Ideally, you should eat within 45 minutes of finishing your exercise because your body's ability to rebuild glycogen and protein is enhanced after you workout.
That's a tough one to answer, and here's why: They're both important, says Patton. Munching before exercising provides your body with the energy it needs to power through the session. Chowing down afterward helps with recovery. Not just any old fuel will do, though.
After a workout, you should be getting a healthy balance of protein and carbohydrates. Great post-workout protein sources include lean meat, like fish and chicken, and grains like quinoa. Include additional vitamins and nutrients in your post-workout meals with avocados and leafy greens.
You're Breaking Down Your Hard-Earned Muscle
If you're not fueling your muscles properly after a workout, you could lose all the muscle-building benefits that you were achieving. “Your body is using energy constantly throughout the day, even when you aren't exercising," Jones says.
For the sake of muscle recovery and replenishing glycogen stores, it's best to create a meal that consists of one-third fruits and vegetables, one-third protein, one-third complex carbohydrates (such as whole wheat bread, brown rice or quinoa) and a little fat for good measure, says Bonci.
Poor muscle recovery
Eating after a workout will provide the energy necessary for metabolic processes to trigger muscle repair. Failing to eat at this time will, therefore, hinder muscle repair and leave the muscles achier. Protein-rich foods are helpful in supporting muscle recovery.
But she adds that if you consumed a meal just before exercising, it's likely that the benefits from that meal will still apply after training. If you can't eat within 45 minutes of working out, try not to go much longer than two hours before eating a meal to avoid minimising any effects.
You could feel “punch drunk” after working out, your arms and other muscles might ache more than usual, and your body may even feel generally weaker. A low protein diet can also hinder your weight-loss goals, because more muscle means a higher metabolism, which means it takes more calories to maintain the same weight.
To make gains you have to have the right nutrients in your body to construct muscle. This means that what you eat, and how much, is essential in making muscle gains. Lifting and doing strength training without adequate nutrition, especially without enough protein, can actually lead to loss of muscle tissue.
If you can sustain a lifting program and eat a caloric deficit, your body will be able to pull from its fat stores to both fuel itself and potentially build muscle mass. Prioritizing foods rich in protein is a key component to both losing body fat and building muscle at the same time.
✅ Pros: Squeezing your glutes at the top of a squat WILL activate your glutes better, IF you do it correctly. However… ⛔️ Cons: Squeezing your glutes could force you into pushing you hips too far forward, or arching your back if you're not doing it correctly.
Good squats build the thigh muscles evenly. The day after squatting you should note that your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and adductors(the muscles of your groin/inner thigh) are all sore.
Fasted strength training (and cardio) is both effective and safe. Lifting weights on an empty stomach is not more effective than doing so after eating one or more meals. But if you, for whatever reason, prefer fasted resistance training, there is no evidence that it will prevent you from reaching your fitness goals.
You're supposed to be hungry after you work out. Exercise burns calories, uses up your glycogen stores and stimulates your appetite. It also dehydrates you and if you don't drink enough water before, during and after your workout, you're going to feel hungry.
Safety and Technique
Going heavy first is safer, too. A lot of hardcore lifters downplay the importance of safety, but you won't be making any gains in size or strength if you're a regular patient at the local orthopedic surgeon. Heavy compound movements are neurologically very demanding.
You always feel sore
If you beat up your body on the gym floor, you need to feed it properly to allow it to repair. Getting enough protein in the hours following your workout not only helps it to rebuild, but may also help to reduce muscle soreness, according to a study conducted on Marines.
"Muscle soreness occurs because muscle and the connective tissue around it get damaged during exercise," explains Dr. Hedt. "This is completely normal and nothing to worry about, though. In fact, it's needed for muscle growth, since muscle is built back stronger during this repair process."
Signs of a protein deficiency
Getting sick often without protein to boost the immune system. Mood changes or trouble thinking due to fluctuating blood sugar and protein's effect on the brain's neurotransmitters (which regulate mood) Muscle weakness, since amino acids are essential for building muscle mass.
Buckingham also warns that not eating enough calories to support your workouts can lead to illness and injury, as both muscle repair and immune function rely on energy and nutrients from food.
The best time to have cheat meals would be after your hardest workout of the week. For many, they would place this following a leg day, but some even place it following a heavy chest or back day if those are some lagging body parts they are looking to bring up.
#1: Running After Leg Day Can Increase The Risk of Injury
Any time you do a hard workout, your muscle fibers need time to heal. Microtears occur in the fibers, and it's only through the recovery process that these fibers build back stronger.