Is it better to eat before or after you exercise?

It’s difficult for me to exercise right after I eat. It just doesn’t feel right.

I usually eat after, eating before just gives you cramps, and exercise builds up an appetite

If you do not want to risk wasting a good meal eat afterward. Studies also show that you will have a tendancy to eat less after a good workout.

I usually eat something small before. A piece of fruit, a piece of cheese—- something along those lines. After I work out I have my usual dinner.

Preferably both. Carbonates before.

I prefer carbohydrates before (if I’m too hungry or weak to work out) and meat & veggies after. And lots of water (maybe with a small pinch of sea salt).

I tend to pig out if I eat after.

hm right. carbohydrates was the word.

…there is a waiting time in both instances- about two hours or so…

After is better. That said, you CANNOT work out on an empty stomach, at least if you want to have an efficient good feeling workout. Get up a few minutes earlier and eat a banana. That’s a great morning punch. Carbs aren’t good because they get processed very quickly and you’ll often end up extremely hungry during the workout (at least that’s what happens to me).

Depending on the type of exercise and the rate of your metabolism.

1) If the exercise is weight training give between 1 – 2 hours before your lesson. It’s Important to have a large meal (wholemeal bread, pasta, meat) consisting of high carbs and protein. Understand that if you do not eat prior to weight training your body feeds off both muscle and fat, at the end of the day it destroys the efforts that you just put in.

Eating after your lesson is just as important. Within the first half hour after strenuous exercise your body is racing to heal itself, your metabolism peaks to convert nutrients to repairs the torn muscles, by not eating your body effectively breaks down both MUSCLE and fat, once again destroying the efforts you just put in.

2) Similar rules apply for a cardio regime, however depending on the length and intensity of the exercise you can vary the amount of carbohydrate intake (not removing it completely of course). After a cardio routine, you only require a small amount of carbs; protein is still important though for recovery and muscle development.

bottom line is having a solid meal before and after exercise is vital for your body’s well being.

@dynamicduo Bananas are carbs; sugary starch. Just sayin’

@ru2bz46 Yes, but they contain high amounts of potassium and fiber. Compared to a piece of white toast, which is also carbs, a banana is a much better thing to consume. I base this not only on what some trainers have said but my personal experience with eating different breakfasts and monitoring what effect they have on me. I guess I should have said highly refined carbs and grains perhaps. But I’m not a nutritional, so I don’t feel solid in saying such things.

@dynamicduo I agree about the bananas. I eat them before a workout quite often. In a pinch (hungry, weak, no bananas around), I’ll grab a bagel or even a cookie, anything but meat, as it is too heavy. However, @milla101 seems to make some valid points. I’ll have to verify that and maybe work it into my routine.

My apologies guys, for a cardio routine, when I said meat, I meant chicken breast or perhaps fish. Less fatty meat before a cardio regime, the same can be said for heavy lifting as well.

Thanks for the clarification @milla101. I was picturing a pot roast with potatoes and carrots with lots of gravy. Mmmm…gravy… :P

Yeah, I can see chicken or fish.

I could go for a steak though.