A question on when to eat...

R

retired_speedy

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:D Hello there, I was wondering if it was alright to workout on an empty stomach? I'm asking this as I usualy work out very early in the morning and from my place to the gym takes me about 20 minutes. Does this give me enough time for a couple of slices of toast etc? Thanks! Speedy
 
You can eat if you want to, but depending on how hard and how long you go it may not be necessary. If you feel better eating.....then eat. I used to eat half a cliff bar and drink a gatoraid before training with no problems. Keep the meal tiny. Find something better than toast and hydrate with it.
 
you'll find many opinions on this subject and many different ideas. see how you do on an empty stomach, see how you do with a small meal or quick protein shake. find what you respond best to.

personally i dont find working out of an empty stomach all that great but to each his own. :)
 
I have to disagree with the above. Protein is a slow digesting food and will draw more resources to digestion than necessary. Carbs are the way to go. What we are really talking about here is raising blood sugar level in prep for training. Even if you do take a protein shake it won't digest fast enough to be of any use. Your workout will be done before you see it. Besides, protein is for maintenance and repair, it's not an energy source the body uses if it has options.
 
better catch up then. dr peter lemon is one of the world leaders in the study of protein. various quotes from my notes

"Timing your protein intake for before and after your workouts heavily impacts your fitness goals," says Peter Lemon, one of the world's leading authorities on protein metabolism, who has a doctorate in exercise physiology and teaches at the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

and

Researchers at the University of Texas gave test subjects a liquid protein/carbohydrate supplement either before or after a 45-minute weight-training session. Results showed that protein synthesis was more than TWICE as high when subjects consumed protein and carbohydrate before exercise, compared to drinking it straight after the workout.

According to the research team, consuming carbohydrate and protein before exercise, "is more effective than after exercise." Because the flow of blood around your body is greater during exercise than it is after, protein consumed before you train is delivered more quickly to your muscles.

and finally

Not eating after a workout will impair your muscle growth. However, researchers are starting to put extra importance on a preworkout dose of protein.

"People are always psyching themselves up before workouts when they should be psyching up their amino acids," says Jeff Stout, Ph.D., a scientist for Numico, an interdisciplinary research organization.

The idea behind loading up on preworkout protein (Stout recommends 10 to 20 grams) is that once you begin taxing your muscles, they're already swimming in aminos. Take anything that is comfortable for you to train on, such as half a protein bar (Grow! or Premier Eight), a few slices of turkey, a cup of yogurt or a large glass of milk.

;)
 
I can see that it may be beneficial in replenishing protein stores faster, but this has NOTHING to do with training performance. Proteins take MINIMUM of 4 hours to digest. You will not see any benefit to that during workout. Also, directly after workout your blood flow is still increased and in a perfect state for protein and carb loading.
Secondly, you are, by ingesting slow digesting foods, harming your workout performance because your body is using half your energy to digest.

After the last post Abear, I had an extensive discussion on protein synthesis and breakdown with my girlfriend. She is a biochemist specializing in protein research. According to her, eating proteins before workout can help in the sense that you may replenish slightly better than directly after workout, but the difference would be negligible. At the same time you are greatly hindering your performance.
I understand the article you posted, even though it is without the statistical data. I am still in the position to disagree with what the good Dr is suggesting. I guess we are just going to have to be in disagreement on this one bro.
As for personal experience, my team QUICKLY moved away from any source of protein before training because, almost without exception, every time someone puked it up during. Once you vomit your blood sugar goes crazy and you can forget about the thought of a good session. And we are not talking about huge meals here. These guys are also top athletes, not rookies.

I can't think of anyone who would actually drink a glass of milk before training for Christ sake. That's insane.
 
thats cool. good post. :)
 
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