Question regarding eating and working out...

[SSpiro]

Two part question.

#1. Mornings: Eat before workout or after? I've always thought after.

#2. Evenings: What's best to eat after daily workout? I'm typically in and showered by 9:00PM, but I've always known not to eat after 7:30 or 8:00.. but I know one's to eat or at least intake some protein post-workout..

Any input?

[TampaTraps]

answer to both is pre and post workout, even at night you body will beable to burn the calories, just a simply protein shake and two bananas won't amke you fat but will restore you body with what it lost during the workout.

[Sabotage]

as long as you dont go to bed right after you eat, i would think youd be fine. i usually eat like a yogart or something like an hr or so before i work out. then after i work out, i have dinner and then i dont go to bed for a while. seems to be working fine cuz i've managed to lose fat and gain muscle.

[Carlos]

shit. I need to read more stickies.

[Dunecune442]

Two part question.

#1. Mornings: Eat before workout or after? I've always thought after.

#2. Evenings: What's best to eat after daily workout? I'm typically in and showered by 9:00PM, but I've always known not to eat after 7:30 or 8:00.. but I know one's to eat or at least intake some protein post-workout..

Any input?

eat after a morning workout. Your metabolism will skyrocket and youll burn off most of the calories taken in with breakfast.

A protein shake or peanut butter sandwich is fine after 7:30. Shoot, an hour ago I had a roast beef sandshich on a cuban (total calories about 350). You HAVE to eat alittle after a workout or else you will feel like crap in the morning (hungry and tired). And of course you wont get those morning shits... nothing feels better than unloading before you go to work or school :lol:

[Just Dave]

I guess it depends on what your goals are. If you are trying to put on muscle mass, you'll want to get carbs in your body before a workout to give you energy, and then load up on protien after workout to help muscle growth.

If you're trying to drop weight, you'll still want some carbs for energy before your workout, but don't eat much (if anything) afterwards so your body is forced to use its fat stores to replenish.

[HerHotRod]

I was just wondering that. This gets confusing since I don't want to get big, or really loose much weight, but tone instead. It's hard to interpret peoples questions and answers when you don't know what their goals are :(. This forum is very helpful, just alot to understand.

[BoosTb4BroaDs]

morning question is answerd, i couldnt have said it better.



"Think about it: when you eat a heavy meal, your body must concentrate most of its energy on digesting all that food. So would it make sense to eat a heavy meal right before working out? Of course not. At the same time, working out uses energy (calories), and if you are empty of energy you will probably not be able to work out at your optimum level. So you do need to eat something an hour or two before working out. You may think that if you have fat to lose, then you can skip a pre-workout meal and your body will just burn the fat for energy. Unfortunately that is just not the way it works. Your body stores fat as a survival mechanism (this is a throwback to caveman days when life was often a matter of feast or famine), and it is reluctant to let go of those fat stores. Your body will burn muscle before it burns fat, and you definitely don't want that if you're looking for tone! The one possible time when your body will utilize its fat stores is during interval training (exercising intensely for a minute or two, alternated with two to five minutes of recovery exercise, usually for a period of a half hour to 45 minutes). Then you may actually burn fat, but you will still want a pre-workout meal. Why? Otherwise you won't be able to work out hard enough during the intense intervals and you will exhaust yourself way before the end of your workout. Food is fuel, and your body is revved up the most during exercise — it's more important to fuel your exercise sessions than any other part of your day. And it's crucial to fuel up before weight training — you want to improve your muscle to fat mass ratio, and again, starving your body will only encourage it to utilize muscle mass as its fuel. So not eating prior to weight training is really counterproductive. "

[Raider926]

Two part question.

#1. Mornings: Eat before workout or after? I've always thought after.

#2. Evenings: What's best to eat after daily workout? I'm typically in and showered by 9:00PM, but I've always known not to eat after 7:30 or 8:00.. but I know one's to eat or at least intake some protein post-workout..

Any input?

Depends on your goals, like someone said, whats the best. Morning cardio, drink a shake about 30 minutes before, do about 30-40mins low intensity, and take a shake afterward with about 40gs of protein and 30gs of some kind of carb, best would be like powerade, because of maltrodextirin. Then lift weights at night with a good pre workout meal, and a shake after your lifts. Weight should be done about 6 hours after cardio.

The comment about eatting right before bed is a myth, since your burning cals during sleep and sleep is when your body rebuilds its muscles, you should have a slow digesting protein like fat free cottage cheese. You can buy a protein called casein, basically the same thing just in a shake and tastes better.

But DO NOT eat carbs or fat before bed unless you want to gain fat.

Alot of people don't have time to be in the gym 2 times a day, thats fine, next best after that is a good pre workout meal, lift your weights, then do cardio about 30-40 minutes, low intensity, and right afterward drink a shake like before, 40g protein and about 30g carbs.

Those are best for both bulking and cutting, since workouts shouldn't change, only nutrition.

[SSpiro]

Some great replies.. Thanks guys

[Country Boy]

I dont eat before a workout. Im up at 6AM and in the gym ~7AM. I take NO-Xplode as an energy boost and you have to take it on an empty stomach.

[Shizzle]

I dont eat before a workout. Im up at 6AM and in the gym ~7AM. I take NO-Xplode as an energy boost and you have to take it on an empty stomach.

You can simply wake up earlier and take the NO-Xplode 30-60 mins before working out on an empty stomach and drink protein (or your PWO meal) right before leaving for the gym.

Its never good to workout on any empty stomach..

Cardio on the other hand is great to do on any empty stomach.

[Country Boy]

I dunno man, that means getting up at 5:30... Its hard enough to get up at 6 :D

[Shizzle]

I dunno man, that means getting up at 5:30... Its hard enough to get up at 6 :D

I hear you on that...