Should You Eat Before or After Working Out?

It is proven that proper nutrition can fuel your exercise, help your body recover, and adapt. However, there is a common question that most people often ask: whether to eat before or after exercising. Some people may experience side effects when eating too close to exercising, such as energy loss, make you feel dizzy, even faint during workout. And if you eat after exercising, you think that it won’t be good to immediately eat and replace the calories you lose during workout. So which one is better, eat before or after working out?

Some research has tried to answer this question. Research has been conducted, in the pre-workout group and post-workout group has shown quite interesting results. It says that the group that ate before workout tend to have low weight gain, or no increase at all.

The keys are when and what you are eating. When eating before exercising, you need to take a break after eating before you start exercising. Other than that, you need to make sure that you don’t eat too much food. For example, you can eat at least 1 hour before exercising and choose healthy snacks instead of heavy carbs and junk foods. A small bowl of cereals and fruits can be the right choice.

On the other hand, if you decide not to eat before exercising, it is believed that when you exercise with an empty tummy, you’re more likely to burn your muscles instead of fats. It is actually not recommended if your purpose is losing weight, because it can be dangerous for your metabolism.

Taking the time to eat before you start exercising is actually better than eating after exercise. But then again, it is your choice and do what’s most comfortable for your body. And when you choose to eat before exercising, make sure to pay attention to the meal time, duration, and the amount of food that you consume.