What to eat before and after training
What is it like before training?
And after training, like what?
These are two very common questions, which we will definitely answer.
Who is this article for?
For those who do hypertrophy training, lasting from 1h to 1.30h, and looking to gain muscle mass or lose fat, while maintaining lean mass.
If your goal is to run the marathon this article is not ideal, but if, on the other hand, you want to gain muscle mass, you are in the right place.
What to eat before training?
Let's start by talking about the meal before training.
The pre-workout meal should be eaten about 2 hours before you pick up the dumbbells.
This meal must consist essentially of two macronutrients, they are protein and carbohydrates.
As for fats, while it's not necessary to completely eliminate them at this meal, it's not the best time to gobble up a salmon steak.
So, now that you know what should be part of your pre-workout meal, a question arises.
But which carbohydrates and proteins should I use?
In the meal before training, you should bet on complex carbohydrates, and proteins of high biological value.
Carbohydrates
- Sweet potato
- Oat
- Rice
- Pasta
- Whole grain bread
Proteins
- Eggs
- Chicken or turkey breast
- Tuna
Combine a food from the carbohydrate list with a food from the protein list and get a good pre-workout meal.
If you want to add some fats, mainly for caloric reasons, use one to two egg yolks or a little peanut butter.
As for quantities, in relation to protein, you should use between 20g to 40g.
As for carbohydrates, it will depend on your goals and your food plan.
Simple combinations
- Sweet potato with chicken breast
- Oats and eggs
- Brown bread with tuna
In short, the pre-workout meal should be eaten 2 hours before training and should be composed of complex carbohydrates and quality proteins.
Unforeseen
Sometimes we consume this meal, but we can only go to train 3 hours later.
Other times there are unforeseen events and we have to go to train as soon as possible.
What to do in these cases?
The ideal in these situations will be a light meal, consisting essentially of fast-absorbing protein and possibly simple carbohydrates, depending on the previous meal.
So what would be a good solution?
About 30 to 45 minutes before training, bet on a whey protein shake with a banana, this will allow you to have the best performance in training.
I'm drying and I'm cutting my carbs, can I eat only protein in this meal?
How can you see here and here, it is not a good idea to train with low glycogen reserves, as it leads to greater muscle catabolism, and also lower performance.
This is not what you want in bodybuilding training.
The ideal is to plan your diet in order to have carbohydrates before training, there are better times to cut carbohydrates.
What to eat after training?
In the post-workout meal, when it comes to weight training, the top priority is protein intake.
Ingesting protein during this period will cause you to go from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. (1)
As for carbohydrates, it is also a good time to consume them, as they will replenish the spent glycogen, and increasing insulin levels can be beneficial.
Now, what sources to use after training?
Supplementation with whey protein at this time it is widely used, due to its rapid absorption, and excellent biological value.
And it actually happens to be a good idea.
You should use about 20 to 40 grams of whey protein after training to maximize protein synthesis.
Regarding carbohydrates, as in the pre-workout meal, it depends on your goals.
As a general rule, using maltodextrin as a carbohydrate source, and about 40g is usually ideal.
Briefly, after training you use a shake with about 20 to 40g of whey protein together with about 40g of maltodextrin.
It’s a good idea to add creatine, especially if your goal is to gain muscle mass.
This will give you good results.
And then?
Now, after this shake you still can't relax.
About 1h to 1.30h after the shake, you should bet on a solid meal, with quality proteins and complex carbohydrates.
This will make you get the best out of bodybuilding training.
And what solid meal is that? What should you include?
Carbohydrates
- Sweet potato
- Oat
- Brown Rice / Rice
- Integral Mass / Mass
- Whole grain bread
Proteins
- Eggs
- Chicken or turkey breast
- Tuna
Have you seen this somewhere?
True, this meal should be in the same genre as the one you make before training.
Lean proteins and complex carbohydrates.
Is post-workout shake required?
No, the post-workout shake is not mandatory, but it does have benefits. (two)
If you are not a fan of powders and shakers, go immediately to the solid meal, with the ingredients you have just reviewed.
Conclusion
Now you know what to eat before and after your workout in order to get the best out of these meals.
While pre- and post-workout nutrition is important, and they bring clear benefits to get better results, the most important thing will always be to ingest the right amount of total macronutrients, and not just at this point.
Betting on carbohydrates and proteins before and after training is a safe strategy to achieve good results, whether the goal is to gain or lose weight.
Carbohydrates must be individually adapted, and according to the objective they can be more or less high.
Regarding protein, it remains, regardless of the objective, since its role in protein synthesis is crucial.
If you have any questions, use the comments area below.
References
(1) Tipton KD, Ferrando AA, Phillips SM, Doyle D Jr, Wolfe RR. Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids. Am J Physiol. 1999 Apr; 276 (4 Pt 1): E628-34.
(2) Tang JE, Manolakos JJ, Kujbida GW, Lysecki PJ, Moore DR, Phillips SM. Minimal whey protein with carbohydrate stimulates muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise in trained young men. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007 Dec; 32 (6): 1132-8.
very good advice;
Good morning I work at night and train before going to bed, I take a smoothie from gainer and bccas, what can I eat more? The solid meal (dinner) or the recipe before bedtime?
It depends on the rest of the diet but probably a meal high in protein and with some carbohydrates is the solution.
Goodnight. I've always been thin but with some belly fat. I live in Angola and I've attended several gyms with the aim of toning the body, that is, gaining muscles and the famous six-pack, but none of them worked. About a year ago I completely changed my diet thanks to a sports nutritionist who basically recommended what the virtual gym recommends in its articles, so in terms of food I am more than satisfied and balanced. However, due to cost containment, I decided to start the P90X3 program at home and today I finished the second month of training. I saw improvements at various levels however I didn't have any muscle mass gain. During the first month of training I took MASS TECH an hour before training and the post-workout whey protein and the muscles appeared. However, MASS TECH ended and almost like a balloon I returned to my normal. My nutritionist thinks that I'm not eating enough calories per day (3000) and that's why I'm not gaining muscle. I would like to know your opinion about MASS TECH and for how long can I take it? I would also like to know if the fact that I don't eat around 3000 calories a day really makes me have more difficulties in gaining muscle mass?
Hi João, this article basically explains what happened to you: https://ginasiovirtual.mystagingwebsite.com/gainers-batido-para-ganho-de-peso/
WHAT ARE THE BEST HYPERCALORICS CURRENTLY AND THE BRANDS? WORK AND WANT PRACTICALITY BOTH PRE TRAINING AND POST TRAINING.
Good night, I leave work and I'm going to train right now what should I eat before training?
If time is short, 1/2 bananas + whey works well.
Good!
Creatine is a great supplement for strength gains, right?
But my kidneys don't do very well, either with capsules or powder! They will soon…
Give me a replacement!
Thank you!
Hi Armando.
Yes, Creatine is a good supplement to gain strength, but if you have a problem with your kidneys, you should consult your doctor so he can advise you on supplementation.
So when is the best time to consume fat?
Any other time, Sara.
Good afternoon, in relation to the post-workout, do I mix whey protein, with creatine and maltodextrin in the same shake?
Thanks
Yes, no problem (other than the taste).
Good,
What is the ideal amount of complex carbohydrates to ingest in the pre-workout meal? and by the way, the amount of calories.
Thanks
It always depends on the rest of your diet and when you are going to eat.
This eating X and Y and I don't know how many hours before and after training is all complete fantasy, another scheme set up by the fitness industry to justify drinking whey shakes and buying other supplements. In fact, it's not even worth buying whey in Portugal because we already have yogurts with 15g of protein for 54 cents or nestle quark liquid yogurts with 23g for 70 cents and that can be mixed in fruit shakes. Whoever has a lidl close by can even buy 1kg of Greek yogurt for 2.5 euros and have around 9g of protein per serving. Even a can of tuna has 15-20g of protein for 0.70 cents. Buying whey is a waste of money and it has no effect in terms of recovery or muscle growth. Basically whey is food and low quality as it is a by-product in cheese production.
In 2010 a panel of the European Food Safety Authority examined health claims made for whey protein. For the following claims either no references were provided on the claimed effect, or the provided studies did not test the claims or reported conflict results:
Increase in satiety leading to a reduction in energy intake
Contribution to the maintenance or achievement of a normal body weight
Growth or maintenance of muscle mass
Increase in lean body mass during energy restriction and resistance training
Reduction of body fat mass during energy restriction and resistance training
Increase in muscle strength
Increase in endurance capacity during the subsequent exercise bout after strenuous exercise
Skeletal muscle tissue repair
Faster recovery from muscle fatigue after exercise.
On the basis of the data presented, the 2010 panel concluded that a cause and effect relationship between the consumption of whey protein and these claims had not been established.
The purpose of the article is to give suggestions for those who don't know what to eat before and after training. It's a common question, and we present several solutions, where whey is just one of them.
As for whey being a waste of money, a little over the top isn't it?
As you said, whey is food, but low quality because it is a by-product in cheese production? This argument doesn't make much sense.
In fact, whey's amino acid profile makes it a good, not bad, source of protein.
As for prices, can you easily get 20g of protein for 0.25/0.30? when using whey. In other words, you save money in terms of costs.
The only way to gain muscle is to train 3-5 times a week, increase the weight you lift regularly and eat enough a day. No supplements are needed and there are no magic formulas, or combinations of supplements that will make the process easier. For a person to have abs they have to have 10% of fat mass, which is hard to achieve. Naturally people are limited by their genetic potential, a short person with a small bone structure will not have the same muscle mass as someone with 1.90m and broad shoulders. If you take steroids you can gain muscle more easily, studies say that even without doing anything, those who take drugs gain more muscle than those who exercise naturally. Those who make a living on magazine covers will have no problem using drugs to justify their livelihood, as even mr. olympia everybody knows they use drugs and nobody cares.
My time to go to the gym is both at lunchtime and at the end of work. In both I can't make a pre-workout meal as described above. However, if I take a whey shake 30/40 minutes before training, can I have another at the end of training? Or will I have to waste protein?
Thanks
Yes you can.
I wonder if whey protein increases muscle mass or fats?