Topic: When to eat

[Jason vonGermeten]

I hope this counts under this classification. If not, I guess it gets moved to where it needs to be.

So quick question about when is best to eat before training. I've been playing it by ear as my body conducts (hope you'll pardon the analogy) and being careful to not eat too soon before going out.. I'm just wondering, I guess, what the best thing would be when it comes to running on an empty stomach. I know being too hungry can inhibit movement and concentration and thus affect pretty much everything you do when you're out, and maybe it's a stupid question because I likely already know the answer, but is there an ideal time period to be eating or not eating?

That's all. Thanks. ^_^v

[Julian Vazquez (954-FR)]

Im not a nutritionist, or an expert, and Im sure there are people here who might be more experienced than me, but when I go for runs, I always go on an empty stomach.

[Chris Salvato]

That is really more of a personal preference than anything else.

Many people fast before working out (such as myself).  This lets me know what is going into my bloodstream as soon as I am done working out (since i always eat within the hour after my workout).

Realistically, more important than pre-workout nutrition is post workout nutrition.  Its not that big of a deal, but if you are going to pay attention to anything it should be post workout.

Before working out eat if you like -- don't eat if you don't like.  I prefer not to eat before I work out because I eat very "heavy" (things like milk) that make me feel less-than-optimal if i eat them before I work out.  Other people eat lighter meals and notice little-to-no discomfort if they eat before a workout.

I suggest experimenting and find out what works best for you.

[Jason vonGermeten]

Makes sense. It's kind of what I was getting at with it being a possibly stupid question, since the best you can really do is just follow your body. Thanks a bunch. <(-_-)>

[Chris Salvato]

Makes sense. It's kind of what I was getting at with it being a possibly stupid question, since the best you can really do is just follow your body. Thanks a bunch. <(-_-)>

Not really a stupid question -- theres tons of research done on this every year

[Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!]

i usually snack befor training to keep me energetic, then cram a stupid ton of food in my face emediately after.  it seems to work fine for me 

[Patrick Yang]

I'm with Chris Stevenson.  I find that if I train in the morning without having a bit of food, I lack the energy needed.  Afterwards, I hit the chocolate milk and then try to eat a huge but balanced meal.

[Julian Vazquez (954-FR)]

I'm with Chris Stevenson.  I find that if I train in the morning without having a bit of food, I lack the energy needed.  Afterwards, I hit the chocolate milk and then try to eat a huge but balanced meal.

dude im always down for chocolate milk after a day of training lol

[meamaslimjim]

I think you already figured out the answer to your question, but here's what I do:
Personally, if I'm gonna do a cardio workout (like running), I eat lightly about one hour before (I dislike running on empty). I find that gives me time to digest and gives me energy to workout. I pretty much stay away from fatty foods and high protein foods since they take longer to digest. Sometimes when I get hungry during a workout, I eat a piece of fruit.
For the rest of the day, I just eat when I'm hungry.

[NIMI624]

I hope this counts under this classification. If not, I guess it gets moved to where it needs to be.

So quick question about when is best to eat before training. I've been playing it by ear as my body conducts (hope you'll pardon the analogy) and being careful to not eat too soon before going out.. I'm just wondering, I guess, what the best thing would be when it comes to running on an empty stomach. I know being too hungry can inhibit movement and concentration and thus affect pretty much everything you do when you're out, and maybe it's a stupid question because I likely already know the answer, but is there an ideal time period to be eating or not eating?

That's all. Thanks. ^_^v

i'm pretty sure u could go on an empty stomach because if u eat right before u go out to train thats gonna get in the way big time so wat i do is eat about 30min.-2h. before i go training so that way i don't have a full stomach thats getting in the way and an empty stomach that doesn't give me enough energy to do parkour but thats just my opinion

[Broc]

yeah its good to have a snack a little while before you train, just make sure you eat a good full meal after training since that is the time when your body is able to absorb more of the good stuff you take in 

[Jason vonGermeten]

Sweet. Thanks a bunch.

[Chris Salvato]

DOMS is not caused by a lack of carbs post-workout....

[JumpOff]

Currently, there is no definite agreed cause of DOMS...but I don't believe that the lack of carbohydrate nutrition is included in any of the theories? 

Alot of good points already stated here.

If you work out early in the morning, and need energy, its important to have a carbohydrate dense dinner the night before(carbo-loading? im sure youve done it for sports before).

Many people(as in the norm population) choose to not eat before they do morning training because it activates your metabolism, and subsequently burns excess fat from your body first, instead of processing the food you just ate.
Again, personal preference.

However, it is important to wait a little bit after eating, to train. Otherwise you cramp(like waiting to swim after you eat?) Since your stomach is requiring more blood to process the food.

As already mentioned, post-training nutrition is important.  I believe that it is recommended that you eat within 30 mins of finishing training, to prevent your body from entering a catabolic state- to which your muscles will break down to supply you with energy.

Also important is carbohydrate to protein ratio.   If you dont have enough carbohydrates, your consumed proteins will be iused for immediate energy, instead of building broken muscle.

[Chris Salvato]

Currently, there is no definite agreed cause of DOMS...but I don't believe that the lack of carbohydrate nutrition is included in any of the theories? 

As far as I am aware of, no -- this is not included in any theory I have heard...

If you work out early in the morning, and need energy, its important to have a carbohydrate dense dinner the night before(carbo-loading? im sure youve done it for sports before).

There is never really a reason to carb load.

Many people(as in the norm population) choose to not eat before they do morning training because it activates your metabolism, and subsequently burns excess fat from your body first, instead of processing the food you just ate.
Again, personal preference.

Has nothing to do with "activating your metabolism".  The reason people liek to work out in the AM while fasted has more to do with being having quick nutrient uptake Post Workout.

However, it is important to wait a little bit after eating, to train. Otherwise you cramp(like waiting to swim after you eat?) Since your stomach is requiring more blood to process the food.

Not that I have heard.  In fact you likely wanna get your PWO nutrition within 10 minutes of finishing training -- no later than 60 mins.

Also important is carbohydrate to protein ratio.   If you dont have enough carbohydrates, your consumed proteins will be iused for immediate energy, instead of building broken muscle.

This widely depends on the context.  That can be true or untrue depending on the type of protein and the type of carbs consumed.

[JumpOff]

Has nothing to do with "activating your metabolism".  The reason people liek to work out in the AM while fasted has more to do with being having quick nutrient uptake Post Workout.

Well, I meant training on an empty stomach, as most people that train in the morning, wake up with an...empty stomach. 

However, it is important to wait a little bit after eating, to train. Otherwise you cramp(like waiting to swim after you eat?) Since your stomach is requiring more blood to process the food.

Not that I have heard.  In fact you likely wanna get your PWO nutrition within 10 minutes of finishing training -- no later than 60 mins.

Waiting after EATING, not waiting after training?

This widely depends on the context.  That can be true or untrue depending on the type of protein and the type of carbs consumed.

Can you give me some examples that this does not uphold as a general context of carbohydrate and protein ratios?
Like do you mean quality of carbohydrates consumed, or perhaps type of proteins?...

thanks for your input!

[JustJack]

With much experience in proper nutrition combined with very intense and filled workout schedules, in my mind it is very important to get in a good amount of food before the workout and after. Among very many technical things to keep in mind when choosing what to eat and when to eat it the most important things are to get in at least 2 meals before you workout(working out in this case being anaerobic, if you were doing aerobic than just an apple would be good for say a long run). You need energy when working out to push yourself to your limits and you get that with food. If you don't eat before you workout your body will start eating away at your fat and produce cortisol(stress hormone) which will eat away at your muscle(very, very bad). You don't want to be digesting food while working out so a good waiting period would be 30-50 minutes between the meal and the workout. It's okay to eat fatty foods for energy(nuts are especially good) and it's not okay to eat simple carbs before your workout. Before you should eat complex carbs, fruit have simple and complex carbs but are very good for energy before a workout. And it is especially good to eat simple carbs RIGHT after a workout.

If anyone wants any unbiased and good information about nutrition I'd love to help because there is so much stupid information out there, I hate to see this world of fitness as a warzone. If you don't trust me that's also understandable.

[Chris Salvato]

With much experience in proper nutrition combined with very intense and filled workout schedules, in my mind it is very important to get in a good amount of food before the workout and after. Among very many technical things to keep in mind when choosing what to eat and when to eat it the most important things are to get in at least 2 meals before you workout(working out in this case being anaerobic, if you were doing aerobic than just an apple would be good for say a long run).

Data shows PWO to be much more influential than pre-workout.  Pre-workout isn't as good because then you aren't coming off of a fast, imho, which means you have less control of what is getting into your blood.

You need energy when working out to push yourself to your limits and you get that with food. If you don't eat before you workout your body will start eating away at your fat and produce cortisol(stress hormone) which will eat away at your muscle(very, very bad).

You do need energy -- it comes from glycogen and fat stores.  It is silly to think something you ate 30 minutes before your workout is going to provide an appreciable amount of energy when you have tons stored in your body.

Cortisol is going to be produced regardless.  Your body doesn't just start eating away at muscle.  Cortisol is better controlled with good PWO nutrition and proper diet and rest in general.

If anyone wants any unbiased and good information about nutrition I'd love to help because there is so much stupid information out there, I hate to see this world of fitness as a warzone. If you don't trust me that's also understandable.

No offense intended but we don't know very much about you.  List of credentials?  Check out our General fitness/diet forum.  We have some good people in there who help to sort out all the stupid information.

[Chris Salvato]

Can you give me some examples that this does not uphold as a general context of carbohydrate and protein ratios?
Like do you mean quality of carbohydrates consumed, or perhaps type of proteins?...

You usually want about the same carb as you do protein, unless you have experimented with your diet a bunch and know you benefit more from higher carb or higher protein in general.

Consumed proteins are only used for immediate energy if there is not enough energy to go around.  If you are consuming ample fats, are not totally depleting glycogen stores, etc, then the protein will not have to be used for energy.  An exception to this is when the proteins are absorbed too quickly.

Fast proteins like whey get absorbed quickly and much of the protein is oxidized (used for energy) since the body doesn't want to overflow the systemic circulation with amino acids.  Slower proteins are less prone to this since it introduces the proteins more slowly.  These statements are based off data that is from fasted, untrained individuals.

More work needs to be done on how these behaviors change in those who are trained and even have just undergone a bout of exercise.  In short, like I said, how proteins are used are widely based on the context.  Having a high protein intake with a low carb intake does not necessarily mean the protein will be oxidized and used for energy.

From a personal example, I eat a pound of meat in almost every sitting and rarely have appreciable increased levels of nitrogenous wastes in my urine (based on color, but I am going to be testing this soon with urine strips..).  Nitrogenous wastes in the urine would mean higher oxidation of amino acids (protein for energy)...and this has not been the case just yet for me.

[JumpOff]

I see what you're saying.
I guess also, as many tests seem to have trouble isolating is the type of exercise to which nutritional breakdown would be relevant(laboratory bike tests vs real life movements).

But also to backtrack, this weeks Gatorade Sports Science article is actually on pre-workout nutrition affecting time to failure...but again it upholds more to endurance type events. The conclusions that I found relevant were that a carbohydrate focused meal(although there is debate as to the type and administration of these carbohydrates) approx 3 hours prior to training, following a night fast increased glycogen levels an appreciable amount and positively noticeably performance.

Furthermore, newer research is showing that eating 30-1hour prior to exertion actually does not make much of a difference-as opposed to what was once believed.

Another conclusion that was stressed was that these findings applied to endurance events to failure...and did not effect time-trial results...which I guess is sort or relevant since parkour is not really a competition exertion...but rather a gradual training.

http://www.gssiweb.com/Article_Detail.aspx?articleID=901