Eating before a work-out

Should I be eating right before a work out or an hour before or what is the optimal amount of time?

I've upped my daytime eating to more calories and a bigger breakfast on the days that I work out.  I'm wondering if I should get a protein bar in right beforehand or not.

I take the bus from work to the gym so it's either going to be 45 mins to an hour or right before I start when I have my snack.

Anybody?

you can't drown on a treadmill, so what is your concern?

It's different for everyone.  Just see what works the best for you.  Alternate by week, not by day, or you won't see the full effects.

I work out in the evenings, so I have lunch, and then I have a small snack (usually a pear... I love those) midafternoon, and about 7 in the evening, I work out.  Then I eat AFTER my workout.  It makes me feel much better.  But I make sure not to eat within an hour from bedtime, or it'll keep me up overnight.

That's what I do, but you can try anyway you wish, and see what works the best for you.

Original Post by fransen:

you can't drown on a treadmill, so what is your concern?

 lol - I was just wondering if it made a difference as far as calories burned, nutrients used, etc.

I think I read on here somewhere that it is optimal to "drink a protein shake the second that weight hits the ground" when weight lifting.

Wasn't sure if there was any other timing things I should know about.

 

I don't think it would make a difference as far as calories burned, BUT eating right before exercise can give you digestive issues. I always get heartburn if I eat right before my workout.   I try to have a snack 1-2 hours before exercising, then eat as soon after as possible.

 Well, that's what lifters used to think - but Rasmussen et.al. showed that protein synthesis was increased over placebo if you drank the shake 1 or 3 hours after the workout as well, and in fact was higher than if you drank it down immediately. So you really don't need to carry the shake with you into the weight room and drink it down soon as your workout ends. There's probably a bit of an advantage to doing a cardio cool-down workout after lifting as well :)

 I used to be quite old-skool in my thinking until Flowerbud pointed me to The Top 10 Post Workout Nutrition Myths by David J. Barr - changing my habits from what I used to do took some work but having a bit of protein pre-workout as well as slightly post-workout seems to have made an appreciable difference.

 I say seems to, because whenever you start doing something you think will work, there's a 60% chance of experiencing placebo effects. And I can't exactly go back and redo my workouts with the old regime to compare developement, so I wouldn't neccesarily take my experience as gospel.

 I think the guidelines need to account for how varied human metabolism can be - you need to experiment a bit and figure out what works best for you; which may not correspond to anyone else's regime.

Melkor thank you very much for the top ten list.  That was very interesting.

It did confirm something new I tried this week...bigger breakfast and more calories pre-workout has dramatically changed the amount of energy, strength and endurance I have. 

I was shocked, actually.  I'm going to add more weight my next weight workout.  I'm not ready for another riser on my step yet but I was able to do all the high options this last class which has never happened before.

if you plan on eating a big meal before a workout, eat it two hours before.

if you wanna eat 30 minutes before, a small snack like a banana will be fine :)

I used to not eat anything before (morning workout) with the exception of either a cup of green or black tea, or small to medium coffee and had trouble staying in it for the length of time I wanted. I now drink a 230 cal weight loss shake 30 to 45 minutes before and have noticed a marked improvement in stamina.

I prefer liquids before working out, since they feel easier to diget.  Also, its good to get some carbs and protein right before to fuel your muscles.  If its early in the morning, I drink a carnation instant breakfast before working out and then eat my real breakfast of cereal at my desk afterwards.  In the afternoon, I prefer yogurt about 45 minutes prior to my sessions.

My hubby works with a body builder, he told him I should work out in the morning before I eat. O.K. I tried that and felt HORRIBLE. I felt weak, dizzy etc. I eat breakfast, wait half an hour, then work out. I figure I am burning those calories, so not adding anything.

Original Post by clh61:

My hubby works with a body builder, he told him I should work out in the morning before I eat. O.K. I tried that and felt HORRIBLE. I felt weak, dizzy etc. I eat breakfast, wait half an hour, then work out. I figure I am burning those calories, so not adding anything.

I've often heard the same. The theory is if you workout in the morning before eating, more of the calories you burn will come from fat as there's no food in your system.

My understanding from reading this site lately seems to be this though: if you only eat 1500 calories in a day and you burn 2500 in a day, it doesn't seem to matter if it was burnt in the gym or not, its still going to burn 1000 calories of fat that day. so do what feels right and be happy :)