Better to eat BEFORE or AFTER exercising?

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lulupizza
lulupizza Posts: 20 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so i'm going to start exercising again tomorrow but i'm still confused if it's better to eat something first wait a while then exercise or exercise first then eat something. I tried eating breakfast first then exercise but i felt nauseous a little after then again i also tried exercising first then eating but not even halfway through of exercising, i'm completely tired, out of energy and STARVING!

I need to know which way is more successful, eat before or eat after? Thanks and much obliged :)
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Replies

  • juliesauber
    juliesauber Posts: 22 Member
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    Hi! I'm in the process of getting fit again after having boy twins and a little girl, but I was in great shape pre-babies...what worked for me and what numerous trainers have told me to do is to have a small snack like a banana and a small handful of almonds with water pre-workout and then another small snack that is similar afterwards -- like maybe a granola bar and a yogurt. And definitely drink water before, during (if possible) and after. The water will help with feeling nauseous and exhausted. The food will give you fuel. Hope this helps. :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Doesn't matter. It's strictly personal preference, unless you're an elite level athlete.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    In all honesty, it's a bit of trial and error. I can go without eating beforehand, but if I haven't had some kind of solid food within a half hour after lifting I feel awful!
  • Mykaelous
    Mykaelous Posts: 231 Member
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    I do both. I spread my meals throughout the day approximately 4-5 hours apart from each other. I also take a pre-workout drink(mostly caffeine, creatine, and vitamin combo) at least 30 minutes before my workout, but also at least 30 minutes after my last meal. So I normally have a regular meal 1-2 hours before I workout, and a post workout protien shake as soon as i can after I complete my routine.
  • Mykaelous
    Mykaelous Posts: 231 Member
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    Doesn't matter. It's strictly personal preference, unless you're an elite level athlete.

    This is pretty true.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    I don't know which is right either? I just follow a 30 minute before or after eating rule to work out. I have exercised right after eating and vomited, which just made me feel miserable and gross. I've also exercised on an empty stomach and fainted, it was kinda embarrassing because it was at my Zumba class. A fellow Zumbaer found me some pretzels and water and sat with me until she felt I was able to drive home. Not fun at all!

    Good luck
  • Kazzam33
    Kazzam33 Posts: 210
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    I eat after. I find if I eat before I can get nauseous or get the stitch as well but I think its just a preference thing. :smile:
  • svpadgham
    svpadgham Posts: 2
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    I read to eat a small amount of high protein high energy food (like a serving of nuts) about 30 minutes before exercising and eating your meal within 30-45 minutes after finishing. I've seen several article which follow this general guideline, and it works for me. However, it might depend on your particular routine. Personally, for my before snack I like to roll up a slice of roast beef, turkey, or chicken into a small whole grain tortilla, or just prepare my regular meal and pick at the scraps.
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
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    Try going in between then. Eat a little bit before working out, like a banana; something small with good carbs and low fat/protein. If you're feeling feint while working out, again, snack on something small (ie. dried fruits) or you can also drink liquids with some type of sugar in it. I used to blend dates in water, then strain it and drink that while I went for a long run. Overtime, when I got used to exercising, I found that I no longer needed to eat as much or drink as much water too. And of course, after a workout, definitely eat some good amount of carbs to re-fuel and protein to rebuild lost muscle.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Doesn't matter. It's strictly personal preference, unless you're an elite level athlete.

    This is basically true. Some people need a bit of easily digested food in the morning before exercise, in order to get their blood glucose levels up a bit before exercising. My wife would be one of them. Others, like me, can go for a 35-mile bike ride on an empty stomach. (I've learned through trial and error that 40+ requires some food before or during the ride.)

    Listen to your body and learn. If you can do a decent workout without eating, there's nothing wrong with that. If you find that you feel sluggish, confused, or simply unable to go on (symptoms of what cyclists call a "bonk"), you should eat before the workout.

    In any case, there's no reason to eat during a workout unless you're burning well over 1000 calories, or your workout is more than 2 hours long. And in those cases, you're probably a serious enough athlete that you have studied sports nutrition and worked out your own plan.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I try to eat before I swim because I need the energy. I usually eat afterwards, too, though. Not right away, but a little later, it usually hits me. :)

    You should do whatever you want. I don't see how it could make much difference. If you're hungry, eat. If you're not, eat later. :)
  • lulupizza
    lulupizza Posts: 20 Member
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    thanks :D
  • BruceHedtke
    BruceHedtke Posts: 358 Member
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    I usually eat after. I like to think of the process of exercising as starting a fire in me and once the fire is going, the fuel (food) I throw on top of it is going to burn faster. So, eating after exercising will make the food burn faster whereas eating before makes me think of trying to light wet logs...it just doesn't burn as hot or as well. Probably not true, but that is how I like to visualize it. It also makes the food I eat feel kind of like a reward and I like rewards!
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
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    You can have a snack a couple of hours before exercising, but you really don't want to eat a meal before you exercise. The blood in your stomach is busy trying to digest the food, and if you're doing cardio that blood leaves the stomach to take care of heart and lungs resulting in some pretty painful side aches. I always eat after exercise.
  • JoeCampbell85
    JoeCampbell85 Posts: 140
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    I found that I actually enjoy eating before and after. I eat my normal breakfast. Wait 30-60 minutes for it to digest and then work out. Bout 30 minutes after the workout I drink a shake (only a shake because I'm too tired to make real food). The shake is the same amount of calories as any other meal (~500). I don't feel completely exhausted and burnt out during or after workouts.
  • jhmomofmany
    jhmomofmany Posts: 571 Member
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    Most of the time I do not eat before exercise. Exception is that I have a banana before my long Sunday runs if I expect to take longer than 60 to 90 minutes or so.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Ok so i'm going to start exercising again tomorrow but i'm still confused if it's better to eat something first wait a while then exercise or exercise first then eat something. I tried eating breakfast first then exercise but i felt nauseous a little after then again i also tried exercising first then eating but not even halfway through of exercising, i'm completely tired, out of energy and STARVING!

    I need to know which way is more successful, eat before or eat after? Thanks and much obliged :)

    Either need to lighten the load on the exercising so it doesn't have problems on an empty or breakfast filled stomach - or figure out what you can eat prior that will sit well.
    Perhaps not a full breakfast, just few carbs to get your blood sugar back up - that's what makes you feel tired, low blood sugar from overnight fasting.
    If the workout went straight up to all out, would have wiped out remaining chunk of liver glucose stores.

    My only fasted workouts are usually recovery level anyway, so slow, so I can accomplish no issue.
    But for races that are in the morning - I better get some food in, normal 400 cal about. I do a couple Zone or Balance bars 30-45 min prior, digest easily enough with water, no bad after effects for me.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Ok so i'm going to start exercising again tomorrow but i'm still confused if it's better to eat something first wait a while then exercise or exercise first then eat something. I tried eating breakfast first then exercise but i felt nauseous a little after then again i also tried exercising first then eating but not even halfway through of exercising, i'm completely tired, out of energy and STARVING!

    I need to know which way is more successful, eat before or eat after? Thanks and much obliged :)
    I think eating before/after is individual preference.

    For me, it's best to eat a bite before working out and then have my big oatmeal fruit breakfast afterward. My bit before is about a half serving of cottage cheese, yogurt, boiled egg, maybe 10 grams of nuts, it just depends. The reason I do this is because I was getting nauseated when I didn't eat before my workout.

    Find what works for you.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    It is completely personal preference!

    I eat about 1 hour before I workout...or I end up with no energy, tired quicker and dizzy. I also may or may not eat afterwards...depends if I am hungry or not!

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