chrisw77's Journal, 12 April 2019

** HOW FOOD AFFECTS YOUR WORKOUT **


Here are the macronutrients and how they work for resistance training.


PROTEIN: Highest Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) at 20% which means your metabolism takes longer to digest it = more work = more calories burned. Yes... eating protein actually burns calories just by its nature!
Also required for protein synthesis (muscle repair).

CARBS: Pure energy, fast-burning (5-10% TEF), mostly converted to glucose for immediate use, and only the excess gets stored in fat cells. If glycogen is low it fills the "fuel tanks" first before converting and storing as fat.

FATS: Satiety - keeps you feeling full (0% TEF), saturated fats increase testosterone levels (for guys) which helps with building strength.



Here's how to set up your meals to take advantage of the benefits of the macros (I'm excluding fats because with weightlifting, they are just a "filler" to meet your caloric needs when the carbs/proteins are maxed out).

These three meals are the most important for development and progress, so pile the calories on during these times.


PRE-WORKOUT: Moderate protein, and high in carbs

Just enough to give you energy. Some people workout fasted, but personally, I wouldn't last more than 15 minutes without a meal first. I even add acarb-up shake mid-workout. Allow about an hour to digest before working out, but not much longer.


POST-WORKOUT: High protein, and high in carbs.

Weightlifting increases insulin sensitivity which means your cells are ready to soak up whatever you put in your body right after a workout like a sponge.

The protein gives the muscles the building blocks to begin repairing the damaged muscle tissue.

Once you're done with your workout, your body's still in high gear for awhile... carbs slow the breakdown of muscle tissue (aka: catabolism) by giving it an alternate food source. Advantage of resistance training: continued caloric burn for quite awhile after you leave the gym!


BEDTIME: High in protein, moderate carbs.

You'll need enough protein to finish fixing your muscle damage overnight. If you run out overnight, it'll continue the next day when it gets more protein, but it just makes the repair process take longer and makes DOMS (next-day muscle soreness) worse.

At night, your hormones reset and calm down. By adding carbs (high energy source, right?) at bedtime, it actually speeds up your RMR (resting metabolic rate) so you'll actually burn more calories while you sleep!

A few of us have found that carbs before bed also help us fall asleep faster and improves sleep quality too.

 https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/carbs-at-night-fat-loss-killer-or-imaginary-boogeyman.html

** If you can nap right after a workout, this would be the perfect time so muscles can repair immediately. Otherwise, most of the work is done overnight which is why a good night's rest is important for muscle development. **


If you're OBESE, eat a high protein diet to increase your metabolism and lift weights to burn even more calories in much less time than cardio.

If you're SKINNY, eat a high carb diet to retain more water and be able to work harder/longer.

If you're at MAINTENANCE, eat a fair balance of both carbs and protein in proportion to your exercise level.


I hope this helps someone! 💪

154.0 lb Lost so far: 4.0 lb.    Still to go: 0 lb.    Diet followed reasonably well.

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3048 kcal

Fat: 82.44g | Prot: 189.76g | Carb: 399.44g.   Breakfast: Valu Time 1% Low Fat Milk, Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats - Strawberry, El Popular Chorizo, Oakdell Jumbo Eggs. Elevenses: Nature's Best Isopure Low Carb Dutch Chocolate, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder, Winco Foods 1% Low-Fat Chocolate Milk, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds). Lunch: Fiber One Chewy Bars - Oats & Chocolate, Fiber One Protein Bars - Peanut Butter. Dinner: Valu Time 1% Low Fat Milk, General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros, Nabisco Carrot Cake Oreos, Zoi Raspberry Greek Yogurt, Stella Parmesan & Romano Cheese, Argo Corn Starch, Valu Time 1% Low Fat Milk, Winco Penne Rigate, Broccoli, Skinless Chicken Breast, Daisy Low Fat 2% Small Curd Cottage Cheese. Supper: Extra Strength Melatonin Gummies, Dr. Tobias Triple Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil, Vitafusion MultiVites Gummy Vitamins. more...

2390 kcal

Activities & Exercise: Grocery Shopping - 30 minutes, Cooking - 1 hour and 30 minutes, Watching TV/Computer - 5 hours and 30 minutes, Sleeping - 7 hours, Bus Driving - 8 hours, Showering - 30 minutes, Driving - 1 hour. more...