Thread: Pre-workout carbs and post-workout protein?

how many meals do you get in between waking up and exercising?

upon waking up in the morning the body is in a hypoglycemic state, blood sugar is low. this is a less than optimum environment for exercise as the body can not generate enough energy from stored fats to fuel the workout. you really need to eat a decent amount of carbs before early am exercise to have enough energy. a matrix of simple and complex carbs is the best. try something like a protein shake with some ripe banana's and some whole oats like 1/2 cup.

Can you describe the rest of your diet - calories, grams protein, carb and fat - and your current training? Also what is the state of your conditioning? How much do you weigh, and how much bodyfat are you carrying?

I weigh around 179kg (174lb), 39, conditioning is pretty good and the omly thing that holds me up is pains in hips due to too much MA kicking in my earlier years. I try and run 5km every day. This calculator tells me I have 18.6% body fat at 174lb and 34" waist:

Body Fat Calculator

Normal day:

8am: Wake up, Orange Juice, Coffee.
10am: 4 Scrambled Egg on white toast (sometimes brown)
11am: 5km jog or 30 mins Cycling and Sprints.
1pm: Half block of Tofu or 2 baked potatoes with Tuna or Cheese Sandwich.
2.30 - 3pm: Weights
3.30pm: Post-workout Protein Shake
6-7pm: Dinner (various)
6-9pm: (Differing days) Boxing, Karate
10pm: Protein Shake (with Vit D and Fish Oil).

Every other day I hit weights, I try and run every day and have Karate/Boxing 4 nights a week. Karate is not a problem but energy levels during Boxing (twice a week) are a big problem since I upped my workouts and running.

Average day (minus beer):

http://japanreef.com/diet/June-4a.png

http://japanreef.com/diet/June-4b.png

I hit weights every 2 days. I have 2 routines so I'm hitting the same muscles every 4 days:

Routine 1:

Bench Press (dropset every other workout)
Shoulder Shrugs
Bicep Curls (usually BB, sometimes throw in Hammers and Preachers - often dropsetted)
Upright Row (with bar, supersetted with dumbells a lot)

Routine 2:

Squats
Deadlifts
Military Press
Situps

Few things to point out:

I have weak shoulders. Both have been separated due to snowboarding as a kid. Grade 6 separation (the worst) on one with no ligaments connecting collar bone to shoulder at all (even after surgery) and minor separation on the other. This means I can't lift super heavy with the bench or shoulder pressed. Can't really upright row or shoulder fly or any exercise that brings elbows up perpendicular to body with weight. I actually do perform shoulder flies every day with a small weight (2,3,4kg) just for general rehabilitation as it helps me with boxing.

Sometimes I'll do 5 or 6 rounds on the heavy bag before hitting the weights. This is HIIT by its very definition.

My ultimate goal is to be 170lb and 10% (which is a 30" waist). I can easily cut to a 30" waist but I'll be 15lb lighter so I'm looking for 15lb muscle. I'm bulking right now - about 1lb a week (thanks to input from you, Built, in another thread) but dammmmmmmmmn, bulking is like 20 times harder than cutting.

If energy supplements can help I'd like to lean towards that rather than more food. So thinking (hoping) the Yoghurt, Banana, Apple, Protein, Carb Drink combo before and after workouts and boxing can help.

Thanks for the help.

Okay your bodyfat is probably not that high. That calculator told me I'm 26% bodyfat and I happen to know I'm 17% because I've had three DEXA scans and I know my lean mass.

Your diet looks like you're getting plenty of protein and fat; your fibre could come up a bit and I'd ditch soy and all fruit juices.

I don't know why you run every day - it won't help you lean out. Is your weight stable at your current intake? Are you dropping, gaining, or maintaining?
Edit: you said you're bulking. I don't know if I'd recommend running daily, but on a bulk it probably won't cause you harm.

PS I feel ya' on the shoulder issues. My right shoulder causes me nothing but grief, old injuries suck.

Okay, I see a problem. You're running in the AM, then training just a few hours later. Try training without running in the AM. Do the run later in the day, or skip it entirely on training days.

What do you find hard about bulking?

I run for stamina building and that only because I box and training 3 rounds shadow boxing, 3 rounds on mits and 3 rounds sparring requires a lot of stamina. I would like to find a diet that allows me to train and gain as well as run daily and do boxing/karate in teh evenings. If it's beyond my capabilities I can certainly cut out the runs some days.

I find it hard to eat a lot. Even when physically hungry I often lack the mental will to actually eat.

Don't you take care on eating carbs before workouts or cardio, or carbs after or something?

Originally Posted by Logman

I run for stamina building and that only because I box and training 3 rounds shadow boxing, 3 rounds on mits and 3 rounds sparring requires a lot of stamina. I would like to find a diet that allows me to train and gain as well as run daily and do boxing/karate in teh evenings. If it's beyond my capabilities I can certainly cut out the runs some days.

Got it - you need the conditioning. You're overtraining though - you're losing your stamina rather than building it.

Originally Posted by Logman

I find it hard to eat a lot. Even when physically hungry I often lack the mental will to actually eat.

I don't understand.

Originally Posted by Logman

Don't you take care on eating carbs before workouts or cardio, or carbs after or something?

I'm not sure what you're getting at - I didn't say you shouldn't. But orange juice is junk food; it's liquid candy and no better for you than Coca Cola. Soy can lower your testosterone, as can overtraining.

What I meant is that even though I can be hungry the thought of eating is not appealing. I have to force myself to eat. Plus 4 scrambled egg on toast could easily last me 6 hours yet on this bulk I need to eat after 3. Eating a lot is just hard.

So you reckon cut out the tofu and just go with potatoes and tuna or a cheese granary bread sandwich. I'm not that keen on tofu but it has ridulously high protein levels.

As for orange juice, you'll notice I don't eat first thing in the morning and orange juice and coffee give me the sugar hit I need to start the engines in teh morning.

I also noticed that the sports drink I generally take to boxing has just 19 calories per 100ml whereas orange juice has 47 calories per 100ml. I was thinking about taking a bottle of orange juice to boxing instead. My energies levels there are a big concern for me.

To reach my goal of 170lbs at 10% do you have any ideas about how to get there? I was thinking of bulking to about 185lb (3 months), and cutting to 170lb (2 months) and then repeating. No idea if this is advisable or not.

distance running has an appetite suppressing effect on many by suppressing the hormone ghrelin.

your diet is also low in fats, low fat diets = low test production

Wow. Your diet sucks for the amount of work you're doing.

Eat. And you're eating low fat too as mentioned above. I mean if it's a cultural or economical thing and you can't or refuse to eat more then you need to cut back in your training...or do some serious meditations. This is why you feel "zapped", Shit dude your body runs on what you give it! Do you know how many calories your heart alone burns a day?

Welcome to the world of serious training. It's good that food is not appealing to you! Some of us have the opposite problem. I just at pizza hut and cupcakes in the middle of a cut. At some point we have to realize that food is fuel. I don't like the taste of gas but i have to pump in in the car for it to go. If you don't like eating you need denser calorie foods so you can eat less. Olive oil, fats, good fats, meat. My "bulking" peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are 500 calories a piece. Tofu is overrated in my book. Sports drinks too. You need to replace the tofu with some real food.

And yea, any time Built writes something, consider that Golden.

Problem is I'm a vegetarian so I don't eat meat. Never seen oatmeal here in Japan. Do have some peanut butter though. Would really appreciate some tips in improving my diet.

full vego, or do you eat fish and small children?

Originally Posted by Logman

As for orange juice, you'll notice I don't eat first thing in the morning and orange juice and coffee give me the sugar hit I need to start the engines in teh morning.

I understand, but it's the wrong kind of sugar. There's too much fructose in fruit juice - it has the same amount as the HFCS-sweetened Coca Cola I mentioned. If you want sugar, get some dextrose and make your own lemonaid with water, dextrose and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Originally Posted by theCaptn'

full vego, or do you eat fish and small children?

Good question - I believe Logman at least eats fish. (We'll work on the small children thing)

Logman, lean on fish, dairy and eggs for your protein. A bit of soy won't kill you, but I wouldn't eat it daily. And like Merkaba suggested, up your fats for easy calories. Olive oil is a particularly good choice, since it assists with testosterone production.

Yah, not full vego. I eat fish every evening pretty much.

So that fructose is going straight to the belly, eh? I'll cut down on that. I've heard you mention putting olive oil in a protein shake. How much should I add? A teasppon, tablespoon etc?

The reason I started this line of question is that lately when I work out and box my sweat is stinking of ammonia. This lead me to read it means a lack of carbs so I'm burning amino acids. Just now I had a pretty light workout of military press (5 sets), hammer curls (4 sets) and deadlifts (4 sets). 45 mins before the workout I had a banana, apple and yoghurt, a pretty massive bowl, and my sweat still smells of ammonia. Working out at home is not a problem but no-one likes to smell of cat piss at the gym. Any ideas?

Try starches rather than fruit. White rice with some sort of fatty fish, for example.

Burning amino acids isn't a problem if you remain nitrogen-positive, btw.

Aye, will try that tomorrow before boxing.

Stinking of Ammonia is a big problem for others at my gym I'm sure.

Originally Posted by Built

Try starches rather than fruit. White rice with some sort of fatty fish, for example.

Burning amino acids isn't a problem if you remain nitrogen-positive, btw.

fish before a workout would make me puke. I prefer chicken breast and baked potato with cinnamon sugar sprinkled, or if no time, oatmeal and whey mixed together.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

fish before a workout would make me puke. I prefer chicken breast and baked potato with cinnamon sugar sprinkled, or if no time, oatmeal and whey mixed together.

oatmeal and whey is a real easy meal when you have a morning WO to smash.

Originally Posted by theCaptn'

oatmeal and whey is a real easy meal when you have a morning WO to smash.

Absolutely. I love All Day Whey by Beyond Nutrition...(shameless plug), but the flavor is so freakin good!

Originally Posted by juggernaut

Absolutely. I love All Day Whey by Beyond Nutrition...(shameless plug), but the flavor is so freakin good!

Throw in a handful of walnuts big fella

Originally Posted by theCaptn'

Throw in a handful of walnuts big fella

helllz yeah!

Originally Posted by LAM

upon waking up in the morning the body is in a hypoglycemic state, blood sugar is low.

Carbs = Elevated Insulin

Hypoglycemic is a bit overstated. You insulin level is low, which provides some training benefits.

Insulin Blocks Lypolysis

Elevated insulin levels blocks body fat from being burned.

Originally Posted by LAM

this is a less than optimum environment for exercise as the body can not generate enough energy from stored fats to fuel the workout. you really need to eat a decent amount of carbs before early am exercise to have enough energy.

Plenty of Muscle Glycogen

Upon waking, you have pleanty of glucose (stored in the muscle as glycogen) to "generate enough energy" to have a good workout.

Along with the glycogen utilized for energy, more body fat will be burned during your workout.

Kenny Croxdale

Kenny, thank you for that.

Originally Posted by Kenny Croxdale

Plenty of Muscle Glycogen

Upon waking, you have pleanty of glucose (stored in the muscle as glycogen) to "generate enough energy" to have a good workout.

I thought glycogen is depleted in the morning, no.

fasted AM cardio is the best way to drop BF

Originally Posted by theCaptn'

fasted AM cardio is the best way to drop BF

??.... and muscle

Originally Posted by Merkaba

??.... and muscle

??? . . . gears + BCAAs ??

I'm talking 20-30mins here, not hours!

There are benefits to be had from AM cardio, provided it's not intense. Wake up, go for a walk, come home and eat.