Thread: Newbie questions on Cardio (whats too much / eat before or after?)

Two questions
-I was wondering how much cardio is too much?
-For fat burning, when do you want to eat, before or after your cardio?

Yesterdray I ate a tuna sandwich, then did 40 minutes of an elyptical at the gym that claimed I burned 700 cals, then went to judo pratice for an hour, and there was a 20 minute travel time between each of those. I'm wondering "how wrong was that".... should I have eaten after the cardio instead of before, did I over-do it cardio wise for the day causing my body to burn muscle?

Thanks
Marc
29yo/5'9"/180lbs

Originally Posted by cluemein

Two questions
-I was wondering how much cardio is too much?
-For fat burning, when do you want to eat, before or after your cardio?

Yesterdray I ate a tuna sandwich, then did 40 minutes of an elyptical at the gym that claimed I burned 700 cals, then went to judo pratice for an hour, and there was a 20 minute travel time between each of those. I'm wondering "how wrong was that".... should I have eaten after the cardio instead of before, did I over-do it cardio wise for the day causing my body to burn muscle?

Thanks
Marc
29yo/5'9"/180lbs

how much cardio is too much is really up in the air and is totally dependant on:

a) what your overal weekly training looks like
b) what your overal weekly intensity looks like



For fat burning, eating something before and after the workout is going to be ideal. A lot times people favor BCAAs pre-workout and then a shake w/ some slower burning carbohydrates, like oats.

You probably should have had something after your cardio and before your judo practice....especailly becasue you need energy to perform optimally in the judo practice and you don't want to feel drained or unable to perform at the top of your game....aside from decreasing your performance potential, the lack of proper nutrition can contribute to fatigue and possibly injury as you are unable to respond to certain things going on in the class in the quickest manner possible.