Help: Eat before or after gym?

kaali85
kaali85 Posts: 32 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I normally eat at bout 5:30pm, and if I exercise it's swim at bout 8pm ish :embarassed:

But tonight I am biting the bullet and joining the gym. I am going for my induction at 6:30pm.

And I have no idea if it would be best to eat before or after?

If I eat first I might feel bloated and full, but if I eat after I might feel like I am starving to death in the interim?

Thoughts and ideas pls?

Replies

  • krhadley
    krhadley Posts: 11
    My trainer always said eat before because it gets your metabolism going.
  • pietomb00
    pietomb00 Posts: 69 Member
    If you're going swimming still then eat before and maybe a bit earlier.

    But in general, I like to have a snack about an hour to an hour and a half before, and then eat after. You do need energy so don't go without eating anything.

    Inductions usually aren't always full exercise anyway so don't panic too much.
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    I typically have some carbs and a little proten about an hour before (half a turkey sandwich on wheat is perfect) and then have a protein shake and gatorade immediately after followed by a meal with lean meat and veggies after that. .

    The main thing I've read and been told is you want to avoid fat as much as possible afterwards because it will slow down the recovery process carbs/protein provide.

    That's kind of the long answer, the short answer is eat when you're hungry but keep it relatively light before the workout so you don't feel lethargic.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    It makes no difference to body composition. As long as you have the energy to workout, you are good.
  • anzi888
    anzi888 Posts: 102 Member
    I usually eat a banana about half an hour to an hour before I go to the gym. I eat after. This works for me...
  • bsix3
    bsix3 Posts: 291
    It makes no difference to body composition. As long as you have the energy to workout, you are good.


    ^^^ agreed!
  • jcjsjones
    jcjsjones Posts: 571 Member
    I usually eat a small protein bar before, and then have dinner afterward.
    It upsets my stomach if I eat a meal before working out. :sick:
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I usually have a greek yogurt and fruit or a protein bar about an hour before a workout. I'm a touch hypoglycemic so if my blood sugar is already low, there's no way I'm making it through a workout. The protein helps keep my energy up too.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    You'll be fine training without it. It can be a squeeze at the end of the night, cooking, eating and all your other stuff. But you can feel bloated or puke without eating first. You'll not run out of energy or faint unless there is another underlying medical condition.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    It makes no difference to body composition. As long as you have the energy to workout, you are good.

    Yup.
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    Agree that as long as you have the energy, it doesn't matter. Everyone is different. I don't like to eat before, I tend to have bathroom emergencies when I do that. I have friends that always eat first because they have issues eating after and wind up not eating right. Try both, see what works for you
  • DawnVanSlim
    DawnVanSlim Posts: 10,468 Member
    I like to wait at least an hour after I eat before a major workout. If I were to be hungry right before I had to go, I would eat a piece of toast with peanutbutter on it or a banana, then eat a meal when I got home.
  • leah__88
    leah__88 Posts: 1
    I always have a light snack about an hour to 2 hours before the gym. I cannot work on a full stomach, but if I don't have a snack prior to working out I start getting hunger pains halfway through or losing a lot of energy and not putting full effort into my work out.

    Sometimes I will have an apple or a hard boiled egg and some almonds. I find I work out better and with more intensity if I have had a snack. My work out time varies. A majority of the time I am working out between 6-9pm, but there are a few days a week where I work out around 3pm. That is before dinner of course and after lunch so I find myself hungry inbetween. If I work out around 6 than I have a light snack and have dinner after my work out.

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