What to Eat Before and After a Workout

Several people have asked me what and when to eat before and after Muscle Group. It is best to consume a substantial meal 3 to 4 hours before vigorous exercise. This will provide adequate calorie and nutrient intake while allowing enough time to digest the food. While some people seem to have iron stomachs, more of us will experience cramps or stomach discomfort in the event that we have eaten too much too close an intense workout. For those who attend Muscle Group, this would mean eating a late lunch around 1 or 1:30 on those days. The size and content of your lunch will depend on your specific goals and food preferences, but generally speaking, you will want to take in 400-700 calories and include protein, fat, and carbs.

Certain people following this advice may experience hunger or may feel weak/shaky due to low blood sugar before or during the workout. If this is the case, try consuming a high-carbohydrate, low-fat snack anywhere from 30-90 minutes before the workout. (The timing will depend on how quickly your body processes food.) Avoid too much fat here as it will delay stomach emptying. Some ideas are banana w/ yogurt, half bagel w/ peanut butter, or a Luna bar.

After working out, you will want to consume a mixture of carbohydrates and protein. Exercise stimulates our bodies to synthesize proteins and build muscle tissue, but only if amino acids are available in the bloodstream. Similarly, carbohydrate is needed to regenerate muscle glycogen stores after training. Studies have shown that consuming a carb/protein mixture directly after a workout, one hour later, or three hours later, are all equally effective at stimulating protein synthesis (aka muscle-building). Some quicker ideas are milk or yogurt smoothies mixed with fruit, a turkey sandwich, eggs w/toast. If you are preparing dinner post-workout, look to lean meats or fish as a protein source and grains such as pasta, rice or cous cous as your carbohydrate.