Before Or After ?

[Marty]

Office of Media Relations
530 E. Kirkwood Ave., Suite 203
Bloomington, IN 47408-4003
Phone: 812-856-3342
Fax: 812-856-4265
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://newsinfo.iu.edu

Media Relations


Published:

Wednesday, April 19, 2006



Should you eat before exercise?
Eating before exercise is a subject of contention among fitness enthusiasts, according to Bryan Stednitz, assistant director for strength and conditioning at Indiana University Bloomington's Division of Recreational Sports. Is it better to have a snack and risk an upset stomach, or work out before eating and face lightheadedness and fatigue? There are no easy answers, Stednitz said.

"The answer to whether to eat before exercise is specific to the individual and the intensity of the activity. Some people have gastric distress if they eat even two hours before exercise. We've had several incidents of people getting sick after eating a large meal before a workout. On the other hand, I have seen a number of exercisers lose consciousness because they hadn't eaten anything prior to working out."

Although individuals react to eating and exercise in different ways, Stednitz said eating right before vigorous activity is likely to cause discomfort in most people. Less intense activities may not interfere as much with digestion.

"Also, generally speaking, cardiovascular exercise is more likely to cause problems after eating than lifting weights. This could be due to the jarring of the digestive organs, particularly the stomach, during cardio." However, Stednitz said that any type of activity requires fuel, so "if it's been hours since your last meal, it is definitely safer to eat something small than to eat nothing at all. Most of our issues with participants losing consciousness occur in the morning. This is one important reason for breakfast."

Stednitz recommended leaving at least 30 to 60 minutes between your snack and your workout. Another option: "Drink a sports drink before or during your workout. That can give you some carbohydrates that are easier to digest."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Information:




Web Version:
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/web/page/normal/3318.html

 

[Karlynn]

I find I cannot workout for about an hour after I eat. My heart rate gets fast quickly if I do. I also find that working out on a completely empty stomach isn't ideal either. So I don't workout first thing in the a.m or for an hour after I eat, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner.

 

[Mary]

For eighteen years, I got up at 4:30am, five days a week, and swam a mile at our enclosed municipal pool. That put me exercising at least 9 hours after my last meal. It never bothered me one bit. A few times I tried drinking a cup of coffee beforehand, but my heart rate always skyrocketed (or at least it felt like it did! )
Now I jog on the treadmill in the evenings and usually wait an hour before I start. I can't tell any difference in how I feel. I just wish I could get back into the habit of the 5 am swim!

 

[hensylee]

remember those words: Don't go in the water for an hour after you eat? Not an old wives' tale, just good advice from Mother, I guess.

 

[epstns]

Well, I'm still pre-op here, so there could be a lot of other complications (moderately severe aortic stenosis)involved, but I find that I have to wait at least 3 to 4 hours between a meal and my daily 4 mile jog. If I run too soon after eating anything more than a cup of coffee, not only does my heart rate rise dramatically, but I just feel lousy and bloated. I've come to believe that my stenotic valve cannot supply enough blood to both digest a meal and run. Might not be technically true, but thinking that way helps me plan.