Before and after workout food

abeland2020
abeland2020 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I was wondering what are the best foods to eat before and after workouts. I know that it's not a good idea to eat a lot before a workout and I've also heard that a banana 30 minutes before your workout is great (along with Greek yogurt or something). Are carbs good before workouts? Is the whole chocolate milk after workout thing true? Please leave me any suggestions on pre-workout and post-workout fuel. Thanks!

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    I would advise carbing up before a workout so you have energy.

    Whole chocolate milk thing? What?

    It doesn't particularly matter in my eyes. Just eat before, and eat after. Hit your macros and eat in a deficit... and you will lose weight.
  • abeland2020
    abeland2020 Posts: 8 Member
    The chocolate milk thing hmmm well I'll post a link
  • abeland2020
    abeland2020 Posts: 8 Member
    Okay it didn't work but it said 30 minutes after a workout your body needs carbs again. Chocolate milk also has protein so I can kind of see why this may be good. I'm just concerned about the amount of sugar...
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    abeland2020 wrote: »
    Okay it didn't work but it said 30 minutes after a workout your body needs carbs again. Chocolate milk also has protein so I can kind of see why this may be good. I'm just concerned about the amount of sugar...

    It really doesn't matter. You are over complicating things. Just carb up before a workout, after it eat whatever macros you need.
  • DennyB1964
    DennyB1964 Posts: 31 Member
    This came up a few years ago, so you can just Google it and find a number of articles.

    Drinking chocolate milk may help your workout - WebMD
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Chocolate milk is just about the perfect recovery food....a carb to protein ration of 4:1 and it's delicious.

    runnersconnect.net/running-nutrition-articles/is-chocolate-milk-really-a-good-recovery-drink-after-running/

    runnersworld.com/fuel-school/is-chocolate-milk-really-best-for-recovery

    As to eating before the workout it shouldn't really be necessary. If you're eating enough carbs as part of your regular diet your body should be able to store enough glycogen to fuel about 90 minutes of moderate exercise (the ability to store glycogen improves over time with consistent training and an adequate diet)
  • brocantrs
    brocantrs Posts: 273 Member
    Chocolate milk and half of a turkey sandwich work great for bringing up a low blood sugar. Used them on patients several times.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Just find what works for you, everyone responds differently. I personally can't have anything even vaguely substantial without waiting at least 1.5-2 hours before working out, this includes just one slice of toast with banana or similar. I also really don't feel like eating after I workout either. So now a protein shake with a banana for breakfast, wait an hour, then workout. I'll then have a bagel or just straight to lunch about an hour after I workout. I've tried all sorts of variations and this is what I feel best doing!

    When I was (a lot) younger and at dance school what I ate and when made absolutely no difference other than making sure I had a banana before morning ballet. So our bodies respond differently to different things at different times, do some experimenting.
  • fbinsc
    fbinsc Posts: 735 Member
    I like plain baked sweet potato before working out, but I don't usually have one.

    The ratio thing for post workout was based on research by a guy named Edmund Burke if I remember correctly. The idea is that right after a workout there is a period of time that your muscles are more responsive to insulin and therefore more likely to absorb sugar and amino acids for repair and glycogen storage. During this time calories are supposedly less likely to be stored as fat. The idea of the ratio was to spike insulin and maximize recovery. Fats were to be avoided during this time because they slowed digestion and blunted the response. The post workout meal was to be consumed right after working out b/c the window only lasts for a few minutes (20-40? Can't remember) and is followed by insulin insensitivity phase were fat is more likely to store the calories than muscle.


    I have no idea if it is true or effective. It was popular when I was developing beliefs so I act like it's true. I don't always act on it but if I'm going to eat something with high glycemic index I do like to do it right after exercise.

    In practice my recovery is always better when I just eat healthy and avoid foods that cause inflamation, because the limiting factor for me isn't the glycogen or amino acids in my muscles it if I feel like crap, am sore, or have aches in joints.
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