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Fitness Nutrition and Hydration

How to Eat to Get the Most Out of Your Workout

Summary & Participants

Knowing when and what to eat can help you get better results when you workout.

Medically Reviewed On: August 06, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Working out takes energy. And when you eat can make a big difference in your results.

Lisa Witzer, Nutritionist/Personal Trainer: You don’t want to eat too close to a workout because then you’re going to feel full and you’re not going to have the benefits – you’re not going to be able to workout because you’re going to feel full and nauseous.

ANNOUNCER: While working out on an empty stomach might burn more fat, any benefits are usually offset by a shorter workout or overeating later.

Lisa Witzer, Nutritionist/Personal Trainer: When you work out on an empty stomach, you have low blood sugar, less energy. You’re more likely to get fatigued.

ANNOUNCER: Here’s a quick rundown of basic fitness nutrition:

Lisa Witzer, Nutritionist/Personal Trainer: About an hour beforehand, you want to eat something that is mostly carbs and some protein. A great meal would be a cup of oatmeal with some blueberries, some egg whites

Lisa Witzer, Nutritionist/Personal Trainer: Immediately after a workout you want to eat something with mostly carbs. You really want to replace the glycogen that you’ve lost through the workout. A protein shake would be great with some fresh fruit, some blueberries for the antioxidants or some strawberries would be great.

ANNOUNCER: And because your body needs different nutrition at different times after a workout, be sure to eat again soon.

Lisa Witzer, Nutritionist/Personal Trainer: Within an hour or two hours, you want to have a full meal. You want to have some lean protein and some complex carbs. The lean protein is going to help repair the muscle tissue that you’ve damaged through the workout, and the complex carbs, again, is going to help replace the glycogen that you’ve lost.

ANNOUNCER: And always remember that proper nutrition is essential to getting a good workout.

Lisa Witzer, Nutritionist/Personal Trainer: Finish the job. You’ve got through the trouble to work out. Starving yourself is not going to make the effects better. It’s not going to help you lose weight. You’re just going to slow down your metabolism. I’m telling you to eat. How hard can that be?

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily!