Carb/Protein timing in relation to exercise

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01-09-2008 , 03:14 PM

DMMx69

old hand

Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,680

After a bit of research, I have seen mixed opinions on whether it is better to eat both carbs and protein before and after a workout, or if it is better to eat carbs before, and proteins after.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

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01-09-2008 , 03:24 PM

thirddan

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protein should be a constant EVERY time you eat...carbs are normally taken after although some coaches recommend pre/during/post for carbs...

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01-09-2008 , 03:38 PM

Thremp

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I typically take a third of my shake before and 2/3 after.... Probably around 500-600 calories in total for these two "meals".

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01-09-2008 , 06:10 PM

AZK

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Originally Posted by DMMx69

Eat right all the time, ignore post workout nutrition for now.

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01-09-2008 , 06:32 PM

00Snitch

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Eat right all the time, ignore post workout nutrition for now

This is one thing I've often wondered. The whole drinking your protien shake post-workout, eating carbs before, all that junk, is it really going to make a difference unless you are an elite athlete. I mean, I lift weights 3 times a week for around an hour, am I really going to get a tangible benifit from micromanaging my protien/carb intake?

Its like the idea about doing your cardio work in the morning before you eat because its better for burning fat or something. I'm sure it does, but how big is the difference?

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01-09-2008 , 06:35 PM

thirddan

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i find that i am much less sore and feel better the days following a workout if i eat properly around my workout...

but obv, eating correctly and disregarding specific pwo protocols > pwo protocols w/ a crappy nutrition lifestyle...

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01-09-2008 , 06:35 PM

00Snitch

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Its kinda like, I could put the best oil and gas in my car, but its a 1990 ****-box so it wont make a difference to how it runs. However, if I had some bad ass fararri or something I would put all the good stuff in it.

Am I making any sense...

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01-09-2008 , 06:38 PM

thirddan

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poor analogy methinks...in the case of your body you are trying to go from a gremlin to a ferrari so you should do what it takes to get there > proper nutrition...

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01-09-2008 , 06:51 PM

00Snitch

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Yep, no doubt about the "propper nutrition" part, but what I mean is if I generally eat well. Lets say my diet looks like the food pyramid - lots of grains/wheat stuffs, lots of veggies, some meat, some poultry and little bits of fat/sugar - until I'm "highly tuned", like high level athlete is there a big benifit in micromanaging diet like that?

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01-09-2008 , 07:27 PM

#10

Thremp

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Originally Posted by 00Snitch

This isn't micro managing. Its making the biggest dietary upgrade to your two most important meals a day.

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01-09-2008 , 07:29 PM

#11

JackInDaCrak

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Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 9,248

The food pyramid is bunk. Even the USDA withdrew it (last year, I think) in favor of something else. It's right on about getting little sugar, but you can certainly include much more fats, dairy, and meats than it reccommends, and you should be getting less grains, probably.

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01-09-2008 , 07:35 PM

#12

AZK

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snitch - 1) forget about PWO nutrition if you are still using the USDA food pyramid, 2) bad analogy, but the idea is there, if you lift 3 times a week, don't have any special discipline, programming, determination in your workouts, then PWO nutrition is way overated. Note this isn't an insult, I'm in the same situation, and so are 99% of the people out there. I'd focus more about reducing the stress in your life, increasing your sleep (assuming most people don't sleep enough), and improving your diet. These 3 things will likely improve performance and help you reach your goals faster and more efficiently than PWO nutrition.

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01-09-2008 , 07:38 PM

#13

00Snitch

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OK... I tend to ramble and not make much sense when I don't really know what I'm talking about - my last post is an obvious example of that...

Thremp, I'm confused... "Its making the biggest dietary upgrade to your two most important meals a day.". You are saying that your pre and post workout meals are the two most important meals of the day?

Or do you mean that switching to a diet based on a food pyramid is making a big dietary upgrade?

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01-09-2008 , 07:39 PM

#14

AZK

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he is saying he thinks that pre and post workout nutrition are the 2 most important meals of the day.

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01-09-2008 , 07:45 PM

#15

00Snitch

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snitch - 1) forget about PWO nutrition if you are still using the USDA food pyramid

OK, I don't specifically mean "The Food Pyramid" or anything. I don't really know anything about nutrition (obviously) - I was using that more as a guidline of "healthy" eating.

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2) bad analogy, but the idea is there, if you lift 3 times a week, don't have any special discipline, programming, determination in your workouts, then PWO nutrition is way overated. Note this isn't an insult, I'm in the same situation, and so are 99% of the people out there.

Certainly no offense taken, this is exactly what I have been trying to get at. For the vast majority of people (like me) who are never going to be a pro athlete or anything (I'm working out so that I can play low grade rugby), is it really that benificial to be worrying about your exact intake of carbs/protien and at what time in the day, or in relation to your workout you should be taking them.

I would assume not.

Last edited by 00Snitch; 01-09-2008 at 07:47 PM. Reason: football = rugby

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01-09-2008 , 07:51 PM

#16

00Snitch

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bad analogy

How about spending $50 bucks on golf balls when you have a 36 handicap and you wont hit them any different to $10 gold balls.

Or buying a $400 cricket bat when your batting average is 5.

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01-09-2008 , 08:03 PM

#17

Thremp

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Quote:

Originally Posted by AZK

he is saying he thinks that pre and post workout nutrition are the 2 most important meals of the day.

Yes, and I'm probably overstating it. Since breakfast is right up there with post and most important, but they are def a cut above the other 3+ you are eating.

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01-10-2008 , 12:01 AM

#18

POKEROMGLOL

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i have a question about this kind of. What about eating carbs before some kind of athletic event.

For example: i ran a 10k on thanksgiving and i wasn't exactly sure when i should "carb up" or whatever, or if i should at all. I just ate a huge plate of pasta the night before and it seemed to work....but who knows.

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01-10-2008 , 04:59 PM

#19

maniacut

old hand

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,976

the optimal time to eat is gonna depend on what activity you're doing. I'm surprised nobody has answered your Q yet but maybe that's because we're light on runners, or they're shy or something... Anyway for me when i lift i usually eat 1 hour before lifting, and sometimes up to 3 hours before, optimal time is probably somewhere in between but closer to 1 hour than to 3. If i'm going to be playing basketball i like to let the food sit in there a bit longer so i'm not playing until at least 2 hours after eating.

Maybe others can chime in with when they usually eat before their specific exercise activities.

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01-10-2008 , 05:37 PM

#20

AZK

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Snitch - I would focus more on getting your protein/carbs/fat from whole foods and eating whole meals. That alone is more important than macronutrient timing and amount. Thremp and I don't really see eye to eye on post workout nutrition and the western idea of breakfast, but I'm sure we agree on eating whole real food. Work on that first, tinker with the rest later.

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01-10-2008 , 05:59 PM

#21

onlinebeginner

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Quote:

Originally Posted by 00Snitch

How about spending $50 bucks on golf balls when you have a 36 handicap and you wont hit them any different to $10 gold balls.

Or buying a $400 cricket bat when your batting average is 5.

LOL at a cricket analogy

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01-10-2008 , 07:20 PM

#22

00Snitch

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Yep, thats kinda what I wanted to hear.

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LOL at a cricket analogy

Its summer in Australia!

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01-10-2008 , 08:06 PM

#23

Thremp

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Quote:

Originally Posted by AZK

No we don't agree on that either. I think you're basically a space cadet wrt this aspect of nutrition.

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