Pre and Post Workout Meal Myth

You might have heard it a million times: eat before a workout, eat after a workout. It's crucial to build muscle, or so they say. But what if much of what we've been told about the pre workout meal myth is just that... a myth?

We're often led to believe we need to consume something before, during, and after a training session to boost performance.

The idea is to load up with food before, during, and after exercising. But this common belief might need some rethinking.

The Truth About Glycogen Stores

What are glycogen reserves? Glycogen is basically stored sugar residing in your muscles and liver.

It's not a massive amount. It usually taps out around the 30-minute mark of an intense workout. After that? Your body is searching for a different fuel source.

Your Body Shifts Fuel Sources

After you use up that stored sugar, your body cleverly switches. It transitions from sugar-burning to using an alternative fuel source. You are actually utilizing fat as energy.

So, eating sugary things before, during, or right after can actually hinder weight loss. It seems counterintuitive for those focused on becoming slim. The body burns through sugar before it even touches fat.

Protein and Insulin's Role in The Pre Workout Meal Myth

Let's shift gears to protein. Things like a whey protein shake are often suggested. These could actually give more unwanted blood sugar spikes compared to the protein in a whole egg, which has more fat and nutrients.

Concentrated proteins can do it, too. Basically, every time you eat, you are elevating blood sugars. Why is this bad for fat oxidation and becoming slim?

Insulin's Impact on The Body

Insulin is key. Consuming things like carbs can really affect this whole process. Insulin is also the fat-storing hormone.

Consider letting your own fat be your 'meal,' so to say. It might be a better approach than downing pre-workout supplements.

Building Muscle: It's About the Long Game

Muscle building isn't a "right here, right now" process with a pre-workout meal. The protein shake you drank won't instantly transform into bicep mass. It goes through processing that could take a full day or even a bit more.

The truth is, it's often the meals from the previous day that are supporting your muscle development. Eating healthy on a daily basis plays a large role, even on non-workout days. So, the meals from the day are a factor.

Liver Health is Vital

Too much protein can strain it, which really has negative effects. A healthy liver helps support muscle. Essential trace minerals, like zinc, support muscle protein synthesis too.

The Impact of Growth Hormone on Fat Oxidation

Growth hormone is crucial for efficient fat oxidation and muscle tone. Now, what role does your blood glucose play in all this? Let's talk details.

Exercise puts stress on the body. This might sound negative, but it has positive results, including enhanced fat oxidation. But when and how you eat in relation to exercise is really essential.

The Ideal Recovery Phase

Eating could actually disrupt and limit potential gains and recovery. This critical period often goes 24-48 hours beyond your actual exercise session. Better sleep habits, coupled with smart dietary choices, are critical for supporting fat oxidation.

There are a couple of caveats, of course. This could vary based on you. These general rules can help improve performance improvements.

Growth Hormone and The Connection to Exercise

Here's the bigger picture. The hormone largely responsible for utilizing fat for energy is called growth hormone. This hormone becomes particularly active during physical activity.

Growth hormone is activated by multiple things. Working out is just one activator. Getting a full night's sleep each day can also enhance it.

This lower state activates growth hormone. Keeping it active can allow the benefits to continue post-exercise.

How The Pre Workout Meal Myth Can Reduce Performance

Many trainers might suggest energy bars and shakes before the gym. Is that a correct strategy? This topic deserves a second look for several factors.

Here are several reasons the common advice may actually be bad advice:

Here is a simple table outlining potential downsides to the common advice about workout nutrition:

Fueling Your Workout with Smart, Targeted Nutrition

The idea that you need a large meal before every workout is a common misconception. In reality, the body can efficiently use stored energy—especially when following a ketogenic diet or practicing intermittent fasting.

For those engaging in fasted workouts, strategically choosing light, nutrient-dense options can help maintain performance without disrupting fat-burning processes.

Intermittent fasting snacks like a handful of macadamia nuts, a boiled egg, or a spoonful of almond butter provide a quick source of energy without spiking insulin levels.

These snacks offer healthy fats and moderate protein to support muscle performance and recovery.

Timing your intake correctly and choosing low-carb, high-fat foods can optimize your workout results while allowing your body to remain in a fat-burning state.

Over time, this approach can enhance metabolic flexibility and improve workout performance, all while supporting your fasting lifestyle.

Conclusion

The common wisdom around the "pre workout meal myth" deserves reevaluation. What we've learned is it is far from the truth.

There's a large focus on eating directly before and after, often involving pre-exercise carbohydrate ingestion.

But we are now finding that our normal daily food intake has a big effect on our goals, impacting muscle protein and CHO availability.

Growth hormone, a critical factor, becomes more active during activity. Insulin from food may halt that process, including maximal fat oxidation.

The goal for many is increasing metabolism and building muscle mass. Instead of pre-workout meals or CHO ingestion, prioritize quality sleep.

For certain scenarios, like with trained athletes focused on optimal performance and increasing CHO, it could potentially be helpful to time food consumption, focusing on CHO availability for skeletal muscle.

FAQs about pre workout meal myth

Do you really need a pre-workout meal?

For most people trying to become slim and burn fat, you do not need it. Timing can impact growth hormones and other metabolic factors. It's your previous day's meals that are fueling it and influencing glucose homeostasis.

Can I eat rice 30 minutes before a workout?

Eating quickly beforehand is counterintuitive, even with simple carbohydrates. Your body will take a lot longer to process and make use of that as fuel, affecting plasma glucose. Ingesting CHO so soon before may not help.

What happens if you don't have a pre-workout meal?

If your goal is fat-burning and increasing leanness, skipping pre-workout meals can help. It has the potential to push your body into an optimum zone, supporting substrate oxidation. You won't be experiencing insulin-mediated inhibition.

Is it okay to eat 30 minutes before the gym?

Unless you have unique circumstances, like being a pro athlete, you likely do not need to, as this impacts endogenous CHO.

Your liver plays a role in digestion, so keep in mind it can get overloaded. For trained athletes and those doing endurance training, it might differ.