Pre-workout meal...how many cals and how long before?

[Cardinal234]

What do you usually have as a pre-workout meal or snack and how long before training do you eat it?

I need energy to work out but I hate working out on a full stomach.

If I were to have a medium-sized meal, like 400 calories, how long before training should I have it?

What about a snack, like 250 calories? Does the timing change if it's a shake with that many calories as opposed to whole food"

 

[coeus]

With a meal, you should wait at least an hour before going to the gym. With a shake, you can wait 30 mins. Before I do my weight training, I like to have a glass of grape or cranberry juice and a tbsp or two of ANPB about 35 mins before I get to the gym.

 

[SoreArms]

I like to eat carbs + protein, usually brown rice and chicken, 1-2 hours before I hit the gym. That gives the meal enough time to digest so that I make use of those carbs during my workout.

 

[Makavelli]

With a meal, you should wait at least an hour before going to the gym. With a shake, you can wait 30 mins. Before I do my weight training, I like to have a glass of grape or cranberry juice and a tbsp or two of ANPB about 35 mins before I get to the gym.

So you spike your insulin levels with sugar and then eat fat???....nice, but I think I'll pass. I don't like to store bodyfat.

Eat oatmeal or yams with a lean protein source 1-2 hours before training.

 

[coeus]

So you spike your insulin levels with sugar and then eat fat???....nice, but I think I'll pass. I don't like to store bodyfat.

Eat oatmeal or yams with a lean protein source 1-2 hours before training.

Works fine for me, the little bit of fat you get with the ANPB, 8gs wont really affect you. Both grape and cranberry juices are relatively low GI, less than 50, so they tend to provide me with a few ~30gs of carbs that doesn't cause a huge insulin spike.

Maybe I should have specified that the juice is all natural, no sugar etc etc added....

 

[CrazyRussian]

Uh...why?

There's these things called Whey protein shakes. I make mine with milk and strawberry/banana. Tastes great, it's quick, and you're ready to hit the gym in 20 minutes.

 

[SoreArms]

why use whey any other time than post workout? It's absorption rate is too fast, most of the protein will be stored as fat since your body can't use it and 20 mins right before workout seems too close, not enough time for proper digestion.

 

[Makavelli]

Works fine for me, the little bit of fat you get with the ANPB, 8gs wont really affect you. Both grape and cranberry juices are relatively low GI, less than 50, so they tend to provide me with a few ~30gs of carbs that doesn't cause a huge insulin spike.

Maybe I should have specified that the juice is all natural, no sugar etc etc added....

I'm not worried about the fat in the anpb, it's spiking your insulin and consuming fat at the same time. Know to cause fat storage. If it works for you, then go for it...

 

[coeus]

I'm not worried about the fat in the anpb, it's spiking your insulin and consuming fat at the same time. Know to cause fat storage. If it works for you, then go for it...

Yea, I know what you mean about it storing fat, I just thought that because of the lower GI that it wouldn't cause enough of an insulin spike to do that.

 

[pintoca]

I just eat some chicken about 1 hour before... right now more concerned about muscle protection than strenght from carbs... though most people have some carbs before too,