working out before or after i eat?

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allisonander11
allisonander11 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
should i get in my 20 minutes of cardio before or after i eat? which will be more effective for fat burning? should i wait like 20 minutes after i eat to do cardio? heeellp
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Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    Do whichever works best for you.
  • mfpanyko
    mfpanyko Posts: 21 Member
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    I need to eat before I run, but at least 20 minutes before. If I run on an empty stomach I just don't have the stamina. But that's me. I think you need to experiment to figure out what works best for you.
  • CTcutie
    CTcutie Posts: 649 Member
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    You should have plenty of energy for a 20 min cardio session on an empty stomach. I find being very hydrated is more important!
    Eating depends on your digestive tract & your exertion level. I know that if I am going to run, or do boot camp-like class, I cannot eat before (like a couple hours before). If I'm just going for a walk/more leisurely/not all out sweaty, I can eat maybe a banana or a PB&j & be fine.
  • tomwasilj3w
    tomwasilj3w Posts: 186 Member
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    First off you never want to exercise on an empty stomach. It's just not a good idea. You just won't have the energy you would've if you ate.

    At the same time you don't want to workout with a full stomach either. Since your body is working in digesting your food you won't be able to give it your all exercising either.

    Find a good in between. With practice you'll be able to tell if you need to eat before or not.

    But what IS important is that you eat a clean and healthy meal after your workout. No more than an hour after. Your body needs to get the energy to repair the muscles you just worked out and without food it'll start eatting at your muscles in order to get that energy. Therefore being counter productive to the workout you just did
  • syousaf571
    syousaf571 Posts: 46 Member
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    anytime is okay. it's all about burning calories, so any time-morning, afternoon, night- is fine. it's all about ur schedudual. Usually when its not school i get over my workout right in the morning, after a light breakfast for that little energy boost. im typically a morning person and i like to get things done. when i have school/work, i move my workout to the afternoon. i never workout at night, but only if time is forcing me too. at night, your body begins to prepare for sleeping. so reasons why i like the morning. and yea, to answer ur question again, it doesn't matter if you eat before or after a workout. just make sure you leave two-three hours after eating a meal. and if ur working out before, eat a light snack like a bar or smoothie and proceed with ur workout.
  • lioness803
    lioness803 Posts: 325 Member
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    tomwasilj3w wrote: »
    First off you never want to exercise on an empty stomach. It's just not a good idea. You just won't have the energy you would've if you ate.

    At the same time you don't want to workout with a full stomach either. Since your body is working in digesting your food you won't be able to give it your all exercising either.

    Find a good in between. With practice you'll be able to tell if you need to eat before or not.

    But what IS important is that you eat a clean and healthy meal after your workout. No more than an hour after. Your body needs to get the energy to repair the muscles you just worked out and without food it'll start eatting at your muscles in order to get that energy. Therefore being counter productive to the workout you just did

    I actually have much MORE stamina when I work out on an empty stomach. It's personal preference.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    It. Don't. Matter. None.
  • LexiKazoo95
    LexiKazoo95 Posts: 83 Member
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    I eat fruit before working out , it's not that heavy on the stomach
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
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    I tend to do that - which is why I eat at 8 p.m. :neutral:
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    tomwasilj3w wrote: »
    First off you never want to exercise on an empty stomach. It's just not a good idea. You just won't have the energy you would've if you ate.

    At the same time you don't want to workout with a full stomach either. Since your body is working in digesting your food you won't be able to give it your all exercising either.

    Find a good in between. With practice you'll be able to tell if you need to eat before or not.

    But what IS important is that you eat a clean and healthy meal after your workout. No more than an hour after. Your body needs to get the energy to repair the muscles you just worked out and without food it'll start eatting at your muscles in order to get that energy. Therefore being counter productive to the workout you just did

    I find chocolate milk shake one of the best things for after work out.

    And nothing wrong with fasted work out.
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
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    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    tomwasilj3w wrote: »
    First off you never want to exercise on an empty stomach. It's just not a good idea. You just won't have the energy you would've if you ate.

    At the same time you don't want to workout with a full stomach either. Since your body is working in digesting your food you won't be able to give it your all exercising either.

    Find a good in between. With practice you'll be able to tell if you need to eat before or not.

    But what IS important is that you eat a clean and healthy meal after your workout. No more than an hour after. Your body needs to get the energy to repair the muscles you just worked out and without food it'll start eatting at your muscles in order to get that energy. Therefore being counter productive to the workout you just did

    I find chocolate milk shake one of the best things for after work out.

    And nothing wrong with fasted work out.

    Omg, chocolate milk after a hard workout is the best. Thing. EVER. It's like the perfect combo of carbs, protein and fat that just makes me feel AWESOME. I think a true milkshake would be too many calories for be but maybe I'll try freezing my chocolate milk a bit to make it slushy and icy.

    I also prefer to work out on a mostly empty stomach. Maybe a small protein shake (like a half scoop in a cup of water) an hour before.
  • ferd_ttp5
    ferd_ttp5 Posts: 246 Member
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    I'm a early morning exerciser and I found out that sometimes I'm hungry while I'm working out no choice I need to finish my workout before going back home to eat. :lol:
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    tomwasilj3w wrote: »
    But what IS important is that you eat a clean and healthy meal after your workout. No more than an hour after. Your body needs to get the energy to repair the muscles you just worked out and without food it'll start eatting at your muscles in order to get that energy. Therefore being counter productive to the workout you just did

    without food it'll start eatting at your muscles and the fat also in order to get that energy. Right?

    Is that not the concept of how the body gets smaller, ie weightloss?

    (obviously you want this eating rate to not be so extreme that it's detrimental.)

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Try both, see what you like better (because it's personal preference).

    When I run in the morning I do it before eating because I can't run right after I eat.
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
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    tomwasilj3w wrote: »
    First off you never want to exercise on an empty stomach. It's just not a good idea. You just won't have the energy you would've if you ate.

    At the same time you don't want to workout with a full stomach either. Since your body is working in digesting your food you won't be able to give it your all exercising either.

    Find a good in between. With practice you'll be able to tell if you need to eat before or not.

    But what IS important is that you eat a clean and healthy meal after your workout. No more than an hour after. Your body needs to get the energy to repair the muscles you just worked out and without food it'll start eatting at your muscles in order to get that energy. Therefore being counter productive to the workout you just did

    I've done 12 mile runs immediately after waking up, meaning I had not eaten in at least 8 hours. It hasn't really been any different than if I eat something an hour or so before the run. Unless someone is trying to get into the Olympics, being that precise about nutrition timing and specific foods isn't necessary.

    As far as "eating at your muscles", no not really, not to any appreciable extent in someone who has sufficient body fat and isn't attempting a VLCD (which the NIH considers to be 800 calories per day or lower). Certainly it will not happen at the 1200 (for women) and 1500 (for men) minimums that MFP sets.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    Is it just 20 minutes of exercise? It doesn't matter if you eat before or after, and at that level of exertion, I don't think any of these concepts of revving your metabolism or eating your muscles--if there is truth to them--would even apply. It just comes down to what makes your workouts easier to get in and more enjoyable. Unless you're working out for an hour or longer, you probably don't need to work out before for energy...of course if you prefer to eat first, I'd just be cautious of over-eating so you don't get an upset stomach.

    Personally, I do both, each in equal measure--my weekdays are on an empty stomach and I do my long runs and longer workouts later in the day (like after 7 am) on weekends after I have had a light breakfast and coffee. I HATE working out at night...I feel the food and water/liquids jostling around..ugh!
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,136 Member
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    tomwasilj3w wrote: »
    First off you never want to exercise on an empty stomach. It's just not a good idea. You just won't have the energy you would've if you ate.

    At the same time you don't want to workout with a full stomach either. Since your body is working in digesting your food you won't be able to give it your all exercising either.

    Find a good in between. With practice you'll be able to tell if you need to eat before or not.

    But what IS important is that you eat a clean and healthy meal after your workout. No more than an hour after. Your body needs to get the energy to repair the muscles you just worked out and without food it'll start eatting at your muscles in order to get that energy. Therefore being counter productive to the workout you just did

    Have to disagree on this, if I eat anything (and I mean anything - even a protein shake an hour before) before working out, I feel so nauseous. On a weekend I get all my workouts (about 90 mins) done and sometime don't eat til 3/4pm in the afternoon, it's never affected my performance.

    And as has already been mentioned above, OP is only looking at doing a 20 min workout.

    OP it's a personal preference as to whether you eat before or don't, neither is really going to make much difference to your fat burning capability.
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
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    It's totally up to you. I can't do any vigorous exercise after I eat because I get terrible rib cramps. I also like to start my day with exercise, before breakfast, so on an empty stomach.
  • lolothedragon
    lolothedragon Posts: 39 Member
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    You should do whatever works best for you. Personally, if I don't eat 30 minutes or so before hitting the gym my work outs aren't as good. I can't run as long or lift as much. I feel tried and sluggish. I also try to have enough calories for a smoothie or protein bar before bed because I'll be starving later on. This is just a good balance for me that gives me the best results.
    Neither will make you burn fat more than the other, just do whatever makes you get the most out of your exercise.
  • briannasnyder12
    briannasnyder12 Posts: 14 Member
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    You should eat after cardio!

    To use your body's fat as fuel, you need to have a low enough circulating blood glucose to activate that energy pathway. If you eat prior to a workout, it could take up to thirty or so minutes of exercising to activate that pathway. Therefore, your entire workout is spent burning what you just ate, rather than stored energy (fat).

    However, if you eat a reasonable meal afterward, your body will be ready to use what you have eaten to repair muscle tissue and restore glycogen stores in the muscle tissue with the energy it is given.

    Obviously, this is not to say that putting your body in starvation mode prior to exercise is the way to go. The key to any sustainable life change is balance. But if you would like to use your body's physiology to your advantage, I recommend eating afterward.

    Hope this helps ☺️

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