Pre & Post-Workout Nutrition

HIERARCHY OF IMPORTANCE FOR PRE- AND POST WORKOUT FOODS

When speaking of nutrition and the best pre and post workout meals for improving body composition or training performance, it’s crucial to realize there’s
an underlying hierarchy of importance. At the top of the hierarchy is the total amount of the macronutrients by the end of the day. Distantly below
that is the precise timing of those nutrients. With very few exceptions, athletes and active individuals eat multiple times per day. Thus, the majority
of their day is spent in the postprandial (fed) rather than a post-absorptive (fasted) state. The vast majority of nutrient timing studies have been
done on overnight-fasted subjects put through glycogen depletion protocols, which obviously limits the applicability of the outcomes. Pre-exercise
(and/or during-exercise) nutrient intake often has a lingering carry-over effect into the post-exercise period. Throughout the day, there’s a constant
overlap of meal digestion & nutrient absorption. For this reason, the effectiveness of nutrient timing and the best pre workout and post workout
meals and snacks does not require a high degree of precision.

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing

– The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

– The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

Credits to Alan Aragon for this article.

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