Group: Competitive Bodybuilding & Fitness

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 23, Messages: 5368

Discuss the process of preparing for a competition on the sport of body building, fitness and more!

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Snack before workout

thegqman
thegqman
Posts: 68
Joined: 2003/05/08
United States
2006/10/11, 04:48 PM
Is it ok to have a half or whole peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat before a work out?
jeramiemaza
jeramiemaza
Posts: 167
Joined: 2006/08/02
United States
2006/10/11, 05:06 PM
I wouldn't see why not but you may want a few more carbs than that. About an hour or a half hour prior to the work out.

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Well I love her
But I love to fish
I spend all day out on this lake
And hell is all I catch
But today she met me at the door
Said I would have to choose
If I hit that fishin hole today
She\\\\'d be packin all her things
And she\\\\'d be gone by noon
Well I\\\\'m gonna miss her
When I get home (Brad Paisly)

Carivan
Carivan
Posts: 8,542
Joined: 2002/01/20
Canada
2006/10/11, 08:55 PM
Depends on what your objective is? If you want to reduce BF% it's not good.

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You are what you eat. So stay away from the jerk chicken.


Ivan

Montreal Canada (City of Festivals)
JimmySmith
JimmySmith
Posts: 5
Joined: 2007/01/08
United States
2007/01/08, 08:06 PM
Not a good idea, pre workout snacks will blunt your growth hormone output
sbroyhill
sbroyhill
Posts: 442
Joined: 2005/04/06
United States
2007/01/08, 09:58 PM
Jimmysmith that is only a half truth-

Let me read to you from a well published study-

The meal was either taken before exercise or after exercise. In this trial, sixty healthy human subjects participated in both groups. The times they took the supplement were random. Subjects either took a pre- or post-exercise protein-carbohydrate supplement. The meal was exactly the same, so timing was the key issue here.
Understand that the subjects performed the prescribed exercise routine at different different time periods separated by at least 2 months. Each exercise was performed at 80% of 1 repetition maximum (1 RM). The exercise had a 2 minute rest between each set.



Exercise Sets Reps
Leg Press 10 8
Leg Extension 8 8

Blood samples were taken after 10, 20, 30, and 45 minutes from the beginning of exercise. In addition, muscle biopsies were taken immediately before the first set of exercise and again during the rest interval between the 7th and 8th sets of leg extension.

Both the pre- and post-workout meals provided 6 grams of essential amino acids (EAA) and 35 grams of sucrose (carbohydrate). EAA are amino acids that cannot be produced by the body; they must be taken through the diet via the proteins we eat.

The Results


The total response to the consumption of the protein-carbohydrate meal immediately before exercise was greater than the response when the drink was consumed immediately after! Furthermore, the drink resulted in a change from a catabolic (breakdown) state to an anabolic state due to an increase in protein synthesis; something you would clearly want no matter what your physique goals.


It appears that pre-workout meals enhance the availability of amino acids via enhanced blood flow (from the exercise) during a workout, which prevented, or reduces the body from breaking down muscle tissue, as it normally does during an intense workout. This is definitely positive news and a little different than the recommendations you've probably heard up until this point.

Most of the time it's recommended to eat or drink something immediately after your workout; now it looks like pre-workout meals may be better for your muscles. Unfortunately one study just scratches the surface in this developing area of research and muscle growth; however, you have to start somewhere and this opens up and interesting avenue of investigation.



By the way, in this study all pre meals were approximately 2 hours prior to workout.

A second study found this-

Pre-workout nosh: Toss back a small chicken salad sandwich a couple of hours before you exercise. Food Researchers have discovered that consuming a protein-carbohydrate meal two hours prior to working out and another meal immediately afterward elicited a significant increase in both growth hormone an testosterone within the bloodstream.
mikencharleston
mikencharleston
Posts: 1,585
Joined: 2002/01/09
United States
2007/01/09, 08:53 AM
Just a small point - I like seeing documentation with answers but it's only valid with a reference to where the documentation came from.
sbroyhill
sbroyhill
Posts: 442
Joined: 2005/04/06
United States
2007/01/09, 09:50 AM
Both came from studies at UCLA. Unfortunately these studies are not posted on the internet (that I am aware of) otherwise I would direct you to the site that they were on.

mikencharleston
mikencharleston
Posts: 1,585
Joined: 2002/01/09
United States
2007/01/09, 10:51 AM
Thanks and that's good to know.
bb1fit
bb1fit
Posts: 11,105
Joined: 2001/06/30
United States
2007/01/09, 12:06 PM
If you are talking 'soon' before a workout, tyr some candy and caffine. Like 4-5 squares of a chocolate bar and a cup of coffee. Watch you have the best workout of your life.

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"If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."

conan_0822
conan_0822
Posts: 441
Joined: 2006/11/23
United States
2007/01/26, 10:26 AM
That's good to know BB. I don't drink coffee but may start now. Hiow long before your workout do you do that?
I usually work out in the morning, but ocassionally suffer from insomnia, so on those AM's I have a hard time getting going. I work out in the AM because it is just the easiest time to do so for me right now.
Chris1980
Chris1980
Posts: 67
Joined: 2000/12/16
Canada
2007/04/20, 05:22 PM
Hey guys,

Love the information I am receiving. So it looks like a pre-meal is a good thing however there seems to be a bit of variation to what should be eaten. Some say high sugar and others say Carb/Protein. Which one is really better? Should I take something to give me a quick energy boost before a workout and have a carb/protein meal right after? Or vice versa?