ive read some very conflicting info as to when carbs should be placed around the workout.
the most recent info says that catecholamine levels are elevated after a workout and therefore insulin will not spike and carbs will not get to the muscles (so, are they eventually more prone to be stored as fat after a workout?)
now, the Anaconda Protocol suggests that the carbs should all be taken in pre-workout. i tried the Anaconda Protocol for a couple of months, didnt make a significant difference for me, and in fact ive determined that something in the Anaconda itself makes me sick (i think ive seen it mentioned that the beta-alanine can have the effect on some).
of course, we have all seen simple carbs recommended post workout, with the good old 2:1 carbs to protein ratio.
i can handle the fact that carbs after the workout is “old news” and that loading carbs before the workout will lead to better gains- if thats what the science says, i have no problems doing it that way. just based on the setup of the anaconda protocol, i am thinking maybe this is the preferred method now.
can someone clear this up for me? i am finally trying to give nutrition the attention i should have been all along, i am limiting my carbs basically to morning and peri-workout, just need to make sure im doing it right.
carbs before, during, after? some combination? examples of acceptable workout carbs?
Insulin still spikes post workout just not as well as if you put the CHO pre workout. I"ve done most things from nothing pre, to just a shake or some BCAA caps before to what I do now which is whey, oats, sugar, and creatine before and during (Use Surge with some extra whey when I can afford it).
Seems to work just fine. I’d try to use just carbs and whey before hand and see what you feel. IF you really want to pack in calories have a shake before during AND after.
Acceptable carbs? dextrose,malto,sugar,WMS,oats. Not all the greatest but decent when on the cheap.
The are elevated but I read that they will drop to baseline levels (pre-workout) within 15-20 minutes, so the concern over them blunting insulin response is bull shit.
In every study I ave read on the subject, insulin IS spiked with post-training CHO, no matter the stress response (catecholamines). In fact, in studies with NORMAL individuals, glucose tolerance was unaffected by catecholamine levels when given glucose, indicating that athletes should not have negative affects from PWO CHO. That being said, other research indicates chronically elevated catecholamines increases incidents of insulin resistance in normal people, meaning that there are some real affects from stress’s impact on insulin sensitivity.
With all of that, I find that my best gains have been produced from (all else being equal), Pre, Peri, and Post wo CHO with PRO.
Incidentally (and against what science may suggest), when using food rather than glucose, malto, waxy maize, etc., I have had better results.
It is a complex issue, but just experiment critically and see what works best for you.
I have tried a bunch of stuff and am a little more relaxed about it now. I use SWF pre and Surge Recovery during/post. I like the flavors and I think the products are great. I always eat a meal within an hour as well. Some days I add in some MAG-10 or bcaa’s.
While I think it is a mistake to ignore peri workout nutrition, I think it is a bigger mistake to worry about it too much. Don’t do anything that takes away from your performance or makes uncomfortable while lifting. Peri-workout nutrition should improve you performance, not hinder it.
If there is a day when I am feeling off, I will have some swf and then drink water during my workout and save the recovery for post. The exact timing isn’t going to effect my progress in any major way.