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    Workout fuel-- what do you do?

    Posts: 1,057 Member
    edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
    What do you typically eat and at what interval before a workout do you do it?

    I've done some research online and apparently the timing can be different for different people, but I'm curious about how you do it, as I'm still trying to figure it out.

    Is it better to go home after work, have a small snack (protein bar, oatmeal, yogurt, etc.) and then go to the gym or to eat a full meal for supper, wait an hour or so and then go?

    Opinions??

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    • Posts: 217 Member
      edited March 2016
      a banana + protein shake about 30 minutes before entering the gym. seems to do it for me.
      if it's a particularly intense workout requiring lots of focus, I also have a cup of black coffee on the drive to the gym.

      it is 100% personal preference. i hate having a meal in my stomach while working out so I just have a light and easily digested snack.

      scientifically, carbs and protein are your best bet for pre-workout food, with no fat. but that is secondary in importance to whatever makes you feel the best and perform the best.
    • Posts: 8,171 Member
      I need to wait about 2 hours after eating anything before I can work out.
    • Posts: 131 Member
      I workout first thing in the morning, so there is no time for me to eat before I go. So, fasted exercise it is!
    • Posts: 203 Member
      I don't go out to a gym. I have 2 kids 1 year and 2years old and work full time and then some. I do 20 min work outs of whatever whenever and wherever I can. I have an eating schedule I stick to bc thats what my body is used to. After a full meal, I dont usually work out. But I never thought about it before. How long do you go work out at the gym for?
    • Posts: 512 Member
      I get up really early and workout before my brain can realize I'm hungry. ;):smiley:
    • Posts: 152 Member
      I find that I do better with my workouts on a full stomach. I usually hit the gym about an hour after I eat dinner.
    • Posts: 3,646 Member
      edited March 2016
      I work out first thing in thew morning. I usually have a toaster waffle with peanut butter, because it's fast and I can eat it in the car on the way to the gym. When I do legs I need more fuel than that, so usually protein oatmeal with cinnamon on leg day.
    • Posts: 1,122 Member
      Meal timing is irrelevant.

      However, I try not to eat anything at least 3-4 hours before going to the gym. I get such an upset stomach if there is much of anything in it.
    • Posts: 575 Member
      edited March 2016
      1/2 raw beet, peeled seeded lemon, piece of ginger topped with orange juice in the blender. The nitrates in the raw beets turns to nitric oxide when mixed with good bacteria in the saliva. I used to put a scoop of protein powder but from what I understand protein blocks the ability to to change to nitric oxide and leaves it as nitrates. The nitric oxide increases blood flow increasing oxygen to muscles. I try to do this 3 times a week and try to make sure it lands on leg day. The other days protein powder mixed with whatever I am in the mood for or a protein bar. I usually eat or drink between 1/2 to an hour before my workout.
    • Posts: 1,057 Member
      superfox12082 wrote: »
      I get up really early and workout before my brain can realize I'm hungry. ;):smiley:

      ha, I actually try to do this on the weekends when my husband is home! But I do find that I don't have as much stamina-- I get so tired so quickly. During the week, I only have the option to go after work (my husband is gone and I have a two year old!)
    • Posts: 1,057 Member
      peachyfuzzle wrote: »
      Meal timing is irrelevant.

      However, I try not to eat anything at least 3-4 hours before going to the gym. I get such an upset stomach if there is much of anything in it.

      Well, I didn't mean that meal timing was necessarily important to actual gym results (fat loss, etc.), but I don't feel good on a full stomach, but do not want to run out of energy going on an empty stomach. Just curious what others do!
    • Posts: 1,057 Member
      alasin1derland wrote: »
      1/2 raw beet, peeled seeded lemon, piece of ginger topped with orange juice in the blender. The nitrates in the raw beets turns to nitric oxide when mixed with good bacteria in the saliva. I used to put a scoop of protein powder but from what I understand protein blocks the ability to to change to nitric oxide and leaves it as nitrates. The nitric oxide increases blood flow increasing oxygen to muscles. I try to do this 3 times a week and try to make sure it lands on leg day. The other days protein powder mixed with whatever I am in the mood for or a protein bar. I usually eat or drink between 1/2 to an hour before my workout.

      Had never heard of this before- I'm going to do some research on nitric oxide. Thanks!
    • Posts: 1,057 Member
      bhurley100 wrote: »
      I don't go out to a gym. I have 2 kids 1 year and 2years old and work full time and then some. I do 20 min work outs of whatever whenever and wherever I can. I have an eating schedule I stick to bc thats what my body is used to. After a full meal, I dont usually work out. But I never thought about it before. How long do you go work out at the gym for?

      I also work full time, have a two year old and a traveling husband. I have a very strict schedule during the wee- up by 6 am, out the door by 7, at work by 8, home by 515, toddler bedtime at 730. On those nights I walk on my treadmill at home after he goes to bed. One day a week my mom watches my son and I go to the gym after work and on the weekends my husband is home so I go to the gym whenever.

      Some days I've rushed to eat a full dinner and then head straight to the gym and then feel quite sick. So I'm wondering what sort of eating schedule most people have around their workouts.
    • Posts: 1,057 Member
      edited March 2016

      I work out for around an hour.
    • Posts: 119 Member
      Personally, no matter when I workout I like to take in 300-350 cals an hour before working out. 20 grams of protein in some form, the rest mostly complex carbs with some kind of kick (like oatmeal and a banana cut up). Recently I have been adding a bit of fat - so an alternative would be a light english muffin with peanut butter and some fruit preserves.

      I hydrate a lot (water and sometimes coconut water).

      After the workout is another 300 cals or so in protein / carb drink.

      R
    • Posts: 41,865 Member
      edited March 2016
      For the most part, my daily exercise is sufficiently fueled by my normal diet. I usually have my late afternoon snack in the car on the way to they gym from the office...usually an apple on my 45 minute commute to the gym...and I take my whey supplement afterwards which holds me for a couple hours until dinner.

      The only time I really worry about pre/post nutrition and the timing, etc is if I'm actually going out for a long endurance ride...like I'm doing a 1/2 century or a full century or something...or generally if I'm out on the bike for two hours or more I make sure I have nutrition with me and have some kind of recovery afterwards...but general run of the mill daily workout stuff, I'm fine.
    • Posts: 51 Member
      Half a cup of blueberries in my porridge oats with banana whey isolate in milk on top......cup of real strong coffee, wait half an hour so I don't throw up in my throat on the first lift and I'm good to go!
    • Posts: 1,189 Member
      I normally eat lunch at 1200. I don't eat anything before I work out. I picked up some Amino Fuel from ON nutrition. I put two scoops in my water, and it helps me get through my workouts. It has 100mg of caffeine. Just enough to get me through.
    • Posts: 1,945 Member
      When you say workout, what do you mean? There's different heart rate zones.
      Are you on a fat loss programme or are you muscle building?
      What are your goals.

      It's not different for different people. We are all human machines, but there are different types of workouts, and also, time of day and intensity and duration is a big factor.

      I suggest reading 'Racing Weight' by Matt Fitzgerald if you want to see what Olympians diets are like.
      Also, Chrissie Wellingtons autobiography spills a lot of secrets. (She was the world ironman female champion year after year).
    • Posts: 727 Member
      alasin1derland wrote: »
      1/2 raw beet, peeled seeded lemon, piece of ginger topped with orange juice in the blender. The nitrates in the raw beets turns to nitric oxide when mixed with good bacteria in the saliva. I used to put a scoop of protein powder but from what I understand protein blocks the ability to to change to nitric oxide and leaves it as nitrates. The nitric oxide increases blood flow increasing oxygen to muscles. I try to do this 3 times a week and try to make sure it lands on leg day. The other days protein powder mixed with whatever I am in the mood for or a protein bar. I usually eat or drink between 1/2 to an hour before my workout.

      So does the lemon, ginger, and orange juice keep the beet from tasting like a big mouthful of dirt? :p
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      Before lifting I take a pre-workout supplement about 30 minutes before, I'll eat anywhere from an hour before up until I lift. Sometimes I eat while I lift lol. I do really like carbs before heavy training, pancakes in particular, but I can't always get that so I settle for a protein bar.

      It really doesn't matter so much. Eat what you like, when you like as far as meal timing before a workout goes.
    • Posts: 11,118 Member
      rbfdac wrote: »
      ...have a small snack (protein bar, oatmeal, yogurt, etc.) and then go to the gym...
      Opinions??

      ^ This works best for me. I can't do anything for hours after a big meal and I can't do much on an empty stomach either.
    • Posts: 11,118 Member
      ilex70 wrote: »

      So does the lemon, ginger, and orange juice keep the beet from tasting like a big mouthful of dirt? :p

      Beets don't taste like dirt unless you pull them out of the ground and eat them without rinsing them off first. I like raw beets peeled and shredded with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste. Let them marinate for a bit or eat right away. Great for the digestion. At least in my experience anyway. Yum!
    • Posts: 176 Member
      workout in the morning for strength - I eat a banana before and then immediately after a protein shake. Workout-running---nothing before and sometimes nothing after until breakfast.
    • Posts: 575 Member
      edited March 2016
      ilex70 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      So does the lemon, ginger, and orange juice keep the beet from tasting like a big mouthful of dirt? :p

      Yes. Apple in the mix is nice too. I always referred to that dirt taste as earthy, lol, but yes completly gone. Also, vitamin C completely blocks the possible conversion to nitrosamines. I am including this link as a quick google search of nitric oxide (even though the link is geared to men) it still overviews the advantages.
      http://www.anabolicmen.com/boost-nitric-oxide-naturally/
    • Posts: 2,831 Member
      I eat two meals a day. Seems to fuel me just fine. When I'm really hungry I might eat three meals.
    • Posts: 742 Member
      rbfdac wrote: »
      What do you typically eat and at what interval before a workout do you do it?

      I've done some research online and apparently the timing can be different for different people, but I'm curious about how you do it, as I'm still trying to figure it out.

      Is it better to go home after work, have a small snack (protein bar, oatmeal, yogurt, etc.) and then go to the gym or to eat a full meal for supper, wait an hour or so and then go?

      Opinions??

      I like a wee-hour lifting workout at 4AM, and prefer to go fasted. If I'm hungry, I take whey protein before going. My lifting session is only 1 hour at this point. If my work outs get more intense, I'm sure I'll need to eat some carbs with that protein.
    • Posts: 8 Member
      I take a pre workout shake. Such as NO Xplode, C4, or Mr. HYDE. Not too much. Just enough to make my eyes itch.
    • Posts: 384 Member
      superfox12082 wrote: »
      I get up really early and workout before my brain can realize I'm hungry. ;):smiley:

      LOL !!!
    • Posts: 10 Member
      Early morning spin classes are usually a small amount of cheerios and milk or a banana.
      I eat dinner about 1.5-2 hours before going to the gym at night and on weekends about 2 hours before heading to the gym (egg whites or eggs, toast or sweet potatoes and coffee).
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