I used to drink 50 grams of Gold Standard Whey Protein 15-30 minutes before a workout, which is WENDLER 531. Now that I run out of whey, I need to travel back to USA to get some more (In my country 5 pound of whey cost $150+. I do not want to pay that). The other day I ate one can of tuna plus one slice of bread 30 minutes before my work out. Is that ok? Are there other foods I could eat? Currently I am trying to lose fat.
By the way, before I run out of protein, I would consume 168 grams of protein Thursday, Wednesday and Friday. I will consume 128 grams on Saturday and Sunday. Finally, 208 grams of protein the two days I did strength training, Monday and Thursday. Now that I run out of protein, I am consuming 168 grams every day and 128 Saturday and Sunday. Is that ok or will it affect my gains? I really do not want to eat so many cans of tuna haha!
I am doing two days of cardio, 30 minutes, in addition to my two days of strength training. I am doing my cardio first thing in the morning. I am currently in a fat loss diet, eating five meals a day. I would do cardio before having breakfast. Should I do it with an empty stomach or should I have a snack. Today I did it for the first time, an decided to have a glass of light yogurt plus a piece of fruit 30 minutes before the workout. Was that ok? Any recommendations?
Each of my five meals of the day contain a piece of fruit. So I took one piece of fruit from one of my five meals an ate it before doing cardio. Therefore the only additional calories to my day workout would be the glass of yogurt.
My favorite pre-workout meal is a bowl of pasta. I do angel hair because it cooks fast, add some red sauce. Then take some time to let is settle. Maybe a nap, definitely a shower, and then I’m in.
Two servings of pasta can get you 14-16g of protein too. Sometimes I’ll eat a bowl of cereal or a yogurt as my pasta boils, but usually not.
Keep in mind our goals are different, but this gives me great energy to train. I think fruit/yogurt pre-workout is great for you.
Rice or cream of rice, sometimes oatmeal, both mixed with protein, but you could always mix chicken or tuna with it. Yogurt, as mentioned above is nice too.
I should start adding protein into my pre-workout meals. I don’t like doing a post-workout shake because I eat dinner right after I train, so I might try a pre-workout shake. I’ve done an intra-workout shake with protein/gatorade before too.
Was it gross? Seems like both the consistency and the taste would be weird.
This has been my go-to for years. I use unflavored protein.
Wasn’t bad. Just gotta pick the right flavors
The first time I did it, I did chocolate protein with blue Powerade and it was kinda trash. The protein was the clumpy storebrand of a major store.
Vanilla with Lemon Lime is good - like a lemon pastry. I can’t get orange powder in stores near me, or I’d do that for a creamsicle flavor
Right now, I have strawberry protein with fruit punch gatorade.
Hmm. The vanilla combos actually do sound good.
Does it sit heavy on you while you’re lifting?
@burien_top_team same question?
Not for me, I sip it slowly between sets and mix in enough water.
Not at all. I tend to mix it a little thicker when taking it for meal replacement (i.e., Velocity Dieting). Maybe 12 oz liquid per scoop.
For resistance training, I usually just add more liquid 16oz or so. For jiu-jitsu, I usually just add an equivalent amount of ice and let it melt over the course of a few hours of training.
Can you maybe order online from another country?
50g preworkout seems like a lot to me, but I tend to go for more carbs pre/intra with some protein and then focus more on protein after the workout.
Didnt even read that part earlier. I don’t think protein brand is all that people make it to be. I get whatever’s cheap and about to expire in 2-3 months.
@jcgonzmo I’d suggest doing an intra-workout shake of 25g. Maybe another one of 25g before as well. I personally dont do well with too much protein powder 
Refractory Eating Period
Research (Dr Layne Norton, PhD Nutrition/Pro Natural Bodybuilder/Powerlifter) determined that protein meals/snacks need to be 4 - 5 hour apart for optimal Muscle Protein Synthesis; for increasing muscle mass.
Muscle are like a sponge. When a sponge is soaked in water (when the muscle are soaked in protein, so to speak); the sponge cannot absorb any more water until it dries out. The same metaphorically occurs with muscle.
It takes approximately 4 - 5 hour before muscle has “Dried Out” and able to take in amino acids for Muscle Protein Systhesis.
Continuing to try an load a sponge that is still soaked in water won’t work, nor will soaking muscle in amino acids every 3 hours or less;. The muscle is not ready or able to absorb and use those amino acids.
If you are consuming 5 meals a day and had them 4 hours apart, you would need to eat at let’s say; 8 am, 12 noon, 4 pm, 8 pm and 12 midnight. That not going to happen.
Secondly, Dr John Berardi (PhD Nutrition/Bodybuilder/Sprinter) determined (International Society of Sports Nutrition Research Journal) that consuming more frequent meals…
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Does not increase your Metabolic Rate; you don’t burn more calories.
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It impedes when carbohydrates and to some extent when protein is consumed. That because it increases insulin production, which shut down the fat burning process.
Breakfast or Fasting Before Cardio
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Performing Fasted Cardio allows you to access and a greater percentage of body fat.
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You have more than enough glycogen upon waking in the morning from you meals the day before. Sleeping burn virtually NO glucose; you have more than enough for a morning fasted workout.
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Performing Fasted Training can help with increase the percentage of body fat burned, ONLY if you consume less calories than you burn.
That means if you perform Fasted Training and then over eat, you body weight/fat percentage isn’t going to decrease.
Summary
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The Pre-Training Meals/Snacks is dogma that over rated that continues to be perpetuated on message board and in gym due to a lack of knowledge.
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Research (Dr Brad Schoenfeld) found that it more about you eat during the rest of the day that matters; “Nutrient Timing” is a fallacy that won’t go away.
Kenny Croxdale
If you mean Fasted Weight Training then the extra grams of fat you end up burning is not worth it as you’ll elevate cortisol levels further to mobilize stored glycogen to fuel your workout and subsequently negatively impact your net protein synthesis.
And I think you mean “decreasing”.
Right now I eat nothing before (training first thing in the morning) and nothing after (until normally about 11). And I’m smashing PRs.
Corrected
Yea, I misphrased that.
Fasted Fat Burning
Cortisol isn’t the villain it has been portrayed to be.
Acute Cortisol
During Fasted Exercise, cortisol along with norepinephine, epinephrine, glucagon and growth hormone increase the utilization of fat burning.
Thus, short term elevation in cortisol, etc are a good thing.
Chronic Cortisol
Long term elevation of cortisol lead to numerous heath issues.
Kenny Croxdale
Yes, all fine and good if what you are doing is essentially fasted cardio but if you are doing a weightlifting session and hoping to stimulate some muscle protein synthesis then you don’t want elevated cortisol levels. That’s why I emphasised Weight.
Elevated Cortisol In Resistance Training
An elevation in cortisol is going to occur with Resistance Training, any type of intensity training, naturally. It is an acute response to training that leads to an increase in Strength or Hypertrophy, dependent on how your training program is written and executed.
The increase in cortisol is going to occur whether you training in a Fasted of Fed State.
The Rebound Effect
Yes, there is an initial dip in Muscle Protein Synthesis followed by a dramatic rebound.
It works essentially the same way as overloading the muscle in a training session. After your training session, you are weaker than you were before the training session.
You then rebound, given enough recovery time between training session, becoming stronger.
It an ebb and flow process. It is part of nature; night/day, high tide/low tide, etc.
Post Training Inflammation
The same process occurs with Post Training Inflammation.
Post Training Inflammation was once regarded something that needed to shut down and avoided. Lifters often took, some still do, NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) over the counter products like tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. to minimize Post Training Inflammation.
NSAID worked at minimizing Post Training Inflammation, at a cost.
Research determined that inflammation is an essential part of healing process; thus, minimizing it meant your recovery was slower.
Acute Post Elevation of Cortisol
Long term elevation in cortisol is the real issue. It is created by a number of factor.
Summary
Acute Post Workout Elevated Cortisol isn’t an issue. It is part of the healing process. Muscle Protein Synthesis is slightly depress for a short period of time; leading to a rebound in Muscle Protein Synthesis.
The vilification of any Acute Cortisol Production (Inflammation, as well) as something to be avoided, minimized or shut down for training and everything else continues to be perpetuated on message board and gyms. It is counter productive for the recovery process.
The research data on this is can be found online.
Kenny Croxdale
All valid points, however, what I was getting at was this: arguably, burning a few extra grams of fat isn’t a worthwhile trade-off when put against a better net MPS which you will achieve if you consume pre-/intra-workout carbs as your body will not have to produce as much cortisol to mobilize stored glycogen to fuel your exercise.
Also, cortisol and testosterone are made from the same precursor hormone pregnenolone, so you’ll have more pregnenolone left over to make testosterone from if you don’t spend it all on producing cortisol.