Food before exercise?

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harriyot
harriyot Posts: 58 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've recently started going to a spinning class (okay, I've done one and I'm carrying on from here). The first one damn near killed me but I'm determined.

Should I eat before the class? And how much before? And what sort thing? I'm new to exercise (beyond walking and swimming) and don't want to make myself ill by damaging myself.

Thank you in advance!

Replies

  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Pre/Post workout meal benefits are largely a myth. You should eat when it makes you comortable. If you find that eating before a workout session makes you feel ill, then don't do it. Some people love going at it on an empty stomach while others are the opposite.

    Personally, I have to eat just a little something within a couple hours of working out. If I don't, I find that I become super lethargic.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    it's going to take some experimentation to figure out what works for you. there is no clear cut answer.

    is this a morning or evening spin class?

    personally, i have a banana or an apple about 30 minutes before a work out. if it's a morning work out, i will also have a cup of coffee.
  • redfisher1974
    redfisher1974 Posts: 614 Member
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    Try it both ways and see what works for you.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited November 2014
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    I have either had breakfast or if its later then a banana and some water to make sure i have some carbs to give me emough to get through and am hydrated. What apollo and fisher said about just trying with and without to see which suits. If you are going to eat something then it needs time to get into your system.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Entirely up to you...
  • harriyot
    harriyot Posts: 58 Member
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    Thank you, everyone. I will try the next session on a banana and see how I go.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Yes, figure out what works for you. If you haven't had breakfast, then a light, easily digestible snack could help. I can get up in the morning and cycle hard for over an hour without eating, but my wife needs to get her blood sugar up. Everyone varies.

    If you're going to exercise for more than 2 hours at moderate to intense level (such as running a marathon or a long bike ride), then you'll need to pay more attention to your nutrition before and during the event. The average amateur athlete stores enough glycogen for that much effort (of course, with lots of individual variation), and since your brain needs glucose to function, once the muscles and liver run out, you get woozy ("hitting the wall" for marathoners, "bonking" for cyclists). Eating 200-300 calories worth of carbs per hour can hold this off indefinitely. I find that personally I need to eat like that if I'm going for a bike ride of 40 miles or more, and I bonked on an 80-mile ride last summer when I didn't pay attention to my eating. (Fortunately, a quick stop at a convenience store for a Three Musketeers bar and a bottle of Gatorade took care of the problem.)
  • ahoier
    ahoier Posts: 312 Member
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    I wouldn't eat a HUGE meal before...but I have been known to eat an apple/banana before my p.m. workout, after work.....no harm done. Full of potassium so it helps stop cramps, etc. ;)
  • Docbanana2002
    Docbanana2002 Posts: 357 Member
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    I always eat before a workout, but not a huge meal that would leave me with a full feeling. Like 200-300ish calories from a cliff bar, piece of fruit, trail mix, things like that. I think I have more stamina that way and it keeps me from being hungry during my workout. But I know people who would feel nauseated if they did that.
  • bmiller211
    bmiller211 Posts: 222 Member
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    can't eat before a run but a little something before bike or elliptical is great
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    Stop eating 3-3.5 hr before otherwise I feel as thoughi have a sodden ball of cotton wool on my stomach. I do eat a banana and cottage cheese within my pre workout window. Never touch nuts, they sit in me for hours. Nuts work well as an after snack.
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    I agree with those saying you should try it to find out, it's the only way.

    I find that eating a good meal 2 hours before exercising gives me the most energy and I have the best performance but my schedule doesn't allow for that so I usually just have something small 1 hour before I go. If I eat too much I get bloated and constantly burp, it just feels uncomfortable. So less than two hours before I go it has to be only a banana or pb on toast but if it is two hours or more I can have steak and potatoes... but it's all about personal choice and how your body responds.

    Good job on sticking with spinning class, tried it and hated it but I hate cardio in general. Try to find out more about strength training, it pays off in ways cardio never will.

    Good luck
  • CamilleNoemi
    CamilleNoemi Posts: 28 Member
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    I normally work out in the evening/at night. I eat my (light) dinner about 2.5 hours before that.
    I don't like to work out when I'm starving, I can't performe that way. But when I eat too much beforehand, I will get reflux and that's just not nice.
  • fobs13
    fobs13 Posts: 1,080 Member
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    Like to eat an hour or two before working out unless in the morning where I would have a piece of fruit and some water then workout maybe half hour later. Hated running on a full stomach
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,197 MFP Moderator
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    For me, if I'm doing cardio, I'll have a cup of coffee before a run (can be just prior, and I'll be fine). If I"m doing strength training, I get physically sick if I don't have some protein before. So when strength training, I usually scramble some eggs and eat them about 30 minutes before heading to the gym. But I figured out what worked for my by trial and error. Good luck, honey.
  • fitmama0914
    fitmama0914 Posts: 83
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    I've been working out an hour or so after dinner. Today, I made the mistake of working out right before dinner, and I hadn't had much lunch. About 20 minutes later my sugar crashed and I think I made my workout worthless when I ate dinner. But I have hypoglycemia, so maybe eating beforehand would be good in my situation. I definitely prefer it.
  • MamaP47
    MamaP47 Posts: 94 Member
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    This is entirely up to you. You need to find out what works for you.

    For me...I take a protein shake about an hour before I run and 1/2 an hour before I do regular weights. If it's a hard workout, I will do another protein shake for muscle recovery purposes. I can't workout on an empty stomach. I need that little pick of energy to help me through. And I only like solid foods after I workout...cuz I get major cramps and get sick and want to throw up otherwise.

    But everyone is different. :D

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