How long should I wait after eating to workout?

anybody know?

For me, I usually wait an hour.

Uhm, put down the weights and pick up the protien shake. Seriously. There is a window during which your body is more accepting of protien. This is one that I don't claim to know the science of, but as I understand you are supposed to eat within one hour of working out, maximum.

I read about weight lifters who go straight from the weights to the protien and they stress how important the timing is. I shoot for 15 minutes after a workout because I have to walk home from the gym and make my shake.

A lot of runners do this too..and I have begun to do this I usually and since my stomach can;t handle food after a long run, I have a chocolate milk (good combination of protien/carbs) or at the very least some sports drink waiting in the car when I'm done my runs so I can drink on my way home.

She asked how long to wait after eating to workout guys, not when to eat after working out.

I'm curious about this too, anyone have any suggestion?

let your food digest an hour to an hour and a half should be good. if your food doesn't digest it can actually effect your strength during your workout. Your body needs energy to digest food but it will also need energy to help you work out, and it can't divide the energy. so either your food won't digest or you will be weaker than normal.

Well I have been doing this totally wrong!!  Thanks Bodyscience - what you said makes perfect sense - I feel like I can't work out on an empty stomach and was eating 20 minutes or so before I go to the gym - I work out on my lunch hour - tomorrow I am going to eat at 1100 and then again at 1300 and see how that goes!  Great advice - great question!

Anytime!

I prefer to eat my bacon cheeseburger while ON the treadmill.  Sort of like a fuel-as-you-go system...And a 12 oz milkshake fits perfectly in the cupholder! 

It depends on what you're eating.  If it's a big meal, then an hour or two might be best.  If it's just a yogurt, or a banana, then 20 minutes is probably enough. 

there is no "window" where the body is more accepting of protein.  you must be falling for the advertisements.

I eat just before I workout and have never had a problem, although I don't eat very heavy until after my workouts, I usually have a about 300 cals worth of complex carbs and protein with a little fat. Unless you are working out in high intensity cardio, which could lead to  vomiting, there is usually no problem and you can even swim right after eating.

I usually do weights then my cardio after and have never had a problem except under very intense cardio with weights involved (eg. tabata with front squat), but you tend feel sick even on an empty stomach when you overexert and that can be for several reasons. We used to get a lot of people vomiting and dry heaving on our 4am run/calisthenics during basic and they hadn't eaten for several hours.

I find that running on a full stomach is a bad thing for me.  So I try to wait about an hour after a full meal. 

I do not bad in the morning on an empty stomach, but I usually try to have a piece of fruit or something before going for a run.  I can't swim on an empty stomach though... I get wicked heartburn if I do.  Even a glass of milk is enough to stop that.

Clint

Before a weight workout or HIIT - Get a good portion of complex carbs and protein 60-90 minutes before hand.

After weights/HIIT - Make sure to get a good porition of protein and SIMPLE carbs within 30-60 minutes of finishing. I know that some people say it has to be the first 30 minutes. However, as long as you get it in the first hour, you are fine. You usually want to avoid simple carbs. However, after a workout is the one time where you want this because it causes an insulin spike which makes the body absorb the protein faster. A good PWO drink would be 40-60 grams of whey protein and 50-60 grams of Dextrose. Chocolate milk is also a good choice as well.

Original Post by vyperman7:
. Chocolate milk is also a good choice as well.

Chocolate milk has always been my favorite PWO drink since it inexpensive and something I've loved since I was a kid. Only problem is the calories are pretty high when you are trying to lose weight, but it's a plus if you are in a weight gain situation.

@popcorn_shrapnel That is tooo funny!!! LMAO