Diet and exercise are crucial factors that can make or break your overall health. These two actually play hand in hand as well, with proper nutrition fueling your workouts and helping your body to recover and adapt. That is why consuming nutrient-dense foods is important, as well as taking supplements from Designs for Health at Supplement First to get enough nutrients you may not get from what you eat.
But one huge question many people ask is: Should you eat before or after exercising? A lot of people tend to ask this, especially for those who exercise in the morning. Well, here’s what you must know.
Exercising on an Empty Stomach
Our bodies have different responses to exercise based on whether we eat before exercise or not.
When exercising fasting, you may increase your body’s ability to use fat for fuel. Fat is stored as triglycerides in fat tissue and carbs are stored in your muscles and liver through glycogen. Studies have shown that blood sugar is higher before and during exercise when eating before working out. This is because our bodies use carbs for energy during exercise. If you exercise on an empty stomach, your body’s energy needs will be met by breaking down body fat.
This may leave you thinking that you experience better fat loss when exercising while fasting. Well, not all the time. There is still no strong evidence that exercising on an empty stomach can result in greater fat or weight loss. Studies have shown almost no difference between women who exercised on an empty stomach versus those who exercised after eating. In fact, not eating before short-duration exercise might not affect their performance!
Exercising After Eating
How about eating after exercising? An analysis of long-duration exercise after eating reported better performance, particularly after consuming a meal primarily of carbs. A meal consisting of slower-digesting carbs or eating a few hours before exercise can benefit long-duration exercise, which can also benefit endurance athletes.
Which Is Better?
There is no better option as this will all depend on your preferences. That said, most experts agree that you will benefit from eating after exercise. This will help your body recover and adapt. It’s recommended to eat as soon as possible after exercise, especially if you haven’t eaten anything beforehand.
For those who choose to eat before exercising, do consume a well-balanced meal 3-4 hours before your workout, having carbs and lean protein with limited fats and fiber. If you are about to work out in less than 1-2 hours, it’s best to go for a small pre-workout snack with carbs. You can also skip the pre-workout snack or meal overall if you plan on exercising for a shorter time.
Regardless of your choice, make sure that you do choose healthy meals to consume before or after exercise, possibly with a supplement from Pure Encapsulations at Supplement First to make up for nutrients.
Wrapping It Up
Make sure to keep this information in mind the next time you consider eating before or after a workout.
