Do's and Dont's Pre and Post Workout Meals

Myth #1: You have to replenish your glycogen reserve. You have a certain storage of sugar in your muscles and liver. After about a half hour of working out, you become tapped out of glycogen. After the glycogen stores are depleted, then you start burning fat. If your goal is to lose weight or get toned, then you want to deplete your glycogen stores. Replenishing them doesn’t make sense.

Additionally, every time you consume high-protein foods, like a protein bar or protein shake, it triggers insulin. Insulin stops the natural fat burning process.

Myth #2: You need to eat protein after a workout to build muscle. Anything you eat right before or after a workout will not immediately affect your muscle mass. It takes at least 24 hours for your digestive tract to break down protein into usable nutrients. The idea that a protein shake is immediately going to your muscles doesn’t add up.

You don’t really need protein around your workouts to build muscle mass. It’s the meal you ate yesterday that creates muscle today—keep that in mind. Additionally, if you consume too much protein, you will overload your liver, and it won’t end up as muscle.

What you really need to do is avoid things that spike your insulin levels around your workouts—this includes protein shakes and protein bars. You should also know that insulin nullifies growth hormone. When you work out, you induce a stress event that breaks down muscles. During the recovery process is when your body builds muscle. Growth hormone is instrumental—which means that spiking insulin is a huge problem.

Tips for getting the most out of your workout:

• Get good sleep

• Don’t eat anything before, during, or after your workout

• Avoid insulin-spiking foods