Many people have that question, and luckily I have the answer for you :). Timing can be a factor in what and when you eat, but in this article I will give you the low down of exactly what you should be eating and when you should be eating it.
The short answer,: You should be eating both before and after your workouts.
① EATING BEFORE A WORKOUT
Ideally., you should be
eating 3 or 4 hours before you work out. This will give you time to digest your
food and supply you with energy for your upcoming workout if you eat a hefty
meal an hour before you lift the weights, your food won't be fully digested and
you may feel sluggish. You should be eating complex carbohydrates, fastacting
protein, and veggies before your workout. Carbohydrates are needed because they
are your body's primary fuel source.
When you work out, your glycogen levels
are depleted, and having enough carbs will make sure they won't be depleted
fully. If you only have about 1 hour until you have to work out, it would be
beneficial to drink at least a protein drink or eat some almonds and fruit.
Working out on a completely empty stomach will most likely leave you not
feeling your best, but eating too soon before a workout will make you feel
sluggish.
You also will want to have a source of protein before your workout,
because the protein will increase your resting energy expenditure by an average
of 6-6.5% and also blunt your cortisol throughout the day. Also, if you work
through your carbohydrate reserve while working out, it will start to chip away
at your protein reserve.
If you have no protein, then it starts attacking your
muscle which is not good if you're trying to grow them. Some bodybuilders
also take creatine and beta alanine before a workout.
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