SHOULD I EAT A SNACK OR EXERCISE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
Part 4 of 4
When it comes to answering the frequent and reoccurring exercise question: TO eat or NOT to eat before exercising, I need to first ask you, "Why are you exercising?" Seriously -- Why are you about to go to the gym, go for a run, or partake in a Pilates class? Know the answer to that question and I will provide you with the answer to the question of eating before exercise or not.
Are you about to go to the gym to lift weights in the hopes of building bigger muscles (hypertrophy)? If that is the reason for your trip to the gym then you NEED TO EAT before you go to the gym. Eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread or fuel-up on a Greek yogurt with a handful of oatmeal (or granola) with some slices of banana on top about two hours BEFORE you start lifting iron. The Greek yogurt has a sufficient amount of protein in it to provide your muscles with the amino acids they need to increase in size following exercise (protein can take 4 hours to fully digest) and by adding a serving of oatmeal or granola to your yogurt your body will have some slow digesting carbs to provide those hard working muscles with the energy they'll require throughout the workout. The banana on top contains the instant monosaccharides your body will use to initiate your exercise session from the word, "Go!"
If your desire is to burn nasty fat from off of your waist, hips, thighs, and buttocks then I will tell you the best option to accomplish your fat-burning goal is to exercise first thing in the morning BEFORE you have anything to eat and then perform intervals of high intensity and low-moderate intensity for eight to ten cycles. Yes, I am suggesting that you go to the gym or out for your run on an empty stomach -- You think this is workout heresy? It's not! In order for your body to use stored fat as energy, the body must first disassemble your triglycerides stored in your fat cells in order to get those stored fats through the cell's membrane and make them accessible to the body to fuel movement, thought, cellular repair -- basically everything -- but your body won't burn fat if it is releasing insulin in response to a recent meal. The body cannot secrete its calorie-storing hormone knows as insulin at the very same time it is releasing its fat breakdown hormone. The best chance YOU HAVE at burning more fat over any other time of the day is AFTER you have woken up from a good night's sleep and haven't eaten anything yet.
If you are NOT a middle-of-the-night snacker, the chances of your body waking up in a fasted state and being partially depleted of its glycogen stores (stored sugar calories found in your muscles and liver) is really good. If you exercise NOW in this semi-fasted state, your body will have a greater opportunity to use up the remainder of your body's stored glycogen and cause your pancreas to secrete glucagon (the hormone that signals to the body to release its stored fat for chemical breakdown to fuel for its energy needs) and get to burning fat.
A word of extra advice here -- If burning fat is your aim in the hopes of reducing your body-fat percentage and weigh less, then make sure following your high-calorie burning cardio exercise routine that you eat a post-exercise meal of healthy fat and protein and not carbs. Now that your body has depleted its day's worth of glycogen, it will be looking to refill those tired muscles and your liver with new glycogen. If you do not eat carbs (found in common after-exercise meals: fruit, smoothies that contain fruit, store-bought yogurt with mixed fruit, a Starbucks' muffin and its flavored coffee with sugar & cream/milk, or a bagel and cream cheese) your body will be forced to breakdown even more of its stored fat to restore the required glycogen.
If you are of normal weight and body-fat percentage, seeking to get toned, and you do not want to bulk up, then you can eat before you go exercise. You should enjoy an easily digestible & absorbable breakfast that has a moderate amount of protein, complex carbs, and simple carbs. A green smoothie made with vanilla-flavored soy, almond, or hemp milk with a banana, a scoop of protein powder, a handful of spinach, and a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of oatmeal about two hours before you throw on your tank top and workout shorts would be perfect for a person just like you. A breakfast like this would allow this exerciser to get the most out of her or his exercise-training session.
Are you about to go to the gym to lift weights in the hopes of building bigger muscles (hypertrophy)? If that is the reason for your trip to the gym then you NEED TO EAT before you go to the gym. Eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread or fuel-up on a Greek yogurt with a handful of oatmeal (or granola) with some slices of banana on top about two hours BEFORE you start lifting iron. The Greek yogurt has a sufficient amount of protein in it to provide your muscles with the amino acids they need to increase in size following exercise (protein can take 4 hours to fully digest) and by adding a serving of oatmeal or granola to your yogurt your body will have some slow digesting carbs to provide those hard working muscles with the energy they'll require throughout the workout. The banana on top contains the instant monosaccharides your body will use to initiate your exercise session from the word, "Go!"
If your desire is to burn nasty fat from off of your waist, hips, thighs, and buttocks then I will tell you the best option to accomplish your fat-burning goal is to exercise first thing in the morning BEFORE you have anything to eat and then perform intervals of high intensity and low-moderate intensity for eight to ten cycles. Yes, I am suggesting that you go to the gym or out for your run on an empty stomach -- You think this is workout heresy? It's not! In order for your body to use stored fat as energy, the body must first disassemble your triglycerides stored in your fat cells in order to get those stored fats through the cell's membrane and make them accessible to the body to fuel movement, thought, cellular repair -- basically everything -- but your body won't burn fat if it is releasing insulin in response to a recent meal. The body cannot secrete its calorie-storing hormone knows as insulin at the very same time it is releasing its fat breakdown hormone. The best chance YOU HAVE at burning more fat over any other time of the day is AFTER you have woken up from a good night's sleep and haven't eaten anything yet.
If you are NOT a middle-of-the-night snacker, the chances of your body waking up in a fasted state and being partially depleted of its glycogen stores (stored sugar calories found in your muscles and liver) is really good. If you exercise NOW in this semi-fasted state, your body will have a greater opportunity to use up the remainder of your body's stored glycogen and cause your pancreas to secrete glucagon (the hormone that signals to the body to release its stored fat for chemical breakdown to fuel for its energy needs) and get to burning fat.
A word of extra advice here -- If burning fat is your aim in the hopes of reducing your body-fat percentage and weigh less, then make sure following your high-calorie burning cardio exercise routine that you eat a post-exercise meal of healthy fat and protein and not carbs. Now that your body has depleted its day's worth of glycogen, it will be looking to refill those tired muscles and your liver with new glycogen. If you do not eat carbs (found in common after-exercise meals: fruit, smoothies that contain fruit, store-bought yogurt with mixed fruit, a Starbucks' muffin and its flavored coffee with sugar & cream/milk, or a bagel and cream cheese) your body will be forced to breakdown even more of its stored fat to restore the required glycogen.
If you are of normal weight and body-fat percentage, seeking to get toned, and you do not want to bulk up, then you can eat before you go exercise. You should enjoy an easily digestible & absorbable breakfast that has a moderate amount of protein, complex carbs, and simple carbs. A green smoothie made with vanilla-flavored soy, almond, or hemp milk with a banana, a scoop of protein powder, a handful of spinach, and a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of oatmeal about two hours before you throw on your tank top and workout shorts would be perfect for a person just like you. A breakfast like this would allow this exerciser to get the most out of her or his exercise-training session.
I hope I answered your TO EAT or NOT TO EAT BEFORE EXERCISE question. If you are in need of further details, please look through my other blog posts about exercise and eating. You can also go to my website DietBella.com and fill out my contact page with your inquiry. I will get back to you in about 24-72 hours.
Thx again for following my blog.
--Bell Gia
Thx again for following my blog.
--Bell Gia
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