Thread: Should i eat before or after i run/lift weights ?

you want protein and carbs PWO

Originally Posted by Super Hulk

I would think if you ate food after a meal the energy you used during the workout would be replaced by the meal you ate afterwards. is it not a good idea to eat fat after a workout , generally ?

You NEED to eat post workout, its probably your most crucial meal. Eat some fast digesting protein(whey) and carbs, but limits fats as much as possible.

Originally Posted by Super Hulk

I would think if you ate food after a meal the energy you used during the workout would be replaced by the meal you ate afterwards. is it not a good idea to eat fat after a workout , generally ?

Ok -
You should eat BEFORE a weights workout (and this is just as, if not more, important than afterwards). This is because you want fuel available during your workout so you can:
a. lift to your maximal intensity
b. create a hormonal and energy environment that does not result in excess catabolism

So a good pre-workout meal ~1 to 1.5 hours beore training is a good idea.

In terms of eating afterwads - with weights, if you want optimal gains/optimal recovery, then you are best eating afterwards as well. This is to replenish/restore all the things that were damaged/depleted during training (eg: rehydrate you, decrease free-radicals, increase glycogen stores, replenish amino acid pools, decrease cortisol) and to help you recover (by increasing glycogen and amino acid).

You want a PWO meal of both carbs and protein - but avoid fats and excess fibre as you want a rapid uptake of the nutrients to get maximal benefits.

In terms of cardio - It depends on the intensity and duration of your workouts as to if you REALLY need to eat right before or after training... It also depends on your overall calorie intake, your goals and your willingness to lose a little muscle mass...

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

In terms of cardio - It depends on the intensity and duration of your workouts as to if you REALLY need to eat right before or after training... It also depends on your overall calorie intake, your goals and your willingness to lose a little muscle mass...

why would somone want to lose muscle mass ?