|
Preworkout carbs: Are they a good
idea? It depends. If you’re in a mass-building phase and want to push to the
max, fuel yourself with carbohydrate before and during your workout.
The best timing recommendations for eating before exercise is to eat a small
meal of carbohydrate and protein 1 1/2 to 2 hours before working out. This
meal should contain about 50 grams of carbohydrate (200 calories) and 14 grams
of protein (56 calories).
And, of course, you should make sure you are always well hydrated. Drink two
cups of fluid within two hours of working out and another cup 15 minutes
before exercise. Following this
pattern will ensure you gain the greatest energy advantage from your
pre-exercise meal without feeling full while you exercise.
If you want a little extra boost,
try drinking a liquid carbohydrate beverage just before your workout. In a
study of strength trainers, one group consumed a carbohydrate drink just
before training and between exercise sets. Another group was given a placebo.
For exercise, both groups did leg extensions at about 80 percent of their
strength capacity, performing repeated sets of 10 repetitions with rest
between sets. The researchers found that the carbohydrate-fed group outlasted
the placebo group, performing many more sets and repetitions.
Another study turned up a similar finding. Exercisers drank either a placebo
or a 10 percent carbohydrate beverage immediately before and between the
fifth, tenth, and fifteenth sets of a strength-training workout. They
performed repeated sets of 10 repetitions, with three minutes of rest between
each set. When fueled by the carb drink (one gram per kilogram of body
weight), they could do more total repetitions (149 vs. 129) and more total
sets (17.1 vs. 14.4) than when they drank the placebo. Which all goes to show:
Carbs clearly give you an
energy edge when consumed before and during a workout. The harder you can work
out, the more you can stimulate your muscles to grow.
If you sip a carb drink over the
course of a long workout, you can take in too many calories. When counseling
clients, I recommend that they alternate between drinking a carb beverage
and drinking water during training, especially if their workouts last more
than an hour. That way, they don’t consume too many calories from the carb
drink.
If you’re trying to lose body fat, you may want to forgo the preworkout carb
drink (but make sure to eat your preworkout carbohydrate-protein snack).
Here’s why: Although preworkout carbs boost your power and stamina, they may
keep your body from dipping into its fat reserves for energy. Your entire
workout, including aerobics, may run solely on carb fuel and never
significantly tap into fat stores for fuel. By working out in a moderately
low-carb state (no preworkout carbs), you can theoretically force your body to
start using more fat for fuel.
But there’s a tradeoff. You could
run low on energy. Although you might choose not to consume any preworkout
carbohydrates, make sure your overall daily diet still contains 65 to 70
percent of its total calories from carbs. Research with strength trainers and
other power athletes has consistently shown that performance and energy levels
suffer when carb intake dips to around 50 percent of total calories. For more
information on how to regulate carbohydrates when you’re preparing for
competition, see chapter 9.
Consider your goals--mass building or fat burning--and listen to your body for
signs of fatigue. Adjust your carb intake accordingly, depending on your goals
and energy level.
To read more about how carbohydrates
can enhance your workouts, get your copy today!
POWER EATING, SECOND EDITION
Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD
Paperback • 288 Pages
ISBN 0-7360-3853-1
$17.95 ($26.95 Cdn)
To order your copy of POWER EATING, SECOND
EDITION:
Click Here
|
