The site ivillage.com reports that every responsible source in bodybuilding and athletics recommends that you eat after a training exercise, and preferably within 45 minutes (maybe up to 60) after a workout. This period, known as the golden hour, is when the muscles absorb the most nutrients and that's when glycogen, an energy reserve in your muscles, is replaced most efficiently.
This means that I should exercise and then eat. The question for all the holiday imbibbers is whether it's okay to eat and then exercise. Put another way, after you eat the feast of Easter meal, should you get to the exercising? If so, how soon?
I did a bit of research on this. Askville.com says that you should wait about 30 minutes or even 2 hours after a meal before you exercise. Also, because everyone's metabolism is different, it can be trouble to say to your digestive system, "Hey there, use my muscles for blood supply and energy!"
When it's a table-spreading display of food feast for one of the biggest holidays of the year, it can be a challenge to the body. Who feels bloated after a big meal? Any couch potatoes out there? After all, I'm not talking about a morning snack. Not a pick-n-choose buffet. Nibbling. Snacking. Lunch box quantity.
I am no aficionado on fitness training. What I understand from those who are… exercising on an empty stomach allows you to burn more of the stored fat in the body instead of what you've just eaten. For example, exercise in the morning (before you break the fast) can be effective. Now, we're talkin'!
How about in the evenings though? How long after an evening meal (especially a holiday feast) should one wait before jumping on the treadmill?
Actually, exercising on a empty stomach is not good. So… good news… eat and be merry. [Yea!]
The theory behind this is that your blood sugar levels are low when your body feels as if they are in a state of fast such as after going all night sleeping and not eating. What this means is that your body targets fat burning. [Yea! again]
The problem is that some studies have shown that fat burning doesn't really start until you're 20 minutes into your cardio workout. [I guess that's why most fitness plans recommend at least a 30-minute workout.]
This means you've probably wasted 20 minutes without a good source of fuel to sustain you. That could lead to fatigue before your body even starts metabolizing fat, which might mean shorter (and/or crappier) workouts in which you burn less calories than if you'd eaten a small snack to keep you going. Hmmm.... Critics also say you may even burn muscle if you don't have the necessary fuel for your workouts. Are you confused yet?
There are some other benefits to eating before your workout:
- It can boost your overall strength and stamina
- It can help you extend workouts from 30 min to an hour
- It can help you avoid low blood sugar, which can make you feel dizzy or nauseous [I don't want to fee dizzy or nauseous]
- It can make your workouts more enjoyable (since you're not thinking about eating the whole time [big hoorah here]
Sure, I tried it. It's a challenge on a holiday because of family and friends socially mixing. But according to my research, a work out with food in your system is a good thing, because it revs up your digestive system and your metabolism, so that your body continues to turn food into energy (not fat). Just wait some time to let your food intake settle.
Since all the experts say that it is valuable to work out with food in your system, eat up.
What's confusing is that experts also say it is good to exercise about an hour before you eat up.
Hmmm, this sounds as if you should exercise, wait an hour, eat up, wait an hour, and exercise again.
That's it on this and that today, blog.