Whats up Fam, so im going through a bit of a plateau right now but its no big deal Ill get through it, I just needed some advice, Im trying to eat semi low carb but should i eat my higher carb meal pre or post workout?

I would say eat more carbs BEFORE your workout, then have a bit less AFTER your workout.

Get that food in before because that way you can hit it hard! But you will definitely want some carbs post-workout too to replenish the muscles.

Maybe have about 70-80% of the carbs you had before you hit the gym in your post-workout meal. Try and make them wholegrain carbs too.

Jordan

Jorge,

If you are going low carb, you want to eat some carbs pre-workout and the majority of your carbs post workout. Your biggest carb meal should be after you workout. The reason is due to insulin. Insulin forces nutrients into your cells and excess glucose into your fat cells. Insulin is triggered only by carbs which is why you need to watch them when balancing muscle gain with fat loss. After you workout, your glucose stores (liver and muscles) are empty or nearly so. This makes them very receptive to insulin and ensures the carbs you eat will not be stored as body fat. You want to eat enough to replenish your glycogen stores for the next day but not too much so as to add bodyfat. Eating too many carbs pre-workout or late at night long after you workout increases the odds that the majority of the glucose produced will be stored as fat since the body has no immediate need for glucose - unlike the situation after you workout. The only time pre-workout carbs are not stored as bodyfat is if your glucose stores have not been sufficiently replenished post-workout.

The choice is yours as to when you want to eat your carbs. The bottom line is not to exceed the total amount of carbs you have set for the day. If that limit is 100g, it doesn't matter if you do 100g pre or post-workout, 50g before and 50g after, or some other split just as long as you stay within 100g for the day. Just remember it takes about 2 hours after you eat slow-burning, nutritious carbs (not simple sugars and processed foods) to enter your bloodstream and be stored in muscles and the liver and ready for use :-)

John

Hey man id saying eat your carbs 30 minutes before your workout try having some complex carbs like brown rice or a sweat potato. When choosing carbohydrate rich foods for your workout, always select unrefined foods such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, and whole-grain products. Always stay AWAY from processed foods like enriched flour, evaporated cane juice, cane syrup, cane sugar, sugar, brown sugar, agave nectar, and even “healthy sugars” like tapioca syrup, brown rice syrup, molasses, coconut syrup, and maple syrup. Your body processes these very quickly and they can alter your blood sugar in a negative way. You should avoid buying breads, rolls, cereals, and other processed foods that contain refined grains or sugars like those mentioned above. You’re much better off eating whole grains, using stevia or fruit to sweeten your foods honestely lol! Hope this helps man!!