To Eat or Not to Eat – No Question!

How many times do we hear (or overhear) members declare that they did not eat before working out? It sometimes sounds like bragging, right? Do you then create the opportunity to talk to that member about changing that practice? Tough question, but the answer is easy — yes!

Many athletes and gym-goers push themselves on empty stomachs in the belief they’ll burn more fat. This idea has been kicking around for a while. At one point, it was thought that exercising on an empty stomach forces the body to dip into fat stores for fuel instead of using the carbohydrates quickly available from a pre-workout meal or snack. But while it seems to make sense, research shows that exercising in this way doesn’t offer any benefit and may even work against you.

Nutrient timing and quality has a greater impact on changing body composition than even the total number of calories consumed. In fact, inadequate calorie consumption actually causes the body to “catabolize,” or break down, protein and lean body mass. Additionally, without fuel to aid the workout, exercise intensity and overall calorie burn will be reduced.

Another benefit from a pre-workout meal should be noted for many female exercisers: Recent studies have shown that healthy women who consumed 45 grams of carbohydrates before their workouts ended up eating less throughout the remainder of the day.

I often have to drive this message home. It seems that the more people I talk to the fewer have heard this. Many people seem more concerned about the effects of the food on their digestion while working out. I can understand this, but typically these are not the people who are exercising with the greatest intensity.

So it is necessary to also explain the issue of timing. If someone hasn’t eaten a meal within an hour or two before coming to the gym, then they need to have a healthy snack that combines carbohydrates and protein. A little healthy fat helps too. This can be consumed up to an hour prior to exercising.

Some easy choices would be fruit combined with one to two tablespoons of a nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter) or hummus with vegetable slices. A protein shake or quality bar with a three to one ratio of carbs to protein would also work.

The goal is to spread out the intake of protein throughout the day and to include protein in every meal or feeding. This could mean 20-40 grams of protein four to five times a day. The result is better weight management and body composition, and better workouts.

Get the message out to everyone who will listen: pre – and post-exercise fueling results in better utilization of all calories. Everyone needs to time eating around workouts.

Judith Samuels, M.A. is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and master personal trainer at Sport&Health Clubs in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. She can be reached via e-mail at judi@judisamuels.com.