Quote:
Originally Posted by RoseTattoo
OK, I am now so confused. Should you eat the high glycemic carbs BEFORE or AFTER weight lifting? Some say one thing, some say the other.
Please reply!
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Hey there.
It is a little complicated.
Please keep in mind that this ONLY refers to ANAEROBIC (resistance) exercise - I'll discuss AEROBIC (cardio) excercise in a moment.
Many bodybuilders have high GI carbs BEFORE lifting, and high GI carbs with fast protein (whey) AFTER lifting.
Because you actually NEED some blood sugar to lift well, and because lifting isn't a "fat burning" (aerobic) activity, this is actually a good idea.
Now, where it gets tricky and contentious is the POST lifting meal.
Pretty much EVERYONE agrees that after lifting, it is important to get fast protein into your body IMMEDIATELY. I bring a whey shake with me to the gym, so I can slam it back as soon as I finish my last set.
The issue of whether or not to add high GI carbs to your shake is the complicated bit.
Much of the research that suggests doing this was performed on men. Men have higher testosterone levels whan women, and generally more muscle mass as well.
For men, post-lifting dextrose is often a very good idea because the insulin response actually sets them up for increased testosterone, as I understand it, and this in turn stimulates more muscle growth (which, in turn, increases the metabolic rate, of course!).
In women, well, many of us, myself included, just find that too much of the post-lifting sugar "spills over" into my fat stores - in plain English, if I eat carbs after lifting, I get more muscular, but I also get fat.
Before is good for BOTH men and women. But for some men and for even more women, post workout carbs may be problematic. Your mileage may vary. It has been suggested to me that I experiment with TINY amounts of post-lifting carbs - like, 10-15 grams. I may, at some point. But for now, I just stick to my low-carb whey shake post lifting.
For cardio, because you WANT to burn fat and not just blood sugar, ideally you do it on an empty stomach, and only eat slow protein and fat afterward to stay in ketosis.
Incidentally, this is why you would NEVER want to do any cardio before lifting. After is good, because you've used up your blood sugar and will immediately start burning fat.
Or on a separate day, so you don't have to LIVE in the gym.
Does this help?
- Built