If you are on a diet program to lose weight, exercise is something you can’t miss to do. However, when is the ideal time to eat, is it before exercise or after exercise?
Can eating before exercise make you gain weight?
A study conducted in Belgium examined how the weight changes in people who eat before and after exercise. A total of 27 young men were given high-calorie and high-fat foods for 6 consecutive weeks.
They were then divided into three groups: the group that did no exercise at all, the group that ate a high-carbohydrate meal before exercising, and the group that ate a high-carbohydrate meal after exercise.
It’s not uncommon for the highest weight gain to occur in the group that doesn’t exercise at all.
Interestingly, other results showed that the group that ate after exercise had the least weight gain or no weight gain at all.
Although not many other studies have found similar results, this does show that what you eat before exercise greatly influences weight changes.
Eating too much food before exercise can also interfere with the digestive system and cause stomach pain during exercise. This is due to inappropriate eating time.
However, eating before exercise can maximize calorie burning
Many think that exercising on an empty stomach can maximize the burning of calories and fat in the body. However, this is not entirely true.
If you exercise on an empty stomach, the body experiences a lack of energy. This makes you unable to exercise properly and unable to burn calories optimally.
In principle, the body needs time to digest food and process it into energy that you can use for activities and sports.
The time it takes the body to digest food depends on the amount and type of food consumed. Foods with high fat, protein and fiber take longer to digest. So are the large portions of food.
Therefore, it is better to eat low-fat and calorie foods about 3-4 hours before exercise. Options include whole wheat toast with eggs or cereal with milk.
However, if you exercise in the morning and are not used to eating heavy meals, you can eat a light snack 1-2 hours before exercising, such as fruit with low-fat yogurt, fruit juice or cereal.
Recommended food after exercise
Eating 15-30 minutes after exercising is the ideal time to replace energy in the body.
Consume food sources of carbohydrates to replace glycogen (stored glucose or energy reserves) in the body and food sources of protein to help the body build muscle mass.
A research conducted at The Colorado State University Extension states that foods that are good to eat after exercising are foods that consist of carbohydrates and protein and contain little fat.
Meanwhile, according to The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a glass of low-fat chocolate can be the right distraction for those of you who want to snack after exercising.
Therefore, the most important thing is the time to eat, the number of servings, and the type of food you eat before and after exercise.
All nutrients are needed to maintain body functions. However, consuming it as needed is a very influential thing to increase, decrease, or maintain body weight.
By paying attention to all the nutrients eaten before and after exercising, you can maximize the burning of calories and fat in the body.