Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy and stand to burn more fat

by Daryn Eller

Link to Article

EVERY MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT, in gyms across America, you can hear the sound of a low but persistent rumble. Listen carefully and, in between the whir of the treadmill and the clank of weight plates, your ears will pick it up: the clamor of empty stomachs crying out for food.

Some people just don't have time to eat in reasonable proximity to their workout, but others deliberately go without food. "One client told me she believed she'd burn more fat by exercising on an empty stomach," reports Anne-Marie Nocton, RD, a sports nutritionist in Knoxville, Tenn. "Her reasoning was that if no food was available for fuel, her body would tap into its fat reserves."

MoreArticles of Interest

• How'd she get that body? Cover model Majken Poulsen-Smith shares her approach...
• A workout to stick with
• Quickest little workout
• Big fat 1/2 truths: some nutrition "facts" aren't exactly lies, but...
• Cardio kick: top trainers show you how to break out of a rut

Well, yes ... but there's a whole lot more to the story than that. As it turns out, if your goal is to maximize your workout and get (or maintain) a lean body, eating, not starving, is your best strategy. Here's what you need to know to prevent the empty stomach blues.

HOW FOOD FUELS YOU

Although your body burns some stored fat when you exercise, its main fuel is carbohydrate that's been stored in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen. When your glycogen stores are depleted, your body will indeed tap more of its fat reserves, just as Nocton's client anticipated--but at what price? Without readily available fuel, you're not likely to feel too energetic. "And you won't burn more of anything if you can't muster the enthusiasm to master your toughest sets," says Nocton. "On the other hand, if you eat before exercise, whether it's a large meal several hours in advance or a small snack only minutes ahead of time, you'll have the extra oomph you need for an energetic and effective workout."

Here's the reason: Before carbohydrate is tucked away in your muscles and liver as glycogen, it enters your bloodstream in the form of glucose (also called blood sugar), a readily available source of energy that helps perk you up when you're feeling hungry and fatigued. If the glycogen stored in your muscles and liver is low, your body can rely on glucose for fuel; if you already have a fair amount of stored glycogen, your body will use the glucose as a secondary source of energy and spare the glycogen. "It means that you have two sources of fuel as opposed to one, so you can last a lot longer," says Jackie Berning, RD, a sports nutritionist and assistant professor in the department of biology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Something else you should consider is that the muscles and liver can only store so much glycogen. It's important to "top off" your reserves fairly often, even if you haven't been doing much: During a long night's sleep, the body depletes as much as 80 percent of the glycogen stored in the liver. "That's why eating a little something before you exercise in the morning can really help," says Nocton. Moreover, it doesn't take long to deplete stored glycogen during exercise, and it gets used up even faster when the weather is warm. "If you're playing an intense tennis match without having eaten and it's warm outside, it may take only 30 to 40 minutes before you deplete your glycogen," says Berning. Eating before a match will not only help you last a lot longer, it will also help settle the gastric juices that make your stomach growl and ward off the feelings of lightheadness and fatigue that can make it difficult to perform well.

WHAT TO EAT WHEN

Naturally, the fact that you shouldn't exercise on an empty stomach doesn't mean that you should eat a three-course meal 10 minutes before hitting the gym. In general, the closer you get to your workout start time, the fewer calories you should eat. The nutrients that make up those calories should also shift. Because it takes the body four to six hours to digest fat, about three hours to digest protein and about two hours to digest carbohydrates, it's important to winnow down the protein and fat content of your meal or snack as you get closer to exercise. "You're not going to want to eat a plate of french fries two hours before working out, because the blood is going to rush to your stomach to digest that while it's also trying to rush to your exercising muscles," says Berning. "In the end, it doesn't do a very good job of either one."

So, here are a few rules of thumb to follow: If your workout is four hours away, eat a regular meal that combines protein, fat and carbohydrates, then have a small carbohydrate-rich snack closer to your exercise session to tide you over. Three hours before working out, make it a smaller meal and lighten up a bit on the protein and fat. Thirty to 90 minutes before exercise, have a snack of easily digested carbohydrates (see below). If you only have the 15 minutes between, say, leaving your office and hitting the gym to grab something, go for a sports drink or a few Saltines. Also keep in mind that while eating high-fiber foods is important for good health, they're best eaten after or long before exercise, since they can cause bloating and other annoyances that will make you feel uncomfortable when working out.

• 1
• 2
• 3
  
  

Grocery Shopping

Well...it's that time. Tomorrow is my grocery shopping day.  Here are some tips that I found for healthy shopping: 

Direct Link

Meat, Fish, Poultry, & Nuts:

Buy and prepare more fish. You should eat one serving of grilled or baked fish at least twice a week. (A serving is roughly the size of a checkbook.) Good examples of fish to buy include salmon, trout and herring.

Choose lemon juice and spices to eat with fish. Don’t add cream sauces.

Stay away from fried fish. It’s usually high in fat — often trans fat.

Choose cuts of red meat and pork labeled “loin” and “round”; they usually have the least fat.

Buy “choice” or “select” grades of beef rather than “prime,” and be sure to trim off the fat before cooking.

When buying or eating poultry, choose the leaner light meat (breasts) rather than the fattier dark meat (legs and thighs). Try the skinless version or remove the skin yourself.

Select more meat substitutes such as dried beans, peas, lentils or tofu (soybean curd) and use them as entrees or in salads and soups. A one-cup serving of cooked beans, peas, lentils or tofu can replace a two-ounce serving of meat, poultry or fish.

Pick up nuts and seeds, which are good sources of protein and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats – but remember, they tend to be high in calories, so eat them in moderation.

Vegetables & Fruit:

Be sure to buy and eat plenty of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables that are deeply colored throughout – such as spinach, carrots, peaches and berries – tend to be higher in vitamins and minerals than 
others, such as potatoes and corn.

When fresh foods aren't available, choose frozen or canned vegetables and fruits in water without added sugars, saturated and trans fat, or salt.

Buy more fruits and vegetables that are good sources of fiber, including beans, peas, oranges, bananas, strawberries and apples.

Stock up on raw vegetables for snacks such as carrot and celery sticks, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower.

For desserts, buy fresh or canned fruits (in water without added sugars), dried fruit (without added sugars), and gelatin that contains fruit, instead of baked goods and sweets.

Don’t buy lots of fruit juice. It doesn’t provide the fiber whole fruitdoes and it’s not as good at satisfying hunger.

Some cholesterol-lowering medications may interact with grapefruit, grapefruit juice, pomegranate and pomegranate juice. Please talk to your health care provider about any potential risks.

Milk, Cheese, Butter & Eggs:

Select fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk.

Avoid milk that contains added flavorings such as vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. They usually have added sugars and calories.

Choose fat-free, low-fat or reduced-fat cheeses.

Use egg whites or egg substitutes instead of egg yolks. (Substitute two egg whites for each egg yolk in recipes that call for eggs.)

Choose soft margarines that contain “0 grams trans fat” instead of buying butter. (These margarines usually come in tubs.)

Don’t buy a lot of butter, cream and ice cream. Save those for special occasions and, even then, limit how much you eat. These foods have more saturated fat than whole milk.

Watch out for the saturated and/or partially hydrogenated fats hidden in casseroles, bakery goods, desserts and other foods. Read the Nutrition Facts label to determine the saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol content of foods you’re considering.

Bread & Baked Goods:

Choose whole-grain, high-fiber breads, such as those containing whole wheat, oats, oatmeal, whole rye, whole grain corn and buckwheat. Choose breads and other foods that list whole grains as the first item in the ingredient list.

Limit the amount of bakery products you purchase, including doughnuts, pies, cakes and cookies. Look instead for fat-free or low-fat and low-sodium varieties of crackers, snack chips, cookies and cakes.

Remember that most store-baked goods are made with egg yolks, saturated fats and/or trans fats. (Read theNutrition Facts label to determine the saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol content.) Check for store-baked goods that are made with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils, skim or reduced-fat milk, and egg whites — or make your own.

Instead of buying a raisin bran muffin, buy a loaf of raisin bread and enjoy a slice for breakfast or lunch.

Oil, Shortenings, & Dressings:

Buy and use fats and oils in limited amounts.

When you must use oils for cooking, baking or in dressings or spreads, choose the ones lowest in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol — including canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil.

Stay away from palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil and cocoa butter. Even though they are vegetable oils and have no cholesterol, they’re high in saturated fats.

Buy a nonstick pan or use nonstick vegetable spray when cooking.

Choose reduced-fat, low-fat, light or fat-free salad dressings (if you need to limit your calories) to use with salads, for dips or as marinades.