I’m 16 years old, about 215-220lbs, and around 10% bf. My football coach keeps saying that If we don’t eat before a workout we’re burning muscle because our body is breaking it down to give us energy. I always thought that you would break down fat before muscle. I was just wondering, is he right or is that just true for the guys that are like 2% bf and less? Thanks for any input.
It is good to eat before you work out.
I know its best to eat before a workout. I’m just concerned about losing muscle if I don’t get a chance to eat before a workout.
well if your lifting in the morning it is best for you to have something after you wake up. Because you fasted during sleeping, Your body is in a catabolic state. the faster you stop it the better.
[quote]BigBench@16 wrote:
I know its best to eat before a workout. I’m just concerned about losing muscle if I don’t get a chance to eat before a workout.[/quote]
At the very least you might throw down a couple glasses of milk. It’s fast and it’s a complete protein.
Yes most likely you are if you are going into this pratice in a fasted state. Well any football practice I waqs a part of.
Your biody will be relying on glycogen after it has used it’s stores from muscle and the liver as well as the ATP stores as fuel It will the begin converting material into glucogen to fuel your efforts. One major contributor to this is aminoe acids = protein = muscle. = BAD!!!
At 10-12 % you should be just about right for most any position on a fottball feild. their is NO need to be in BB comp shape of low single digits and in most cases for most will only be detrimental to their performance.
So yes EAT before you practice, and maybe drink a dilluted carb or Surge type beverage during.
Hope that helps,
Phill
Diluted carb…do you mean like a fruit juice and would that actually be a good choice for a liquid before a workout?
Fruit is great in the whole form and OK in the juice form but Not for during activity, well not the best. Why?? it has a large amount of ther sugars coming from fructose which have to be converted in the liver first before it can be used.
Go for something with Dex. Maltodextrin, sucrose. etc… Like Surge or Most gatorade type drinks.
Hope that helps clear it up.
Phill
What about thigns like canned powerade, similar to gatorade, but i dont trust many things in cans. Hmm should probably start investing in vinillia flavoured protein powder because chocolate flavour mixed with juice is brutal
Well you just need to check the ingredients and NOT get something that contains fructose or High fructose corn syrups.
In most cases whether you have eatin or not your body will first use the easiest available sources as energy. Carbohydrate stores in your liver are the first to be used then fat stores. These two sources are used untill about 25 minutes of cardiovascular exercise when your body realizes it is going to need a more efficient long term energy source, protein.
So yes if you have not eatin any time recently before your workout your body will resort to burning protein as energy sooner, a percentage of this may come from muscle tissue. A protein shake or a low fat glass of milk is more than sufficient to fuel your work out. If you are only 10% body fat and looking to retain your muscle mass i do not suggest breaking the thirty minute mark with cardio.