The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
You're unlikely to get the most out of your workout if you've got no energy so I'd suggest eating breakfast before.
Just eat sensibly. It doesn't matter when you eat as long as you're not going to harm yourself by doing so. Don't fill yourself with chocolate truffles then go running over speed bumps. Obviously eat breakfast, otherwise you'll have no energy, and probably end up feeling sick. But apart from that it doesn't matter when you eat... just not too close to any exercise session, and not too much so you don't bloat yourself (but then you shouldn't be eating that much anyway if you're trying to get rid of fat :smile:).
If your excercising to to gain muscle then eat after and eat proteins and sugar. If youre exercising to lose weight then eat breakfast definitely (for the energy, motivation), but you dont want to feel bloated and stuff
Reply 4
I'd say you shouldn't be eating ANYTHING up to 2 hours before any vigorous excercise.
hitmanuk2k
I'd say you shouldn't be eating ANYTHING up to 2 hours before any vigorous excercise.

Yeah, this is common rubbish I hear quite a lot, even though in an average meal with several food types it might even take up to 8 hours to digest fully. Why 2?
my mum honestly thinks if you eat an hour before going swimming you could drown :rolleyes:
Reply 7
yeah id eat before cos then it makes you work harder to burn it off, well it does with me! and also you may feel weak, as said above, if you wait til afterwards, depending on how hard you're working. just dont eat immediately and if you feel sick have a rest and let your tummy settle.
halfoflessthan50p
my mum honestly thinks if you eat an hour before going swimming you could drown :rolleyes:

You probably could. Like you could if you don't eat at all before you go swimming, or eat while swimming, or indeed just inhale water and cease to live.
Reply 9
squirly
You're unlikely to get the most out of your workout if you've got no energy so I'd suggest eating breakfast before.

Actually, not eating breakfast before working out is the best thing you can do for fat loss as your body would obviously resort to using more stored fat resources as it hasn't been fed in many many hours, rather than eating breakfast and just working out to burn off half of those calories that you just ate, which does pretty much nothing for fat loss, which is what the poster specified. Though it can have a catabolic effect.
Reply 10
hitmanuk2k
I'd say you shouldn't be eating ANYTHING up to 2 hours before any vigorous excercise.

Why on earth do people say such silly things? Why can't you?
Bis
Actually, not eating breakfast before working out is the best thing you can do for fat loss

From a biological point of view, yes. But the hugely increased tiredness (having not eaten anything for 8+ hours) would stop you doing anything even vaguely strenuous.
Reply 12
generalebriety
From a biological point of view, yes. But the hugely increased tiredness (having not eaten anything for 8+ hours) would stop you doing anything even vaguely strenuous.

No, it makes very little difference. More to the point, cardio is usually slow running/jogging etc, which isn't the most strenuous of things in itself.
Reply 13
it makes a difference for me if i miss breakfast, but if im motivated enough i can get over it and get just as good as a workout, but have a lot more fatigue afterwards
Bis
Actually, not eating breakfast before working out is the best thing you can do for fat loss as your body would obviously resort to using more stored fat resources as it hasn't been fed in many many hours, rather than eating breakfast and just working out to burn off half of those calories that you just ate, which does pretty much nothing for fat loss, which is what the poster specified. Though it can have a catabolic effect.


Actually, it's best to have breakfast. If you exercise before eating breakfast, the body burns less fat and more glycogen from your muscle, therefore reducing muscle mass and basically defeating the whole point of the exercise.
Reply 15
Dschingis
Actually, it's best to have breakfast. If you exercise before eating breakfast, the body burns less fat and more glycogen from your muscle, therefore reducing muscle mass and basically defeating the whole point of the exercise.

No, the catabolic effect is completely overexaggerated by idiots. Where did you read that? Mens Health magazine? :rolleyes:
Reply 16
Bis
rather than eating breakfast and just working out to burn off half of those calories that you just ate

You're only going to eat those calories anyway surely?

I'm just being picky I know that its best to work out before breakfast lol. But at the end of the day it doesn't make a dramatic difference, its personal preference really...
I do both. Win win.
Yeah both is best- snack before proper meal after, gives you enough energy to do your workout, not too much that it slows you down and your muscles can recover properly afterwards. It is best to eat within the first hour after exercise as this is when your metabolism is at its highest and when your muscles really need the food for recovery- hence the term 'golden hour'.
Reply 19
Bis
Why on earth do people say such silly things? Why can't you?



Well you could end up testing your upchuck reflexes. Other than that stitch and cramp is a common side effect of eating and exercising to close together. Eating before exercise is fine providing the meal and nice and light. The last thing you wanna do is make yourself ill by eating and rushing into exercise.