Pre-workout- not fruit?!

[lindsb14]

I just finished my first whole30! I plan on continuing with it. I noticed my energy is more stable throughout the day but not more energy when I run/lift/workout. I actually felt a little slower.

I noticed something that said not to eat fruit before a workout?! And not carbs??

Help! Need advice! I've alwayyyyyys eaten a banana before a workout. Sometimes with a spoonful of almond butter. Don't we need carbs before a workout? If you burn carbs and fat during a workout, and you haven't had carbs right before, don't you burn muscle?? I've always been taught to eat sugar and carbs like a banana before a workout.

My goal is to lose about 4% fat and gain 5 lbs more muscle.

[missmary]

Whole30 recommendations are to avoid fruit and avoid carbohydrate Pre-Workout.

 

This is how it works: the human body is kind of lazy. It will grab whatever energy source is easiest at a given time. If you give it sugar before a workout, the workout will be fueled by sugar. Then, when the sugar runs out, the body often has trouble switching over to burning available fat and will crash. This is why those workout gels and honey stingers exist: people doing long runs who haven't trained their body to burn fat need to keep throwing sugar on the fire to keep going.

 

If you do well with your workout without any Pre-Workout snack, that's fine. If you need something (especially if you workout before meal #1) have a small portion of protein and/or fat (like your almond butter alone, or an egg or a piece of fatty meat). This reassures the body that it is not starving and should go ahead and burn fat. After an initial transition period (possibly a few weeks or more), you should find that you have more reliable steady energy during your workout. DO NOT GIVE UP DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. give it time.

[Regina Runs Far]

Thank you. This really helps.  I am been trying to figure out what to eat Pre WO.  I read the meal template, but it is kind of vague on specific foods.  I do 2 long runs per week. I am on Day 15, so I have had 2 weeks of long runs and strenuous workouts.  The first week I was dead on all of my workouts, but my 18 miler on trails on Day 7 was pretty good.  This past week I felt great during most of my runs and crossfit, with the exception that around mile  10 I start to feel hungry, although energy seems good so I can finish strong.  If I were only going to run 10-12 miles it would be ok, but given that I have three ultras in the next few months, and I love marathons, I wonder if my body will adapt to burning fat enough to make it through these runs that are 4-24 hours.  

 

This weekend my meals  and WOs were as follows:

 

Saturday:  2 hard boiled eggs, banana, handful of almonds, tangerine.

13 mile run-1 Buddy fruits. 

Post WO:  1/2 Sweet potato, chicken, 1/2 avocado.

Meal 1  2 eggs, bacon, veggies. 

Meal 2:  salad with tons of veggies, avocado, chicken. snacked on almonds, strawberries.

Meal 3:  salad with ahi tuna and veggies.  

 

Sunday:  2 hard boiled eggs, banana, handful of almonds, blueberries.

15 mile run:  1 buddy fruits, 1 smuckers fruit puree......started to feel hungry about mile 11

Post WO:  chicken, 1/2 avo, 1/2 sweet potato, few strawberries

Meal 1:  2 eggs w/veggies, bacon

Meal 2: salad w/veggies and chicken. snacked on almonds.  RX Bar

Meal 3:  pulled pork, brisket, collards, green beans

 

My runs were great and felt great, but if they had been much longer, I think I would have bonked.  

 

Any ideas would be great.  I really feel I needed the banana before the workout.............

 

Thanks

[missmary]

 I really feel I needed the banana before the workout.............

 

This is the tough part. If you continue to give your body carbs before your workout you will continue to need carbs before your workout. You have to go through the transition before you will be able to feel the benefits. Try the recommendations. Seriously try them for more than one day (like 30 days in a row) and then decide if you still need the banana (and the tangerine and the blueberries). I really think this is worth it, but it isn't easy. You have to do the work.

[Physibeth]

In addition to MissMary's excellent point you need to eat A LOT more starchy vegetables in your normal meals. You are running for ultras which means you are majorly depleting your glycogen stores pretty much every time you run. If you replace all the fruit you are eating (with the exception of pre-workout which you should ditch not replace) with starchy vegetables I think you would feel better and recover faster. Also take that 1/2 avocado out of your post-workout meal so you can digest it faster and get the protein to your muscles faster.

[NicoleLeal]

Thanks for asking the question and thank you for the information!!

[lllusion]

Whole30 recommendations are to avoid fruit and avoid carbohydrate Pre-Workout.

 

This is how it works: the human body is kind of lazy. It will grab whatever energy source is easiest at a given time. If you give it sugar before a workout, the workout will be fueled by sugar. Then, when the sugar runs out, the body often has trouble switching over to burning available fat and will crash. This is why those workout gels and honey stingers exist: people doing long runs who haven't trained their body to burn fat need to keep throwing sugar on the fire to keep going.

If anyone wants to read more on the science behind the fuelling systems as it relates to endurance check out this article. Basically, William Misner, Ph.D supports Whole30's presentation of insulin and hormone effects. He also explores it further for endurance athletes. 

 

Here's a quick quote, "Although carbohydrate feedings prevent hypoglycaemia and are readily used for energy during mild exercise, there is little data indicating that feedings improve endurance during low intensity exercise. When the reliance on carbohydrate for fuel is greater, as during moderate intensity exercise, carbohydrate feedings delay fatigue by apparently slowing the depletion of muscle glycogen."

 

And regarding honey and endurance training/racing, it's a terrible source of carbos! In fact, most gels and energy bars impede endurance performance, not aid it. What's more, most people ingest far too many calories pre-exercise and while exercising! 600 calories max, no later than 3 hours pre-exercise. And 120-180 calories/hour max while exercising for periods over 60 minutes. The body just can't absorb it faster than that while on the go.

 

Also take that 1/2 avocado out of your post-workout meal so you can digest it faster and get the protein to your muscles faster.

So true, 3:1 complex carbos:protein is the optimum lean muscle recovery ratio. The body is most receptive to nutrients 15-30 minutes, even up to 60 minutes, after (intense) exercise.