Eating Before A Fasted Workout. Part 2: “Should I eat before I workout…?”
Filed Under (Fitness, Nutrition) by Mario on 08-01-2009
Tagged Under : Addison, boot camps, exercise, Fitness, health, North Dallas, Nutrition, personal training
On my last post I talked a little about eating before and after workouts, pre-and post workout meals, and gave a few examples of what those meals should consist of. I would like to add a little to my answers of YES, more specifically to this question of “Should I eat before my early morning fitness boot camp class/workout (or fasted workout)?”
I started thinking more about this popular question and the answer that I have been giving to those who ask, and the answer that I was given before I started my career in health and fitness. So I contacted a couple of exercise experts I know and asked them the same question. Jenny Williams, a Fitness Specialist and Sports Nutritionist out of Power Play Fitness Training Studio, and Tom Venuto, a Competitive Natural Bodybuilder and Fitness Industry Expert. I will have to say that I am very happy I asked them this question because I myself have gained a tremendous amount of useful knowledge to add to my health and fitness bank!
I was surprised that I got almost EXACTLY the same answer from both of these knowledgeable and experienced professionals. I have summed up both of their answers into one to the best of my ability as to help readers understand what they had to say as easy as possible.
There are 2 different types of “workouts” that we engage in, aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (resistance or strength training).
- If your early morning workout is going to consist of strictly cardio, they suggested that working out on an empty stomach was a good idea. Being that’s the FIRST thing you did after your 6-9 hour fast (sleep).
- But if your early morning workout consisted of mostly any type of resistance or strength training, high intensity training, OR training to improve performance (which in my opinion is any strength training, athlete or not), then having something to eat was a GREAT idea.
So for those of you who participate in early morning exercise like a fitness boot camp, it seems that we recommend having a little something in the system be good practice.
I am not going to get into the physiological and scientific details of why these answers stand in this blog post, but if you are interested in finding out I would suggest going to Tom’s website and look for “A.M. Fat Burn” in his article library. It’s a very good article. And if you are interested in learning more about Jenny you can also visit her website. I actually have had the pleasure of working and training right next to Jenny! Impressive!
I keep fit with milk.
I would never recommend eating before a workout. Aside from the fact that it can cause you to feel bloated, it can also lead to cramps. I usually drink a lot of water before a workout, and eat right after when my metabolism starts kicking in.
Just my 2-cents..
Studies have shown that FUELING your body for specific movements & before ANY specific ACTIVITY can be very beneficial. It really all depends on factors like: How long did you eat before movement (exercise/activity)? What type of fuel (food) did you eat? What kind of movement are you engaging in & for how long?
The bloating & cramping effect is usually related to 2 things…. you probably ate too soon & have not given your body enough time to digest or the type of foods that you ate were not the best type or combination of food for you & your movement. Thank you for your comment & make it a great day! : ) In good health.
MIlk DOES & WILL do a body good! To get the benefits of milk like calcium, vitiman D, good fats, carbohydrates & proteins… the BEST source is going to be from RAW ORGANIC milk. That means no pasteurization or homogenization! Want to know more? Support my blog & the movement towards better quality food education & subscribe for free! Thank you for your comment & make it a great day! : ) In good health.