This issue has always been a debate up until today. The short answer is that there is no right or wrong way to go. It all depends on the individual. Some people cannot exercise after they have eaten as they cannot digest as easy as others, while others just cannot exercise unless they fuel their bodies with food first.
Next, I will discuss some pros and cons on whether it is better to eat before or after exercising, as well as what my personal opinion is as a person who has been exercising all my life.
At the end I will give you some meal and snack ideas that you can eat either before or after exercise to maximize your training results.
What To Eat
Many people are afraid to eat carbs, especially if they are trying to lose weight, because they associate them with weight gain. The truth is, that carbs provide the body with the glycogen that the muscles need to perform well during exercise. If you skip carbs in general, you will feel tired all the time, and won’t be able to perform well during exercise, especially if you are doing aerobic type of exercise, where you need more energy. It’s like omitting to put fuel in your car, and still expect it to work. It won’t!
Of course you need to be careful on the type of carbs you eat. Try to choose complex carbs, or ‘good’ carbs, such as whole-wheat bread, sweet potatoes, quinoa, oats, beans, lentils, starchy vegetables and overall unrefined plant based food.
Try to avoid refined, or simple, or ‘bad’ carbs, such as sugar, cookies, cakes, prepacked food, white bread, white rice and flour, white pasta, and overall food that has been processed and changed from its original form.
Refined carbs will leave you with extra weight, while complex carbs will fuel your body with energy but will not make you gain weight.
Now what about protein? During exercise, many muscle cells get destroyed. In order to re-build them we need protein. Some examples of protein source include lean meat and poultry, eggs, fish, milk, yogurt, cheese, or more plant based proteins like nuts, legumes, beans, etc.
So combining complex carbs and protein in your meals will help you perform your best during exercise. Try to avoid fat as it will slow down your digestion, especially if you eat it before exercise.
Although I know you will tell me ‘I knew that’, I feel it is important to remind you that drinking water not only during exercise, but all day long, is of major importance, so you won’t get dehydrated. Water also helps you flash toxins, and also helps with weight loss. So don’t forget it.
Before Or After Exercise?
If you are a morning exercise person, then it might be difficult to eat breakfast 3-4 hours before exercise. So most people who exercise in the morning prefer to do it on an empty stomach and eat breakfast after, or might have just a cup of coffee if caffeine is a ‘must’ to start their day.
If it is impossible for you to exercise in the morning without breakfast first, then try to eat the minimum just to give you enough energy for your exercise, and have a regular breakfast after exercise.
If you exercise later in the day, mid day or afternoon, then the right thing to do is to combine carbs and protein into a meal 3-4 hours before exercise. This will provide you with enough energy to perform well during exercise, and you have enough time to digest before exercise.
After exercise, there is something that the experts call ‘window of recovery’. What that means in simple words, is that if you have your next meal within an hour more or less after exercise, then it is easier for the body to replenish the destroyed cells and the glycogen lost during exercise. Put simpler, it replenishes the energy stores that were lost during exercise.
It doesn’t have to be a heavy meal. A smoothie would be a quick and easy option, or some yogurt with fruit.
My Personal Opinion.
Ever since I was a kid, I cannot think of my life without exercise. Even during my pregnancies, I was exercising until the last day before delivery, and starting again about a week after giving birth (of course I knew how to start carefully since it was too soon).
Overall, I find my energy levels higher when exercising in the afternoon, which is my favorite time for exercise. I know that I need to finish my last meal at least 3 hours before exercise, or I will feel too ‘heavy’ and lethargic to exercise. After exercise, I usually have a fruit or some yogurt as a snack, finishing with my regular meal a couple of hours later.
Although afternoon is my favorite time for exercise, sometimes I exercise in the morning. Since I don’t have the 3-4 hours before exercise available, I usually exercise on an empty stomach, or if I have some time I might have some coffee. After my morning exercise, I enjoy my breakfast. One of my favorite breakfast ideas is an egg omelet with spinach in it, with toast on the side and perhaps a sausage if I feel like it.
Having a full breakfast is very important in my opinion because it keeps me full for many hours so I won’t be looking for things to pinch.
Food And Snack Ideas To ‘Fuel’ Your Body With Energy
Next, here are some ideas for healthy snacks and meals that you can include in your daily routine, which, in combination with exercise, it will help you have a lot of energy all day long, and perhaps drop a few pounds if this is your goal.
1. Boiled egg and tomato sandwich in whole wheat bread.
2. Greek pitta and tzatziki dip.
Prepare the tzatziki by cutting a cucumber in small squares or on the grater, and adding it in a cup of yogurt. Then add a few drops of olive oil, a pinch of salt and paprika (optional). Ready.
3. Spinach omelet in a toast with optional sausage on the side.
4. Smoothie with your favorite ingredients.
Although there are endless recipes for smoothies here is an idea that I personally like: add in the blender a handful of frozen blueberries, a cup of milk of your choice, a few spinach leaves, 1/2 banana, mango, 1tsp almond butter and blend. Enjoy with some ice.
5. Fruit and yogurt granola.
In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp granola, pieces of fruit (fresh, dry or frozen), and optional a few almonds and 1/2 tsp linseed. If you want to make it a bit sweeter you can add a little bit of honey.
6. Avocado and feta in toast.
Melt your avocado and a small piece of feta cheese with a fork, add some lemon and salt for taste, and top a whole wheat toast.
7. Banana and peanut butter.
Cut one banana into slices, and add on top of each piece a little bit of peanut butter and optional a little bit of honey if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth.
8. Blueberry and chocolate.
Put some blueberries (fresh or frozen) in a bowl, and pour some melted dark chocolate on top. Let it cool in the fridge and enjoy your blueberry chocolate.
9. A handful mix of row nuts and dry fruit.
10. Chicken breast with boiled broccoli and 1/2 cup brown rice or a few pieces of baked sweet potato.
11. Energy balls.
Mix in a bowl some dried cranberries, peanut butter, goji berries, honey and a little bit of coconut oil. If you have protein powder add a scoop. Blend them all together and make small balls. Store them in a container. Consume within the next few days.
12. Rice cakes with peanut butter and honey.
13. Carrot and cucumber slices with yogurt dip
To prepare the yogurt dip mix together in a bowl 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tbsp mushroom soup powder and a few drops of olive oil.
14. Cottage cheese with honey and cinnamon.
15. Tuna salad with a piece of whole wheat bread.
16. Apple and low fat cheese slices with whole wheat crackers.
17. Grilled salmon with broccoli, spinach and tomato.
These are only a few ideas to help you get started. You can make your own recipes with your favorite ingredients.
Conclusion
In the end, there is no right or wrong decision on when you should eat when it comes to exercise. It depends on the individual and how easy each person can digest food.
If you exercise in the morning, it is up to you on whether you want to have breakfast before or after exercise, because you don’t have 3-4 hours available before exercise. You get up, and just go and exercise.
In the afternoon however, you want to make sure you have your last meal 3-4 hours before exercise, so you can perform better.
And don’t forget your 30-60 minutes ‘recovery window’. Make sure you have a light snack or a smoothie during that time to help your muscles recover faster and better.