Gym - before or after breakfast?
Discussion
I used to cycle to and from work. I found the same with if I ate, I had to wait ages. I felt a lot better eating when I got to work after the ride in. Noticed differences quickly too, don't know whether it was because the muscles needed to eat the excess fat tissue as it had no actual food.
gt500nick said:
pilchardthecat said:
This is the sort of mindless regurgitation of faux-science that gives PTs and other "professionals in the industry" a bad name. ... (but makes lots of money for supplements companies)
i don't work for a supplement company and never have done. I'm only trying to offer the guy a simple bit of advice, if you want a long winded essay on how the human body works using different energy systems and how nutrition, exercise, and recovery work together in order to see results i am happy to write you a paper on this. or if you prefer to just be a angry person with a keyboard and very little understanding of health then carry on by all means.emicen said:
gt500nick said:
pilchardthecat said:
This is the sort of mindless regurgitation of faux-science that gives PTs and other "professionals in the industry" a bad name. ... (but makes lots of money for supplements companies)
i don't work for a supplement company and never have done. I'm only trying to offer the guy a simple bit of advice, if you want a long winded essay on how the human body works using different energy systems and how nutrition, exercise, and recovery work together in order to see results i am happy to write you a paper on this. or if you prefer to just be a angry person with a keyboard and very little understanding of health then carry on by all means.All i can offer in return is a decade of wasted years in the gym following the bulls
t spouted above. In the relatively short time that i have seen the bullst for what it is and done the complete opposite to what the "professionals" advise I have seem better results in 12 months than the preceding 12 years. Yes I am angry, and everyone else should be too.
To be fair, if you want to get bigger and stronger, then eating before the gym works better than fasted training. Intermittent fasting is a good way to loose weight, but not such a good way to gain weight. I've had prolonged periods doing IF, and had noticably better gains when eating in the morning before, and then again after the gym.
In a stark departure from my usual posting style, I wasnt actually being flippant/sarcastic for a change.
Would be interested to see some debate on this. Currently I am struggling to find time to train in the morning, but certainly when I clear some stuff out in work and find the time, I will be training before breakfast as umpteen studies have shown pre-breakfast interval training is the best way to achieve fat loss which is what I'm aiming for now.
When it comes to toning/definition, that may be a whole other ballgame.
Would be interested to see some debate on this. Currently I am struggling to find time to train in the morning, but certainly when I clear some stuff out in work and find the time, I will be training before breakfast as umpteen studies have shown pre-breakfast interval training is the best way to achieve fat loss which is what I'm aiming for now.
When it comes to toning/definition, that may be a whole other ballgame.
Most of the research papers suggest anytime after 1300 is the best time to train - with performance peaking between 1800 and 2000 - Deep muscle temperature is at its warmest therefore optimal performance is higher - edited to add there are other factors like testosterone levels, flexibility increases etc. There is a fair bit of evidence on swimming performance being at its optimal early evening out a group tested in the morning and an evening.
Also some on sports related world records being set mid to late evening.
Although one study into jump height showed a big increase in one group after a 20 minute general warm up on an exercise bike in the early morning group - but still not close to the evening group.
The basic conclusion was if you must train early doors then ensure you undertake a 20 minute general warm up from that study.
I took one study on a group of 12 myself, they completed the multi stage fitness test at 0700, 14:00, 16:00 and 19:00, cut a long story short my finding were the later they trained the better the level of shuttle they achieved. However if i'm being critical I didn't ask them if they had eaten any breakfast. Quite interesting as one of the lads was sure he felt stronger in the morning, I think that was mainly down to his set routine but he achieved another 6/7 shuttles (from memory)at 19:00.
My own basic experience is we used to do boxing training in 1995/96 at half 5 in the morning without any food with minimal warm up and get on with it okay, I take some lessons at half 5 and just make sure the warm up is 100% thorough with a gradual increase of plyo's and dynamic movements - if I train early now I may have a glass of milk and a bite of a banana but thats about it - but the earliest I train now is 0700 - to old for half 5 to particpate.
Also some on sports related world records being set mid to late evening.
Although one study into jump height showed a big increase in one group after a 20 minute general warm up on an exercise bike in the early morning group - but still not close to the evening group.
The basic conclusion was if you must train early doors then ensure you undertake a 20 minute general warm up from that study.
I took one study on a group of 12 myself, they completed the multi stage fitness test at 0700, 14:00, 16:00 and 19:00, cut a long story short my finding were the later they trained the better the level of shuttle they achieved. However if i'm being critical I didn't ask them if they had eaten any breakfast. Quite interesting as one of the lads was sure he felt stronger in the morning, I think that was mainly down to his set routine but he achieved another 6/7 shuttles (from memory)at 19:00.
My own basic experience is we used to do boxing training in 1995/96 at half 5 in the morning without any food with minimal warm up and get on with it okay, I take some lessons at half 5 and just make sure the warm up is 100% thorough with a gradual increase of plyo's and dynamic movements - if I train early now I may have a glass of milk and a bite of a banana but thats about it - but the earliest I train now is 0700 - to old for half 5 to particpate.
Edited by 996 sps on Friday 30th November 14:44
didelydoo said:
I can squat approx 10kg more in the second half of the day than first thing.....however, family life dictates I have to train before everyone else wakes up!
Exactly - Sometimes I only manage to squeeze 20 minutes in at lunch....sometimes I find being in a rush regardless of time of day you end up putting the work in.996 sps said:
I took one study on a group of 12 myself, they completed the multi stage fitness test at 0700, 14:00, 16:00 and 19:00, cut a long story short my finding were the later they trained the better the level of shuttle they achieved. However if i'm being critical I didn't ask them if they had eaten any breakfast. Quite interesting as one of the lads was sure he felt stronger in the morning, I think that was mainly down to his set routine but he achieved another 6/7 shuttles (from memory)at 19:00.
Were all the tests performed in one day, and were they done in the order you stated above, or were they mixed up. i.e. did some people do the 19:00 test as their first one, then an earlier test on another day?oOTomOo said:
Were all the tests performed in one day, and were they done in the order you stated above, or were they mixed up. i.e. did some people do the 19:00 test as their first one, then an earlier test on another day?
No it was completed over 3 months, they came to the gym when they were avaliable so for example 4 at 1900 etc, it was harder than I thought it would be to get 12 people to commit, I know what you're fishing for, there was loads of variables but as a basic study it was interesting.The lit review of the current papers points to training after 1300 if possible - but as mentioned above for the majority of us family and life does not allow that.
Really depends on the intensity of the workout.
I ride to work before breakfast, and I don't eat carbs in the evening really. If I keep my cycle to work (17 mi - 1 hour) sensible, its fine, if I raise the intensity, I get light headed and bonk after about 30 mins. I wouldn't do weights on a totally empty stomach, unless I was trying to lose weight (which I am now) and even then I'd take food with me just incase.
I ride to work before breakfast, and I don't eat carbs in the evening really. If I keep my cycle to work (17 mi - 1 hour) sensible, its fine, if I raise the intensity, I get light headed and bonk after about 30 mins. I wouldn't do weights on a totally empty stomach, unless I was trying to lose weight (which I am now) and even then I'd take food with me just incase.
In my own completely non scientific research and exercise in the morning works better when I've not had anything more than a lucosade or glass of water. I probably have more fuel to burn if I was to eat but then I find I spend most of the exercise with my food repeating on me.
After work I tend to have more energy which I assume is from eating during the day but as I've allowed it to settle down I don't have the repeating problem.
After work I tend to have more energy which I assume is from eating during the day but as I've allowed it to settle down I don't have the repeating problem.
I've been training for 10yrs + and I would never suggest training on an empty stomach. Your body simply cannot run without fuel.
I've tried training mornings, afternoons and evenings and the latter wins everytime.
I can't get anywhere near my PB's in the mornings.
My advice:
1. EAT properly (forget all this pre workout crap)
2. Train in the evenings
3. Never subsitute supplements for real food.
4. Eat little and often
I've tried training mornings, afternoons and evenings and the latter wins everytime.
I can't get anywhere near my PB's in the mornings.
My advice:
1. EAT properly (forget all this pre workout crap)
2. Train in the evenings
3. Never subsitute supplements for real food.
4. Eat little and often
jenkotvr said:
I've been training for 10yrs + and I would never suggest training on an empty stomach. Your body simply cannot run without fuel.
no one suggest the body can run without fuel - what people are suggesting is that food in the stomach has little to do with fuel needed to train.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff