How many hours before workout can we have a proper meal?

**freakout** · 11-03-2003, 10:54 AM

I hope this is the right place to ask this.

I was speaking to a friend and I told him that I need to have a proper meal one hour before workout in order for me to have energy to work out later.

He disagreed, claiming that I should not eat anything at least 4 hours before workout.

I am rather confused as I have been working out for over three years and I have not heard of such things.

How are you able to remain energetic 4 hours after your meal for your workout?

What are the consequences if I insist in not eating one hour before workout?

My job is during the daytime and therefore I have only the evening hours for my workout. How would that affect the rate my food gets digest?

Thats the thing Im always depressed of. Uncertainties and unbased claims..

**rambo** · 11-03-2003, 11:14 AM

He's a dumbass. You are right. Now go shove a pineapple up his ass for being such a ignorant bastard.

**Atomic** · 11-03-2003, 11:17 AM

4 hours!!! Thats crazy! Say I have my morning meal at 8:00 and it takes me 1/2 an hour to eat it. According to your friend I shouldn't train till 12:30 and lets say my workout lasts 1 hour and it takes me 1/2 an hour to get home and have a shake AT 2:00PM!!! Listen it takes at least 1 hour for you to digest a meal which requires a lot of blood, if you train before that 1 hour is up the blood is going to the muscles your working out which will affect your digestion. I wait 1 1/2 hours before I train,2 1/2 on leg days. Tell your friend he doesn't know dick about training or nutrition & by the way this is the wrong forum to put this.

**usualsuspect** · 11-03-2003, 11:33 AM

follow your friends advice if you want to lose muscle and feel like shit in the gym at the same time. Eating an hr before the gym is okay but it really depends on your goals, your metabolism, and what and how much you eat.

~US~

**bornbad71** · 11-03-2003, 02:43 PM

Bro 4 hrs. is way to long...I do a detour, u-turn, or oneway @1hr. before my workout...that way I get protein w/some carbs......don't go to heavy on the food u don't want to be sluggish during your workout....tell your friend he might want to read some threads on AR to learn more......or he can go around uneducated and be small.....either way it doesn't matter.

**Da Bull** · 11-03-2003, 06:53 PM

I'd wait 1 1/2hrs......8eggwhites and a cup of oatmeal should be enough,not to heavy and east to digest.Even an MRP 1 1/2 hrs out is ok........btw,your friends an idiot!!

**Calipso** · 11-03-2003, 07:59 PM

Hehehe, I wouldn't trust his judgement.

**mass junkie** · 11-03-2003, 08:03 PM

Well if your supposed to be eating every 2 hours than you know you can eat at the very least 2 hours before the gym depending on your meal schedule and Workout schedule.......I wouldnt say that your friend is an idiot just misinformed...........Bring him to AR

**freakout** · 11-03-2003, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by rambo

He's a dumbass. You are right. Now go shove a pineapple up his ass for being such a ignorant bastard.

I would not do that.. though he has a tight bum and he is not shy in flaunting it either..

**freakout** · 11-03-2003, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by Atomic

4 hours!!! Thats crazy! Say I have my morning meal at 8:00 and it takes me 1/2 an hour to eat it. According to your friend I shouldn't train till 12:30 and lets say my workout lasts 1 hour and it takes me 1/2 an hour to get home and have a shake AT 2:00PM!!! Listen it takes at least 1 hour for you to digest a meal which requires a lot of blood, if you train before that 1 hour is up the blood is going to the muscles your working out which will affect your digestion. I wait 1 1/2 hours before I train,2 1/2 on leg days. Tell your friend he doesn't know dick about training or nutrition & by the way this is the wrong forum to put this.

You brought up another question which I do not know if anyone here could advise.

Why do some guys prefer to have a workout(not cardio) on an empty stomach early mornings?

**freakout** · 11-03-2003, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by usualsuspect

follow your friends advice if you want to lose muscle and feel like shit in the gym at the same time. Eating an hr before the gym is okay but it really depends on your goals, your metabolism, and what and how much you eat.

~US~

Thanks guys...

You r right.. I still believe that it relies a lot on metabolism...

Appreciate your response guys..

**Nixter** · 11-04-2003, 07:58 PM

I have to eat no more than an hour before the gym. If I wait longer I'm useless sack o' shit. Sometimes I'll even eat right B4. I was always told that was bad but I seem to have no problem with it. I think it makes a bigger difference if your are doing cardio.

Nixter

**Tock** · 11-06-2003, 10:10 PM

Yah, I eat, then drive 15 minutes to the gym, do 20 minutes warmup on the bike, stretch, then I'm ready. If I wait any longer, I run out of gas before the end of the workout.
4 hours is crazy . . . lots of us eat every 4 hours . . .

**timmz11** · 11-18-2003, 11:11 PM

anywhere from an hour - two hours...depending on ur own body ...but no less than an hour..your stomach need blood to aid digestion , your muscles need it to aid "growth,warmth,strength" everything we go to the gym for.