consume calories before or after exercise??

theglencoegirl

have started adding some longer runs into my weekly exercise schedule--buring 500-600 calories--i tend to eat back most of my exercise calories. whats your thoughts-should i consume my exercise calories (especially on my long run days) before i go on my run to use as energy??
thanks
happy trails!!

marikevr

It is always a difficult question. Let your body tell you when you are hungry. I find that long runs make me ravenous afterwards, but I do not necessarily eat all the calories upfront. That said, you do need a proper pre-run meal. My standard pre-long run breakfast is two slices of low GI bread with peanut butter and a little bit of syrup. The syrup gives me the energy I need to start and the low GI bread, fat and protein carries me through the rest of the run.

I run with a low GI energy drink as I find the gels cause my blood sugar to crash. On a really long run (15 miles or longer) I will add a couple spoons of protein shake to the low GI drink. I need the protein as my stomach gets empty after about 2 hours and then I lose my sense of humour. The protein will stay in my stomach a little bit longer than the energy drink.

After a long run I have protein/carb combo as quickly as possible. Usually a chocolate milk and hubby knows to have the boiled eggs ready when I get home. To sooner I eat protein, the less intense the hunger is afterwards.

Even though running burns a lot of cals, if you overeat you can gain weight. Let your body guide you and still make healthy choices.

BerryH

For weight loss it makes no difference when during the day you eat - you could even average out your burn and intake over the week if it suits you better. But if you find you run out of energy during your run, you need to pre-fuel.

It also depends on the time of day you run. I used to save my long runs for weekends so I could have porridge an hour before I left and then breakfast two (like a Hobbit!) when I got home, and still have some left for a big dinner later. If you need to make an early start, have a good dinner the night before and then just a slug of water or your usual tea/coffee and go, then eat soon after you return.

On the run, just water will do until you get to running for more than an hour, then you may want to consider replacing water with an energy drink or take gels with you.

Every runner is different and It takes a bit of experimentation to find what suits you :flowerforyou:

AdrianCapris

I read an article that said it was better to have breakfast after working out... http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/breakfast-before-or-after-a-workout

theglencoegirl

thanks everyone!!! will for sure look into some good pre-run snacks and try the protien when i get home!!
happy trails everyone