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To Eat Or Not To Eat? Eating Before And After Working Out

25th June 2021

25th June 2021

By Beth Shelper

One of the greatest debates in the fitness community is whether to eat before or after a workout. And this debate has follow-up questions: what to eat, how long before or after workouts you should eat it, and why certain foods are beneficial at certain times. Yeah… it’s a minefield.

Firstly, your body will respond differently to exercise depending on how you have prepared for your workout. What this means is if you have eaten before, your body will engage in different processes during exercise than it would if you had not eaten, and this can affect your performance, results and progress towards your fitness goals. Make sense?

Both fuelled and fasted exercise have their benefits, but here at Innermost we wanted to put these benefits to the test to try and finally find an answer to this age old question: should I be eating before workouts or after?

Let’s discuss…

What is fuelled exercise?

Firstly, it’s important to note that proper nutrition (that is, a healthy balanced diet), is the key fuel for your exercise. This is what gives you energy, so it’s hugely important to ensure your body is properly fuelled at all times to prevent injury and maximise performance.

Generally, the best food type to fuel your body with before exercise is carbohydrates. This is because this a vital nutrient involved in physical performance, as carbohydrates are a huge source of energy.

Nutritionists recommend that you eat a full meal around two to three hours before a workout to ensure that you are in a healthy state to be engaging in high-energy workouts, with research suggesting that fuelled, or ‘fed’ exercise can boost your ability to workout for longer periods of times, therefore leading to better results.

Not only will fuelled exercise lead to these better results, being properly hydrated and energised will ensure you aren’t putting yourself at risk of injury. If you don’t get the nutrients your body requires around the hours of exercise, you are putting yourself at risk of fatigue. And no one wants that.

What is fasted exercise?

Fasted exercise refers to taking part in exercise before eating. The logic behind this is simple. Weight-loss is one of the widely discussed, rumoured benefits of fasted exercise.

This is because it is believed that when exercising on an empty stomach, or without having eaten in a prolonged period, your body will harvest the energy it requires to complete the workout from the breakdown of your stored fat, rather than taking it from the food that you have eaten throughout the day.

Whilst this sounds great if your fitness goal is to lose weight, as it insinuates that you will be breaking down more fat and therefore shedding more pounds, it’s important to remember that this is not the case. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Using fasted exercise to lose weight isn’t recommended.

This is because this breakdown in fat does not mean that you will lose more fat, as research has shown mixed results in this area. A lot of research into this area actually suggests that working out on an empty stomach can lead to the loss of energy and reduced stamina.

Plus, as we’ve said above, fuelling your body correctly and efficiently before a workout is vital to maintain adequate health and wellness levels. Don’t ignore what your body needs. Period.

Should I be eating around a workout?

So, should I eat before a workout? Yes. Should I eat after a workout? Also yes. Just make sure what you’re eating is nutritious, healthy and portion-controlled.

Here at Innermost, we are believers in fuelling your body properly and efficiently, with fresh ingredients, research-based, naturally-derived products and high quality nutrients. With that in mind, some of our favourite pre-workout go-to’s include:

Need some more inspiration for healthy delicious meals? Why not try out Our Five Favourite On-The-Go Lunches, Protein Pancake Recipes, or our Fiery Asian Chicken Soup? They’re pretty good if we do say so ourselves, and full of nutrients. Winner.  

However, if you stumbled across this article because you’re feeling fatigued and struggling for energy, check out The Energy Booster. Created with BCAAs (and without way too much caffeine), here at Innermost we wanted to formulate a product that boosts your energy naturally. The Energy Booster has won some pretty cool awards, so we think we’ve done alright. Definitely worth checking out… in our opinion.

References

  • Aird, T. P., Davies, R. W., & Carson, B. P. (2018). Effects of fasted vs fedstate exercise on performance and postexercise metabolism: A systematic review and metaScandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 28(5), 1476-1493. Click here.
  • Pacy, P. J., Barton, N., Webster, J. D., & Garrow, J. S. (1985). The energy cost of aerobic exercise in fed and fasted normal subjects. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 42(5), 764-768. Click here.
  • Vieira, A. F., Costa, R. R., Macedo, R. C., Coconcelli, L., & Kruel, L. F. (2016). Effects of aerobic exercise performed in fasted v. fed state on fat and carbohydrate metabolism in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The British journal of nutrition, 116(7), 1153–1164. Click here.

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From the Bedroom to the Gym: Is Your Sex Life Affecting Your Workout Performance?
The relationship between sex and workout performance is one that’s long been debated by scientists and fitness fanatics alike. It’s complicated and multifaceted, so answering the question of whether your sex life is affecting your training is difficult. That said, today we’re going to take a look at a variety of evidence, both academic and anecdotal, as well as several different scenarios and at least try to reduce some of the mystery around the subject. First, it helps to understand what’s actually happening to the body, both physically and psychologically, during both activities.   The Effects of Sex on the Body Sexual activity causes several changes to occur in the body:   Physical Changes That Occur During Sex During sexual activity and the lead up to it, the human body undergoes a process known as the sexual response cycle. This is the case for both males and females, though the cycle can be highly individual and may not be the same each time for each person. Describing the full sexual response cycle is beyond the scope of this article, however it consists of 4 phases: Desire Arousal Orgasm Resolution Factors such as elevated heart rate, increased blood flow and pressure and heightened muscle tension all come into play. If you’d like to read about the sexual response cycle in more detail, check out this great article from Cleveland Clinic.   Psychological Changes That Occur During Sex Several psychological changes occur both during and after sex. Most notable are the release of endorphins and oxytocin, which are associated with improved mood and a better sense of wellbeing. These are also responsible for reduced stress levels, which brings a multitude of additional benefits that are of particular interest to those of us participating in regular training and exercise. Cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress, is catabolic in high levels, meaning it can cause the breakdown of lean tissue. So, whilst it is unclear whether sex itself affects workout performance, the reduction in stress levels it may bring is definitely beneficial for preserving our results!   The Effects of Exercise and Training on the Body Exercise and training also cause the body to undergo a number of changes. These occur both during and after the physical activity. There are in fact a number of similarities in changes that happen during exercise and sex:   Physical Changes That Occur During Exercise The physical changes that happen in the body vary based on the type of exercise being undertaken, however, there are some that are common to exercise in general: Increased heart rate Increased blood flow, especially to the muscles Faster, deeper breathing due to additional oxygen needs Heightened activity within the circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal and endocrine systems A full summary of the changes that occur within these systems can be found here. More aerobically demanding exercise will, of course, place greater emphasis on the circulatory and respiratory systems as well as causing fat to be metabolised as an energy source. Resistance training, which often relies more heavily on the lactate and creatine phosphate energy systems, instead promotes greater muscular and endocrine (hormone) activity. Note the common physical changes between sex and exercise here, as they do crossover!   Psychological Changes That Occur During Exercise The psychological changes that occur during exercise are similar to those experienced during sexual activity and are mostly related to the release of endorphins and other ‘feelgood’ hormones. These help to regulate mood, and it is common knowledge that frequent exercise and leading an active, healthy lifestyle promotes a feeling of wellbeing.   Does Sex Affect Our Workouts? This is where things become complicated. Though extensive studies have been done on the subject, the results of these have varied massively. We must also take into account the experience of individuals, and this anecdotal evidence again has huge variance. Let’s look at both:   Sex and Training: What the Science Says Scientific studies on the relationship between sex and training are contradictory at best. There’s no denying the positive benefits of both activities, particularly from a psychological perspective, but as for the effect of sex on actual performance in the gym the results are inconclusive. A study, published in April 2021, by Kirecci, Albayrak and co. examined the effects of sexual activity of 50 men in the 24 hours prior to training on lower body strength. The study measured effects by having the men perform 3 separate squat sessions, each at the same time of day. Each of these sessions occurred after participating in or abstaining from sexual activity the night before. The men performed 5 sets of 5 repetitions of their maximum squat weight during these sessions and the difference in weight lifted was observed. The study concluded that ‘sexual intercourse within 24 hours before exercise [has a] detrimental effect on lower extremity muscle force, which suggests that restricting sexual activity before a short-term activity may be necessary.’ Aside from this study, most others found either no notable relationship between sex and athletic performance. A meta-analysis of 9 crossover studies, conducted by Zavorsky and Brooks and published on 16 September 2022, confirms this. The analysis concluded that ‘The results demonstrate that sexual activity within 30 min to 24 h before exercise does not appear to affect aerobic fitness, musculoskeletal endurance, or strength/power.’ This is perhaps more notable, because these studies incorporated different types of exercise and were not restricted purely to a strength/power based activity like squats.   Anecdotal Evidence: What About the Experiences of Real Gym Goers? The anecdotal evidence is, as expected, highly individualised. However, there tends to be a bias against the results of most studies, particularly in those participating in sports involving strength and aggression. For example, many fighters claim that they perform better when they abstain from sex in the days leading up to a contest. Similarly, bodybuilding forums are full of debate on this topic and many claim they note a significant decrease in motivation to train at maximum intensity after sexual activity. It has been hypothesised that this may be due to a downregulation in testosterone production after sex; during orgasm the mineral zinc is released in the body and this is also a precursor for natural testosterone production in the body and may, therefore, provide some reasoning as to the experience of many trainees.   Key Takeaways The relationship between sex and workout performance will always be a complicated one. The effects of one on the other in terms of physical fitness and, in particular, mental wellbeing, are clear, but when it comes to actual performance this appears to be highly individual. We’d advise doing what feels best for you but not worrying too much about it. Instead, prioritise your nutrition and make sure you’re fuelling your workouts properly. While you’re here, why not take a look at the Innermost range? We’re proud to be completely transparent about the ingredients in our products and we always ensure they’re of the highest quality. Check us out, and be sure to get in touch if you have any questions! Read more