Is it better to eat before or after a workout? The answer to the question is yes to both. Eating before and after your workout are both equally important. When you eat before your exercise you supply your body with enough fuel to power through your workouts. And when you eat after you work out it provides your body and muscles with enough nutrients for full recovery.
Is it better to eat before or after a workout? iStock-photo credit: Elenamist
And the two macronutrients that are ideal for your body pre and post workout are carbohydrates and protein. Carbs give you the necessary energy to get through the workout. And protein provides the amino acids that your body uses to repair and build muscle.
Your body is like a car and without fuel it won’t move very much with any success. When you wake up in the morning your blood sugar is fairly low so eating a piece of fruit or granola bar can give your body a needed boost of energy.
If you don’t have the energy because you haven’t consumed anything in your body, then it will affect your stamina. Especially when you are running on the treadmill, walking on the Stairmaster or even lifting weights.
If you don’t eat after you workout it could make you more fatigued or hungry because your body is screaming for nutrients for recovery purposes. Have you ever noticed after your workout your body is craving food? Your body is telling you that it needs nutrients after exerting it itself.
What you should eat after you workout is a meal that consists of protein, carbs and healthy fat. If you want to eat something light before you exercise you can grab a protein shake, small granola bar just to give a little boost of energy.
What type of meal should it be after you work out? Now here is a meal example:
- Stir fry with chicken, brown rice and vegetables.
- Or a broiled chicken, black beans, brown rice and a garden salad.
The Bottom Line is to get the most out of your workouts, it is best to eat before you work out and then try to eat a meal after you work out.
If you can eat before you work out it will give you the energy to fuel your workouts. And then eating afterwards helps your muscles recover because of the nutrients that you put into your body after you work out.
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