The guidelines for timing eating with exercise are general because there are many factors to consider (like how much we eat, and how long and hard we exercise). In addition, we are all individual in our response to foods combined with physical exertion.
Everyone should follow a healthful, balanced diet every day: this, essentially, is considered your long-term pre-exercise “fuel.” That’s simple advice for us all. And so is the general recommendation to eat mostly carbohydrates (carbs) before activity for fuel, and more protein with carbs after activity (protein to rebuild; carbs to refuel).
However, there can be grey areas even with simple recommendations because we each differ in our needs. Let’s discuss a few of them.
If you exercise early in the morning, eating before exercise is up to you. Generally, it’s a good idea to eat first, for a good source of fuel, especially if your activity is long and you are really exerting yourself.
While some people can’t exercise on an empty stomach – they feel lightheaded and have no energy as they exercise – others don’t seem to need that extra food fuel before they hit the gym early in the morning. This could possibly be because they ate a large evening meal the night before or their activity isn’t too intense or strenuous. And there may be other factors.
For those who need to eat before activity – especially early morning – try finishing breakfast at least one hour before being active. If that’s not possible, have a small amount of food 30 minutes before exercise.
Small snacks immediately before and during exercise can be tolerated by most people, but it’s best to experiment and do what works for you. Carrots, an apple, a banana, grapes, or whole-grain crackers are good high-carb choices. You can include small amounts of yogurt if you like, as it provides a reasonable amount of carbs to help fuel your workout.
If you are going for a moderate 30-minute walk, eating before exercise is not necessary. Just take some water with you. However, the harder and longer you exercise, the more carbs you may need in your pre-exercise meals. And because this meal will be a large one, you should wait at least three hours before exercising to allow the food to digest.
You don’t want to interrupt the digestive process by shunting the blood supply from your stomach to your working muscles. Or you can choose to have a small high-carb, pre-exercise snack 30 minutes before intense exercise and take several high-carb snacks with you (like those mentioned above) to consume frequently throughout your activity.
Eating after exercise is also important to help your muscles recover and replace their glycogen stores (their stored fuel). Have a meal composed of both protein (to rebuild tissue) and carbohydrate (to refuel) within two hours of your activity.
When it comes to eating and exercise, we all differ. Experiment by paying attention to your performance and how you feel during your activity. This is your best guide to your personal pre- and post-exercise eating habits.
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Eve Lees has been active in the health & fitness industry since 1979. Currently, she is a Freelance Health Writer for several publication and speaks to business and private groups on various health topics.