To Eat or Not To Eat…Before Exercise – that is the question we hear often from people not only following Chris’ Carb Cycling program in his book Choose to Lose
but those just working out to stay fit or following their own dietary plan.
The good news is there really isn?t a right or wrong answer to this question! ?Well, that?s helpful,? you?re probably saying. But it?s true. Whether or not you eat before a workout depends on your body, when you exercise, and how long you exercise. Here are some basic guidelines:
- If you exercise first thing in the morning, you can get away with not eating anything or you can eat a light snack. Some ideas: a banana, a piece of bread (plain or toasted, and whole wheat, of course!), a bit of natural peanut butter, etc.
- If you workout later in the day, it?s probably best to wait 30-45 minutes after eating before you exercise, and even longer if your last meal was on the heavy side.
- If your workout is longer than 60 minutes, it?s a good idea to eat a light snack before exercising because you don?t want your body to run out of energy before your workout is finished.
- What works best for me is to split my meal in two and eat half before I exercise and half after I?m finished. That way I have some extra energy for my workout.
One caution: Some people experience nausea or, shall we say, ?intestinal distress? if they eat before exercising, so if you choose to eat pre-workout, start small and gauge how your body reacts.
And the most important thing to remember is to listen to your body. Figuring out what works best for you might take a little bit of trial and error, but once you figure it out, you?ll be good to go. Literally.
78 Responses
Hello!
I have question regarding post-workout (weight lifting, not cardio) and eating high-glycemic carb right after it. Something about insuline hormon being anabolic and helping to recover glycogen super fast right after the session …
My question is. Usually, I excercise around noon-ish for one hour in a gym (weight lifting). Sometimes even on low-carb days (due to schedule and many other things) … the point is. Should I take a bit of glucose right after workou (2 grams? Or more?) to spike up the insulin and trigger glycogen replenishment and help the muscles with regeneration, or with Turbo Carb Cycle of yours this is completely pointless and I should go just with the carb-containing breakfast on my low carb days?
Don’t wanna super bulk up, but to aid my body with optimal recovery, while burning off fat. Sometimes I hit the first low-carb day with workout, sometimes it’s the second one from the cycle.
Thank you very much for your reply, hope it’s not too confusing.
Wanted to add, not using any shakes or supplements at all.
Working out first thing in the morning is best. But what if your workout is longer than 30 mins. Should I have meal one before or after?
Do what works best for you. Heidi has longer workouts, like you do, and she eats half before and half after her workout, like she explains in the video. Good luck!
Hi all,
I wake up at 4:15AM for work. Which means my breakfast would be at 4:45AM & last meal at 4:45pm. Dinner with my family is between 6-7pm. Is it ok to start meals at 6am or should I just wait 4.5 hrs between meals 4 and 5?? Thanks for any input
While eating every 3 hours with the first meal 30 minutes after waking is the ideal, with a family to schedule around, sometimes that is a bit more difficult. Between those two options it would be better to eat a later breakfast than to have the big stretch between meals at the end of the day.
I don’t eat before because I have side stitch when I run. Nevertheless, I eat 2 or 3 figs before doing my exercices (squats, pompes…) And sometimes I eat oat flake.
xoxo
I’m vegan and see my only options for protein are tofu, tempeh and protein powder. I don’t feel safe eating tofu everyday (my mother passed away from breast cancer that was estrogen-receptive, not to mention the disputed info on just how much tofu is a healthy amount…). Therefore I’m eating a lot of tempeh which I’ve seen listed on some food lists but not listed in the book as an option. Is tempeh too high in carbs to be eating 3-5 times a day on a low carb day? Thanks!!!
Tempeh (2 oz) considered a protein, so you could eat it as the protein portion of a low or high carb meal. 🙂
Thank you for your explanation!
I was wondering on it for a long time and now i have a clear vision.
It’s a pleasure to follow you and Chris.
Cheers from Italy! 😉
I started having what I thought were anaphylactic reactions at the gym a few years ago. I would cough to the point of yakking, not be able to breathe. I had to carry an epi-pen. It turned out that if I eat too close to a workout, the food aspirated into my lungs causing the reaction. So I can’t eat any closer than two hours before working out. I had never heard of that before!