Eating before exercise: Pro or Con

Good day to everyone. I'm curious, should a person eat before they exercise, or after. It seems, everywhere you go, you here different dieting tips, workout tips, ect. What opinion do you have?

I usually don't eat before exercise.  I need a good 2 hours after eating to feel comfortable exercising.  Otherwise I can feel slightly ill or get a cramp in my side.  I like to exercise before going to work so there's no time for eating beforehand.  On the other hand, not eating can make you feel like you don't have the energy to exercise if you're doing someting particularly strenuous.  So it probably all depends on the person.  Maybe also the time of day.  I don't wake up starving so exercising is okay.  But sometimes if I exercise later in the day, I feel more likely to lack in energy.

I exercise in the mornings as well, and sometimes in the evenings when I get home from work, depends on how I feel. I make it a point to get up at 5 am to do it.

When I first got my Wii Fit, it asked if I had breakfast, if not, eat a banana before exercise so that I would have more energy exercise. It really does help. But when I got my Slim in 6, it said to exercise on an empty stomach. That makes it so confusing don't you think? That is why I posted the question here. So thank you so much for your reply.

My old roomate in college was studying for her PT cert, (Personal trainer), and read in her books to eat exactly 90 mins before your work out and as soon as you are hungry after your work out, to burn the max amount of cal's. This seems to work well for me and I've been doing it for years.

My pre workout meal is usually only 200-300 cals and contains a complex carb. My after work out meal is more like 300-400 cal's and contains a protein.

http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com/post-w orkout-nutrition.html

i just googled pre and post workout nutrition. :]

well... my comments on it are that i've tried to keep to the post workout advice, and figured out powerbar protein plus bars have about the right percentage and amt of calories and having one after a workout def. helps me not overeat. :]

I try to eat an apple before or on my way to my karate class. It's good for an energy boost. But since class is after work, I don't have time or the inclination to eat a real meal before I go. That turns out to be bad because I end up eating my dinner when I get home, which is about 9 p.m.

I'd like tips, too!

You should always have some type of food in your stomach before you exercise. However, the amount of food, depends on the type of exercise that you are doing. If you are going to be hitting the weights or doing an HIIT cardio session, it is recommended that you have a good portion of complex carbs (40-60 grams) and some protein (20-30 grams) 60-90 minutes before you start. This will provide you with constant energy for the workout. If you are just doing a regular steady state cardio session, you can keep it lighter.

I have personally tried lifting before on an empty stomach and while I was able to get through it, I didn't have the same energy and drive I usually would if I had eaten before hand. I will usually have a bowl of oatmeal and 4-5 ounces of lean meat whether it is chicken, ground turkey, etc.. I will give myself one hour after I finish eating, and then go hit the weights.

At the top of the Fitness Forum page, there are several stickey's.  See the thread that says "Welcome to the Fitness Forum."  There is info in there that covers this topic ad naseum.

Original Post by dxtreme45:

Good day to everyone. I'm curious, should a person eat before they exercise, or after. It seems, everywhere you go, you here different dieting tips, workout tips, ect. What opinion do you have?

Embrace the power of "and."  :-)

Eat something light, easily-digested, and well-tolerated (this will be a personal matter--you'll have to experiment) so that you have the energy to get through your workout.

Eat something rich in protein and carbohydrates after your workout to replenish your body.  How much depends upon how long and how hard you worked out.  Your body is most receptive to using carbohydrates for glycogen synthesis in the first 30-60 minutes after your workout, and the insulin response from the carbs can be used anabolically to help utilize the protein in the meal as well (at least, that's my understanding from listening to a nutritionist interviewed on the FredCast Cycling Podcast).

Well I guess it depends on how hard you want to be able to workout. Having enough energy to really push yourself & maybe even go a little longer on that run up the hill, well...

I think it really depends on the person - some people need to work out on an empty stomach because they may an upset one mid-way through their work out... or they might get acid reflux.... some others need to eat before working out because other wise they feel as though they can hardly move from having no energizing food in them. Each to their own!

I definitely agree with the above comment, in that it varies depending on the person. I for one cannot exercise efficiently unless I have some sort of fuel in my system before hand. I usually will have some form of light carbohydrate (i.e. a piece of fruit, a piece of toast with jam) and make sure that I hydrate well before I run. And since I usually run for more than 60 minutes at a time, I will refuel afterwards by eating a banana, and drinking some good old chocolate milk (carbs and protein... yum!)