Eating after Cardio - Fat Loss?

[xonic2xonic2]

If you do your cardio on an empty stomach (ie. first thing AM) what arguments are there for or against eating right away vs waiting?

What about if you do your cardio after weight training?

"" having have eaten within a couple of hours before cardio?


Thanks!

 

[garbagegut]

Good topic ... I do my cardio first thing in the am on an empty stomach (except for water and ECA) .... but I always eat as soon as I'm done. I've thought about waiting as well, but I've always been afraid of losing muscle by skipping or waiting to eat a post-workout meal. Just trying to find that magical line between fat loss and muscle loss ...

 

[Super Test 2004]

I was informed by a very reputable source that immediately after cardio to consume something high in protein and very low in carbs. That was you will be able to spare your muscle while still burning fat. The fat burning process would be slowed down a bit but will still occur.
Remember, cardio is useless without a good diet.

 

[xonic2xonic2]

Ayup I imagine the topic has come up often but without platinum search I didn't find many answers.

Obviously the goals are:

a) Preferential burning of fat over protein/muscle or carbs

b) Minimalization of catabolism

c) Maximization of fat burning time

 

[xonic2xonic2]

Duh I guess this should be moved to the diet forum!

Unless maybe I add #4 "on or off" LOL

 

[onerepmaximum]

My thoughts on the subject are this:

You are doing cardio to cause make sure you are burning more calories than you are consuming. Cardio achieves this not only by using calories during the act, it will cause your metabolism to be a faster througout the day.

High intensity cardio will cause more of a metabolism spike where as lower intensity (50%-60%) of your max. heart rate will burn the most calories during the act of cardio.

Unless you are already very lean, your body will choose to catabolize fat over muscle. I don't think it is counter productive to eat after cardio. I do think that is counter productive to not eat after weight training, as resisitance training cause catabolism by nature.

If you are going to take in simple, high gl carbs, your body tolerates them best in the morning and after weight training.

My wife will run 4 miles and then be afraid to eat because she doesn't want to undo her work. As long as you create a deficit of calories taken in to calories required/burned, you are going to lose fat. She hasn't quite grasped that concept yet.

 

[junk]

Wait an hour before eating. Keeps insulin levels still low and GH still high along with increased metabolism post AM cardio = golden path to loosing fat. However, as always catabolism will occur, that's why even just 250mg of a test a week is beneficial to minimize muscle tissue breakdown. I loose fat like crazy that way.

 

[LITTLEMAGS]

I always eat after cardio and because I do it in the i eat my morning meal. 6 egg whites and 1/2 cup oatmeal (7am). BUT drink a protein shake an hour before cardio. (50 grams whey only).

 

[poantrex]

Junk is right - to maximize fat burning, wait a few hours before eating.

 

[xonic2xonic2]

Thanks guys. Morning cadio is not a likely option for me at this point.

I have been doing my cardio on days where I am not doing weights but now I am thinking of adding it to the end of my weight training.

Now onerepmaximum what you are saying sounds like calories in VS calories out, which by the laws of physics, must be valid. HOWEVER, what I am trying to figure out is whether or not there is validity in claims that certain types of excercise and what you eat post/pre effect whether or not you are burning off recently consumed carbs, existing fat or muscle!

So I am still looking for more opinions:

A) If I do cardio as I have normally been doing which is mid-day or early evening, having eaten within a couple of hours, should I wait some time period before eating?

B) If I do cardio after weight training where normally I would consume plenty of simple carbs + protein immediatly afterwards, should I do the same after adding cardio or try waiting?

Thanks guys!