a meal is also a good time. In the end, as long as you keep a balanced diet and a healthy workout schedule, that's all that matters.

KeyMasterOfGozer

As I understand it, for a certain time window after exercise, your muscles will put out a hormone that encourages nutrients to be absorbed into the muscles. From what I've read, the closer to your exercise that you can eat, the better you can take advantage of that, up to about 2 hours after you exercise. Keep in mind that digestion also takes some time, so that could come into play as well.

My guess is that this won't really effect your weight loss a lot, but it may help with recovery from exercise, and may help to build muscle faster.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

It is absolutely important to time what you eat with when you workout! Food is not just labeled with a number. Would you go for a 5 mile run after eating a breakfast filled with fat, grease, lard, and cheese? I would hope not. Timing is important - you want to be sure you eat 20-30 minutes before a workout with a small protien filled snack before a strength workout, and healthy carbs before a cardio workout. But what you eat is more important. The quality of food is essential for muscle repair, cardiovascular capacity, & endurance. For instance, dairy products tend to slow you down & make you sluggish. But an apple or banana before a run is perfect - the apple is filled with good for you carbs (yes, fruits and veggies are filled with carbs, not just pasta), and the banana is loaded with potassium which helps prevent cramps. Think about it this way: if your car takes premium, and you feul it with deisel, you're hurting your engine. Not helping it.

I usually go with a banana and a handful of almonds before my workouts. When I go to the gym, I combine 30-45 minutes of cardio followed by 25-40 minutes of strength training & core work. The apple gives me the carbs I need to power through my cardio & the almonds supply protien to repair my muscles during the recovery stage of my strength training.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

It is absolutely important to time what you eat with when you workout! Food is not just labeled with a number. Would you go for a 5 mile run after eating a breakfast filled with fat, grease, lard, and cheese? I would hope not. Timing is important - you want to be sure you eat 20-30 minutes before a workout with a small protien filled snack before a strength workout, and healthy carbs before a cardio workout. But what you eat is more important. The quality of food is essential for muscle repair, cardiovascular capacity, & endurance. For instance, dairy products tend to slow you down & make you sluggish. But an apple or banana before a run is perfect - the apple is filled with good for you carbs (yes, fruits and veggies are filled with carbs, not just pasta), and the banana is loaded with potassium which helps prevent cramps. Think about it this way: if your car takes premium, and you feul it with deisel, you're hurting your engine. Not helping it.

I usually go with a banana and a handful of almonds before my workouts. When I go to the gym, I combine 30-45 minutes of cardio followed by 25-40 minutes of strength training & core work. The apple gives me the carbs I need to power through my cardio & the almonds supply protien to repair my muscles during the recovery stage of my strength training.

bcattoes

It is absolutely important to time what you eat with when you workout! Food is not just labeled with a number. Would you go for a 5 mile run after eating a breakfast filled with fat, grease, lard, and cheese? I would hope not. Timing is important - you want to be sure you eat 20-30 minutes before a workout with a small protien filled snack before a strength workout, and healthy carbs before a cardio workout.

I don't believe that is true. At least I know it never has been for me. No matter when I eat or when I workout, I get the same results.

mideon_696

if weight loss is your goal, then timing is not so important as cal's in vs cal's out.

Bit different if trying to put on muscle etc.

Me:
1400 - eat about 40% of my cals.
1700 - drink my shake.
1800 - train like my life depends on it.
2000 - 2200 - eat all my remaining cal's.

I'll do this regardless of goals. works either way.

TWrecks1968

Thanks for the great information everyone. For me, I defintely need to think about the quality of my calories as well as the number. Thankfully MFP makes it easy to do both.

My goals are specifically to lose weight. I run for my cardio, interspersed with the elliptical or biking at times to mix it up. On alternate days I power lift to gain muscle also to burn more calories when I am not exercising.

I eat pretty well, calorie wise and quality wise. On Sundays, I let myself go a bit. This Sunday I let myself go A LOT, and although I was ok calorie wise, I could have made better choices.