When to eat around your workouts

Perhaps you have made a New Year's Resolution to begin exercising or start working out more. Maybe you've just always wondered, "when is the best time to eat? Should I eat before I work out? Should I eat after? Both?"

Well, it depends!
The three main variables are:

• Your comfort level
• Your exercise goals, and
• The timing of your work out

When you eat, more blood moves to your digestion system to help absorb and process your meal. Some people experience cramping, nausea, and/or discomfort if they eat before they exercise. If this is you, it is likely best to work out in the morning BEFORE eating. Let your body focus on your heart, lungs, and muscles while you are active. If you feel more comfortable and better fueled for your workout if you eat before, go for it.

If you are exercising to try to lose weight, the timing of your meals doesn't really matter. Do what feels best so that you have strength for your workout and feel comfortable doing it. If you are trying to gain weight/gain muscle, you should try to eat right after you workout. Immediately after is best. The sooner you eat after a workout, the more glycogen you store. By maximizing the amount of glycogen you have stored in your muscles, you increase your endurance for your next workout. Same rule applies if you are an athlete. Eat asap after practice or a game. Keep bars or dried fruit and nuts with you if you can't get to a kitchen right away.