Jump to:

• Is It Okay to Exercise Right after Eating?
• Can I Eat 30 Minutes Before Workout?
• What Are Some Good Snacks to Eat Before a Workout?
• Can I Eat an Hour Before Workout?
• How Does the Type of Exercise Effect How Long I Should Wait?
• Does Exercising Right after Eating Burn More Calories?
• Training Fasted versus Training Fed

Juggling work, a social life, family, gym, as well as organising your nutrition is no small feat. If you've found yourself running from work to the gym and downing a protein shake or bar on the way, or just skipping food altogether, you've probably wondered how long after eating you can exercise. You've probably also wondered what you should be eating before you exercise.

So you're not risking at best sluggishness and at worst vomiting, we've rounded up the best tips to help you optimise your gym sessions and avoid any uncomfortable interruptions to your workouts.

How Long Before Working out Should You Eat?

The amount of time to digest your food and wait will depend upon the type of food you've eaten and also the type of exercise you'll take part in.

According to a review published by the ISSN; 'It takes about four hours for carbohydrates to be digested and begin being stored as muscle and liver glycogen.' Therefore, for optimal performance, pre-exercise meals should be eaten 4-6 hours before exercise. Research has also suggested that eating a light carbohydrate and protein snack 30 to 60 minutes prior to exercise can improve performance at the end of an intense exercise bout.

It's important to take the evidence we have available, which is usually with the goal of supporting athletes, and apply it to us individually, as non-athletes (no matter how seriously you take your training goals).

For those of us going to the gym: generally, for a large meal it could take 1-2 hours upwards before you should train. For a light snack, it could take about 30-60 minutes.

Is It Okay to Exercise Right after Eating?

It's no surprise that training directly after eating can cause gastrointestinal issues. Wolf down a meal as soon as you step off the gym floor and it can spell trouble for your digestion. It can cause problems such as:

• Sluggishness
• Hindered exercise performance
• Stitches
• Gas
• Heartburn
• Bloating
• Indigestion
• Cramping
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea

Can I Eat 30 Minutes Before Workout?

Yes. If you eat a light snack, 30 minutes would be the perfect amount of time before training. However, if you're eating a larger meal, it may take some more time to digest fully, in which case you'd be better to wait a little longer.

What Are Some Good Snacks to Eat Before a Workout?

Examples of snacks that have the fast-releasing energy necessary for your workouts are anything that's low fibre, so that it's easy to digest, contains carbohydrates and a little protein, according to the ISSN. This is why you may see athletes eating sweets and supplements before training.

Some foods that are less likely to cause digestive issues and could aid performance are:

• Cereal bars
• Energy bars
• Protein bars that also contain carbs
• Crackers and a light protein source
• Bananas and a light protein source
• Dried fruit and nuts

Can I Eat an Hour Before Workout?

Yes. One-to-two hours before exercise is the perfect amount of time to eat a snack or light meal. Heavier meals would likely take longer to digest.

How Does the Type of Exercise Effect How Long I Should Wait?

How long you should wait largely depends on how vigorous the exercise type is. For example:

• Walking: Immediately
• Weight training: 30 minutes, Meal 1-2 hours upwards
• Crossfit: Snack - 30 minutes, Meal 1-3 hours upwards
• Cycling: Snack - 30 minutes, Meal 1-3 hours upwards
• Swimming: Snack - 30 minutes, Meal 1-3 hours upwards
• Running: Snack - 30 minutes, Meal 1-3 hours upwards

Does Exercising Right after Eating Burn More Calories?

Technically, unfortunately not. As much as we wish that training directly after eating would increase totally calorie expenditure for the day, it won't. While some types of food have a higher energy demand to burn (called the thermic effect of food), like high-fibre foods and protein, when you eat them will not effect total calorie burn.

However, if you were to choose the right type of food for you, and eat it with enough time to digest before training, it is totally plausible that you may be able to have better performance in your training session, and therefore exert yourself more, thus burning more calories.

Training Fasted versus Training Fed

Depending on your goals and preferences, you may decide to train fasted instead of eating before your workout. While this isn't inherently harmful, you could be leaving PBs on the table. Pre-workout snacks or meals can boost performance in the gym with a review published by Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports mentioning that pre- workout nutrition enhanced prolonged exercise.

It has been debated within sports nutrition whether the 'train low' concept of training (low-carbohydrate intake before exercise) will support or hinder performance long term, with research published in the Journal of Physiology suggesting it could negatively effect performance. As well as this, new evidence published in Sports Medicine suggests that 'fuelling for the work required' by eating the amount of carbohydrates needed for the exercise duration, can be most beneficial for endurance exercise. It is a huge topic among endurance exercise and more research in this area is needed.

However, it's important to note that, if you're training fasted for fat loss, this won't necessarily aid your fat loss goals. The most important factor is total energy balance over the course of the day. A study published by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that when deciding to eat before or after training, with the intention of fat loss, you should make the decision based on preference.

To summarise, make sure you do what's right for you individually as everyone is different. You can find what works for you best through trial and error, and if in doubt, seek help from a qualified sports nutritionist.

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