are you really supposed to eat before and after??

I'm supposed to do what ever I feel like doing as long as I don't over/under eat, and maintain my energy level.

I think meal timing is crap.

Ok so I will be the first to admit I have NO friggin idea what I'm doing. Up until finding MFP I was just making it up as I went along and have since learned I've done pretty much everything wrong, lol. Like you shouldn't work out on an empty stomach - who knew?? So what ARE you supposed to eat before a workout? What about after? I think you're supposed to have carbs within an hour after, no? Save me from myself, people. I am clueless.

Before a workout I'll have a bowl of oatmeal with some fruit... after, I usually have a piece of bread with peanut butter (carbs + protein). You definitely want to eat about 45-60 minutes before and after, for energy and recover purposes. I'll also just workout before dinner a lot, that way I don't have to worry about what post-workout snack to have, and just get what I need from the meal.

I usually eat a bananna or some sort of granola/protein bar before my workout and then because I work out right after work, I go home and eat my dinner. Some people may also suggest a protein shake with some sort of protein powder and fruit. (good option as well).

What Adamb Said.. The general idea is to eat some carbs before a workout to give you the energy to get it done and to avoid your body eating up lean muscle for energy.

The post workout meal is to refill your glycogen stores in the body that were depleted during the workout and to get your body into an anabolic state (which means begin rebuilding the muscles you broke down).


I think if you are female (or male for that matter) and are just looking to lose weight with no worry about preserving muscle then you don't really have to eat before a workout if you don't want to but some of your weight loss could be muscle loss along with the fat.


I am fairly new (around a year) to this stuff myself and don't pretend to be an expert but i study it a lot and am trying to learn as much as i can so that's my 2 cents as i understand it.

I find that the answers change with the times. New evidence. New research.

Bill Phillips, who I admire greatly, used to say to always do cardio on an empty stomach. First thing in the morning. Water only.

But then again, look how many times the theories have changed on whether a baby should sleep on its side. On its back. On its tummy.

The theories are endless.

I'm with dancing cat. I get up at 4:45 am to get my workout in, I don't have time to get up earlier to eat and have food on board for my workout. I need my sleep!!!

I generally stick to having lots of water, any food with high protein.. even if it's just some toast and peanut butter.. But generally my pre-workout meals I have Whey Protein powder with milk and peanut butter with toast... post workout is usually whatever I normally have for meals/food.

It really really depends. Your question is a bit more complicated than you might think . How hard is your workout, are you trying to lose weight or gain for athletic performance, how long is your workout? More often than not... you dont need to eat something before working out. Futhermore... i wouldn't recommend eating RIGHT before you workout (when you workout, energy is drawn away from digestion to exercise. If you have food in your stomach it can cause discomfort). if you are going to do a workout that involves burning more than 1000 calories... i would make sure i had something small to eat an hour before the workout. Right after a workout.. you'll probably get a lot of debate about WHAT you should eat... but you really should eat something to help boost your recovery. Again... the need for this is really dependent on your workout intensity. Runners historically have been big on chocolate milk as a recovery drink because of its protein and carbohydrates. Keep in mind.... if you eat too much and only exercise 400 calories worth... and consume 600 calories before and after your workout you will be doing yourself no favors. I would also say... to determine how many calories you burned... take MFP's estimate and multiply it by about 0.66. The calorie burn estimates on this site are WILDLY off.

Pre-workout food choices depend on whether you plan on doing strength training or cardio.

Strength training -- to build lean muscle, your body needs a readily available supply of protein for tissue repair. The more intense your workout is, the more protein you need. You'll want roughly 25% protein vs 75% carb from your pre-workout meal/snack, and it's generally best to consume this 30-60 minutes prior to workout.
Good examples:
- egg white omelette with toast and soy milk
- protein powder smoothie with fruit (eg. mango) and flax seed
- greek yoghurt with banana, walnuts, honey

Cardo training -- carbs are metabolised into glucose (aka. energy!!) very quickly, and will help you power through these workouts. Like strength training, it should be consumed 30-60 minutes prior. While you'll want your snack to constitute 75%-100%, I'd recommend a bit of protein and fiber so your supply of energy is delivered a little more steadily.
Good examples:
- skim milk oatmeal with raisins, walnuts and honey
- greek yoghurt parfait with muesli and banana
- banana, honey, soy milk smoothie

However, I think the BOTTOM LINE is to figure out what works for you. Personally, I find eating just a banana ~30 minutes before I gym enables me to work out at a higher and longer intensity but I know others who prefer exercising on an empty stomach.

Carbs/Protein LOW FAT is what you eat around your work out. Try to eat your post workout meal asap!

I wouldn't think it matters too much and depends what kind of workout you're doing. I can't work-out straight after eating anything big and try to go and work out between breakfast and lunch. So porridge in the morning - let it digest for an hour - go and workout, come back and have lunch (sandwich). Just find what works best for you. I think it matters more if you're doing strength training and/or trying to gain muscle.