Hey Everyone,
I know this has already been a widely debated topic, but I’m in the process of making a youtube video about it and would love to hear your input!
What’s your favorite pre-workout meal(s) and/or supplements?
Do you think your pre and intra workout nutrition has a huge effect on your workout?
Also, do you feel post-workout nutrition is overrated?
I’d love to know your thoughts and recommendations!
Current favorites for me
I get up at 0330, have a slice of keto toast with sunflower butter on it and start training by 0345.
No water or supplements during the workout.
Protein shake at 0500 before I start conditioning.
Post workout nutrition is a spread like this when gaining is the goal
Post workout nutrition is big to me, just because I am semi fasted.
I favor the old fashioned PB&J (usually in uncrustable format for transportation purposes). The main effect is not getting hungry mid-workout, but the simple and complex carbs + good fats have made me feel better during my training (could just be a tasty placebo though).
Post workout I down a protein shake spiked with creatine. Timing on creatine doesn’t seem all too important, it’s just convenient timing to keep the levels saturated. The anabolic window thing is kind of bunk, but still kind of accurate too… Even if you only had a 10% increased protein uptake during the 2-4 hours post-workout, you’d still do better to drink up.
Used to think pre-workout supplements were essential, then I tried going without and haven’t gone back. Come to find out that pre-workout doesn’t really do much except make your heart beat faster and spike your blood pressure lol.
Pre Workout is Coffee and an Apple or Banana.
During Workout is Water or sometimes blueberry aminos in water.
Post Workout is Chocolate Gold Standard Whey and a lot of Food glorious food.
My favorite is the John Meadows concoction bowl.
Cream of rice, sugar free chocolate syrup, honey, peanut butter, and a smashed/cut up banana.
It’s like dessert.
I’ve tried a few intra workout drinks and never noticed anything from them other than feeling like I’ve got too much liquid in my stomach.
When cutting calories I’d do half an English muffin and a protein shake pre workout.
Can’t say I’ve noticed anything other than placebo effects from either, but I do enjoy eating so that’s always a plus.
It’s even better if you skip the chocolate syrup and put Metabolic Drive in it 
Coffee!
It absolutely is noticeable; more so when I’m leaner/ dieting. I don’t think it’s an on/ off switch or anything, but I absolutely get something out of intra carbs.
Maybe? I don’t think most people think anything matters nowadays, so it’s hard to say “overrated” in that context.
Amino acids and easy to digest carbs, during a workout seems really awesome.
But I’m learning that the Real benefit of the Left Hand Amino Acids is increasing the absorption and uptake of other nutrients. Like we’re so focused on leucine (or whatever) stimulating protein synthesis that we don’t talk about the aminos grabbing up vitamins and electrolytes like a little claw (chelation) and carrying them into our bloodstream.
And some carbs during your workouts may not be necessary for energy if you’ve eaten. But again, maybe it’s the not calories that are the primary benefit. We want absorption of important nutrients. Glucose helps carry electrolytes from your intestines to your blood stream.
Protein bar and banana and 2 cups of coffee for
Breakfast
Workout around 10-11 am with water only
After - lunch either leftovers or Egg+ Egg white, slice of cheese and a few slices of turkey lunch meat and an apple
Nothing else is ever needed
You are eating like 600 calories a day?
ever?
Like ever, ever?
I Meant for pre-intra- post- workout only.
I have a shake after work and normal family supper with popcorn or another protein bar as a snack
Damn…now that’s a spread of food. Tell me why all the sunflower and almond butter? My brother-in-law crushes sunflower butter on rice cakes everyday…I’ve just never been able to handle a lot of nut butter personally cause it’s so calorically dense I feel I start gaining too much fat. And also genuinely curious…why no water/supplements during your workout?
This is interesting to me…as I’m a big pre-workout fan…not in the sense of taking loads of caffeine or stimulants, but I’m big on making sure I have a ton of carbs and electrolytes (mainly salt) before and during my workout. I also like to drink a cup of coffee or pop 200-300mg of caffeine around my workout too.
I also agree that timing doesn’t matter too much post workout. I like to take 40-50g of whey protein and 5g of creatine most days after my workout and than seems to do the job just fine
coffee is a staple for me too. I also love getting in some kind of fruit (for the fructose) but I usually just do it with some orange juice. Sounds like your covering all your bases just by keeping it simple. Adding in electrolytes has been a huge help for me too.
Damn…first time hearing of this John Meadows concoction bowl! I love it and seriously may have to give that a try! It sounds like a dessert haha. But also giving you everything your body needs for training.
Personally I like workout shakes for the simplicity and convenience as I’m usually training clients before/after my workout so difficult for me to eat a whole food meal before my own workout.
Coffee is absolutely my favorite pre-workout too. I’ll sometimes do caffeine tabs, but always prefer a cup of coffee. Like you, I’m big on pre/intra workout carbs and legitimately surge workout fuel has been amazing for me to train on.
Post workout nutrition…I agree it’s hard to say…but I almost always still drink a protein shake post workout…as I know it certainly doesn’t hurt anything and can really only help.
This is an interesting point…I’ve never been a fan of BCAAS or EAAs either because from what I understand you get plenty of both as long as you’re consuming enough high quality food/protein.
I think carbs pre/intra workout are awesome if you’re quite lean and carry a lot of muscle. For my clients want to lose weight…I tell them to train carb depleted if possible cause personally I think that will increase fat oxidation (as long as they stay in a caloric deficit obviously) or I tell them to only take carbs around their workouts on their hardest training days.
Sounds like you know exactly what works for you.
I usually train in the evening around 7pm, and my last meal before that would be around 3pm. I don’t like training with food in my stomach. I will drink water during the session or sometimes Gatorade or something similar. Post workout is always a full meal.
I then follow that meal about 1 hour later with a bowl of Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder and some berries and peanut butter.
Post workout nutrition is deff more important for me than pre or intra.
