This instalment features a topic on which you’ll find a plethora of opinions. The burning question of, “When should I eat around training?”. Let’s break this down into before, during and after exercise…
Before Exercise.
When and what to eat before exercise very much depends on two things:
1) How long and strenuous the exercise is
2) What the desired outcome of the session is.
You may have seen articles in the past about the virtues of ‘training in the fasted state’. Indeed, Michael Mosley did a BBC documentary a few years back covering it.
Training in the fasted state basically means not eating before exercise, for example, if you trained first thing in the morning before breakfast. Training in this way has been shown to increase some aerobic adaptations to exercise and is a tactic used by elite endurance athletes, however, I’m keen to stress that these benefits are very small.
The significant downside of training in this way is that much like driving your car with low fuel – you can’t go very far or perform at high intensities. For a 45-60 min moderate intensity session, it’s likely you can get away with not fuelling before and can harbour some of the small benefits mentioned but it’s very much personal preference.
Some people feel much better eating something before and, as such, can exercise more effectively. In this case, the benefits of being able to do more in the session far outweigh the benefits of training in the fasted state.
My advice:
Experiment with not eating before a session and see if you feel any different, if not then it could be a good small tweak you can make to your routine to gain some minor benefits.
If it’s a longer duration session e.g. over 60 mins or if it’s higher intensity e.g. intervals or challenging resistance training then you’re probably best eating before. I’d advise a normal size meal 2-4 hours before or a small snack 1-2 hours before
During exercise.
I wouldn’t advise anything other than drinking water to match thirst during exercise unless it’s a long endurance session of over 60 mins. In this case I’d advice small amounts of carbohydrates in liquid or solid form, depending on what you can tolerate.
After exercise.
You’ll hear a lot of talk about a ‘window of opportunity’ post-exercise when your muscles are more receptive to nutrients, especially protein, (*cue a picture of someone sprinting to get their protein shake before they’ve even left the gym).
There is some truth in that, however rather than a ‘small 20-30 min window’ as some people suggest the evidence shows us that it’s more of a ‘giant 24-hour doorway’ during which the body is more receptive to nutrients.
My advice:
Don’t sweat the small stuff. As long as you’re having something in the 2-4 hours after you train then you’ll still be benefitting from your training and adaptations.
Next week I’ll be covering what you should eat.
My podcast playlist: “The 6 BIGGEST fat loss mistakes” by Scott Baptie
“Fat loss should be simple, right?
You eat a little less, move a little more, and the fat should start to fall off. It sounds so straight forward but if you’ve ever tried to lose weight in the past then you know it is never that easy.
The good news is that it isn’t your fault. If you watch TV or browse Facebook then you’re constantly bombarded with confusing, conflicting, incorrect, often unhealthy and sometimes dangerous ‘healthy eating advice’. This contradictory info can make losing weight far harder and more unpleasant than it needs to be.
Fat loss isn’t a tricky process, provided you stay on track, do the basics right, and avoid these 6 common fat loss mistakes that even the smartest of dieters can succumb to…”
