Eat before or after am workout

24

Replies

  • Frank19556
    Frank19556 Posts: 28 Member
    edited August 2021
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Frank19556 wrote: »
    westrich20940 wrote: »
    It just matters what works for you. I run fasted...because if I eat 1. I'm afraid I'll have to go to the bathroom during my run and 2. I get indigestion. I eat immediately when I get back. But some ppl feel they need some food to fuel their workout, if so it's fine to eat before....but I will say that it's a lot of work for your body to digest food so I wouldn't do it directly before working out.


    I think by not eating before a workout, you trained your body to either store more carbs beforehand, or burn a higher percentage of fat as fuel during your workout. In some way our bodies adapt over time.

    Our bodies DO adapt to exercise and for people who are doing prolonged endurance exercise or are competing at an elite level, these differences can sometimes be relevant. For example, if you're running a marathon, you'll absolutely want to ensure you're considering a fueling strategy and understanding how your body reacts to different scenarios.

    But for the average person, how you FEEL during the workout is going to be the most relevant factor. Burning more or less fat as fuel during a workout isn't going to translate into specific results for your weight or body composition. It's simply how you're fueling a particular activity. Using more fat as fuel during a workout doesn't mean you're going to have less body fat than someone who isn't.

    I wasn't implying it was better or worse, and nothing you said disagrees with my post. My reply was to that quote. My post was factual and could be helpful or least of some interest to others with this question, and to many it won't matter, but I didn't imply it would. Given the quote I was replying to, and the context of my reply, I am not sure why there were three disagrees.
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    I do predominantly resistance training/weight lifting. I have a light carb meal about 45 minutes before working out to "fuel up", and a mostly protein meal afterward to promote muscle restoration & hypertrophy. That's what works for me. But can't argue with experimenting to determine what works best for you.
  • JennFit5K
    JennFit5K Posts: 7 Member
    I'd vomit from electrolyte imbalance all over the treadmill if I worked out on an empty stomach. But I know someone who will walk 5 miles on the treadmill before breakfast too so it depends on what your body is wired for.
  • LenGray
    LenGray Posts: 722 Member
    I'm echoing the 'it depends' advice. Experiment and find out what works for you! I thought I needed to eat before my early workouts, but later found out that I do much better fasted, or with a small snack (apples+PB or half a bagel+hummus).
    That said, I typically have a larger breakfast if I workout first or, if my appetite is down, have a protein shake as a mid-morning snack, especially after strenuous exercise.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,628 Member
    whatever works best for you.

    i rarely eat before working out. never have. and if i DO - it is very, VERY light. as in a cup of yogurt.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,146 Member
    i dont eat a lot before a work out or I would be sick. I eat something small, kind bar, banana, etc.
  • Jacq_qui
    Jacq_qui Posts: 384 Member
    Depends on the day and what time I get up. School hols mean I'm at home with the kids so its :Small (as in volume of liquid) protein shake >> work out >> breakfast. I found by skipping all food left me struggling a bit harder in the work out than I needed to. When they're back at school I'll work out later in the day and thus I've usually had one meal by then.
  • WailingDusk
    WailingDusk Posts: 58 Member
    I have tried a number of different things, and I found what works best for me is eating a serving or two of any kind of beans a couple of hours before working out. That on top of the pre-workout gives me more than enough energy to push through.

    If you're not used to eating beans though... going to the gym after eating them might not be a wise idea lol
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    edited August 2021
    For me-
    Short run: espresso and go.
    Longer run: espresso and a banana
    Swim: carbs a bit of protein and espresso.
    Bike: completely depends on length.

    Same message as everyone else - have fun figuring it out - your body will tell you. Use it as an experiment and have fun with it. Also, realize that it won't be same everyday and will change with your fitness.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,340 Member
    solieco1 wrote: »
    For me-
    Short run: espresso and go.
    Longer run: espresso and a banana
    Swim: carbs a bit of protein and espresso.
    Bike: completely depends on length.

    Ooh, nice! I have several friends that exercise after just coffee. That would cause terrible cramping for me! But, the caffeine might be appreciated. I can get away with a little tea or sometimes a Nuun "energy."
  • dviolin1982
    dviolin1982 Posts: 17 Member
    I eat before but not something huge.
  • Consfan2
    Consfan2 Posts: 4 Member
    After, I want to use my store glycogen before putting more in.
  • vmlabute
    vmlabute Posts: 311 Member
    I usually eat after my AM workout. Even though I am exhausted working out fasted, I believe that it gives me a better workout and burns more fat that way.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,340 Member
    vmlabute wrote: »
    I usually eat after my AM workout. Even though I am exhausted working out fasted, I believe that it gives me a better workout and burns more fat that way.

    I won't put a "disagree" on that. I've gone for a run at the end of the day, starting off feeling tired and hungry, but ending up having a great run. My apatite is abated a bit, and I find it easier to eat within plan afterward. So, in that sense it "burns more fat."

    Also, if you exhaust your glycogen stores, your body will literally start burning fat. The only thing is that, if you overeat later, your body will happily convert any extra calories back to fat. It's one of the human superpowers, in fact. So, while it might help a bit to exercise fasted, it's totally reversible if you don't also stay within your overall calorie plan.
  • andremaza7
    andremaza7 Posts: 2 Member
    I read an article that said if you sleep at least 7 hours the night before that you will be burning fat and if you wait to eat after a morning run that you are extending that time of fat burn. I would definitely drink some Gatorade or something with electrolytes before running though because your body has been without it for the past 7 hour that you slept. I also read that If you sleep 5 hours or less you can actually start burning muscle instead of fat.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,331 Member
    It's up to you. Unless you're exercising enough to need the fuel (like for long endurance workouts), it doesn't really matter. I personally don't like eating before workouts because I don't like things sloshing around in my stomach when I run.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,813 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    vmlabute wrote: »
    I usually eat after my AM workout. Even though I am exhausted working out fasted, I believe that it gives me a better workout and burns more fat that way.

    I won't put a "disagree" on that. I've gone for a run at the end of the day, starting off feeling tired and hungry, but ending up having a great run. My apatite is abated a bit, and I find it easier to eat within plan afterward. So, in that sense it "burns more fat."

    Also, if you exhaust your glycogen stores, your body will literally start burning fat. The only thing is that, if you overeat later, your body will happily convert any extra calories back to fat. It's one of the human superpowers, in fact. So, while it might help a bit to exercise fasted, it's totally reversible if you don't also stay within your overall calorie plan.

    Another myth.
    You are burning fat all of the time and very, very few people manage to exhaust their glycogen stores.
    That is something to be avoided not encouraged as when your "hit the wall" or "bonk" as cyclists call it exercise stops.

    Fat burning doesn't have to be provoked and exercise fuel usage is both carbs and fat together not one after the other.
  • Latrellis
    Latrellis Posts: 68 Member
    edited August 2021
    20, 30 minutes, even up to 40, you should be good. I never ate before running even 10 milers or 15 mile bike rides. But when I swim (1 mile), I need to eat something light, 300 calories or so.
  • golfchess6
    golfchess6 Posts: 64 Member
    I find that I am naturally hungry when I wake up in the morning. Having a light breakfast before my morning workout not only gives me the energy (mental/physical) but makes sure that I do not skip a meal. After eating, I do not go right into heavy exercising. I start with 20 minutes of stretching and then workout.

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