Eat before/after workout?

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TracyShing
TracyShing Posts: 48 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What's your take? I usually do a protein meal/smoothie right after but I wonder if I'd get more out of my workout if I ate before. Would carbs be helpful? I'm pretty low carb but I don't rule them out.
Also, looking for health/fitness minded friends to learn from. Friend me if you'd like. My app is filled with glitches and won't let me add people.

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  • STurbs33
    STurbs33 Posts: 134 Member
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    What is your workout?

    I think it's a personal decision based on your comfort level. I used to eat a huge dinner about an hour before going to Zumba. This made me feel bloated and lethargic during my workout. Since I've started eating lighter dinners on Zumba days, I've found myself to have way more energy during the class.

    With weights, I don't really notice much of a difference in my performance whether I eat before or after, but I prefer eating after. If I happen to eat before though, it's no big deal.

    Listen to your body.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
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    I usually eat a light Protien snack before working out. Especially if 2 hours have passed since my last meal. My body works better when I give it the fuel it needs to power me through a weightlifting or Insanity Max 30 workout.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    carbs before protein after. Actually protein any time.

    Whether you need anything depends on you and also when you last ate plus what you are doing. If its an hour or less then you might not need anything. Experiement and see whether it gives you a good enough boost. Just google the subject there are a zillion articles on the subject along with suggestions.
  • irleshay
    irleshay Posts: 102 Member
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    I've done both, but lately I'm focused on eating before and find it fuels me better for strength and endurance. I aim for 90 minutes before my workout, so I have time to digest.
  • dinglehopper14
    dinglehopper14 Posts: 48 Member
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    TracyShing wrote: »
    What's your take? I usually do a protein meal/smoothie right after but I wonder if I'd get more out of my workout if I ate before. Would carbs be helpful? I'm pretty low carb but I don't rule them out.
    Also, looking for health/fitness minded friends to learn from. Friend me if you'd like. My app is filled with glitches and won't let me add people.

    Small amounts of carbs and caffeine before your workout and protein after!
  • snarlingcoyote
    snarlingcoyote Posts: 399 Member
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    I will have one or two bites before and then eat after.
  • Davies_EL
    Davies_EL Posts: 15 Member
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    Depends on when your workout is too? I can go straight into exercise after work and wait for a while for dinner, but there is no way on this planet I could manage a parkrun on Sat morning without having something small to eat first.

  • nineateseven
    nineateseven Posts: 65 Member
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    Not to sound like a broken record, but it depends on your workout :) As a runner, it's carbs before, carbs after. Fueling before a run should be relatively simple carbs (like oatmeal or toast) with a little protein (like nut butter). I know complex carbs are better, but you don't want to give your body something challenging to digest if you're going to divert a lot of energy to a workout. Recovery after a run should have about a 4:1 carb to protein ratio. Bananas and a little nut butter are great because bananas are high carb and have a lot of electrolytes. Fueling the night before a long run or hard workout is more protein-heavy, so are the meals that follow later in the day after a hard workout. But even that depends on the person. For some people, adding more protein to their pre-workout meal helps settle their stomach.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    It depends on you and what you're doing. If you're doing some vigorous training, your performance is going to benefit from some pre-workout food and your recovery is going to be aided by post workout nutrition.

    But again, this depends on what you're doing...I would think if you're just hitting up the elliptical or something for an hour or so, you're probably fine just sticking to your regular eating patterns...conversely, if you're hitting the road for a 1/2 century you're likely going to benefit from nutrition before, during, and after.

    I usually have an apple about 30 minutes before a lifting session and my protein afterwards...I only bother with meal timing for my rides if I'm doing 25 miles or more....the longer and harder I plan to go, the more important it is.
  • gamesandgains
    gamesandgains Posts: 640 Member
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    This answer will vary from person to person. Depends on your schedule, workout times etc.. There's no wrong answer. It comes down to preference and what works for you.
  • Heather1983v
    Heather1983v Posts: 16 Member
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    Before my workout I will eat a Energy Bar. Nutrilte Chocolate Nut Roll. After i'll have a Smoothy with Nutrilite Chocolate (Or vanilla) Protein Powder. So good!.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    TracyShing wrote: »
    What's your take?
    I generally eat before and after working out. Not always immediately prior or post, but I do.
  • benpoepen
    benpoepen Posts: 20 Member
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    200 calories gives me enough juice to power 90 minutes of good quality workout. If I want to do 120 minutes, I need to feed myself some protein drink after 60 minutes to maintain quality.

    (I usually do one hour of group session, followed by 30-40 minutes weight lifting ending with 20 minutes cardio)

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