“Why is it recommended to eat carbs after a workout vs. before? If simple carbs convert to sugars quickly for energy, wouldn’t eating something like oatmeal or a turkey sandwich on whole wheat “before” a workout be better than after?”
Great question! This is something that so few who are trying to lose weight understand.
Eating Carbohydrates Before a Workout
If you are a long distance runner with very little bodyfat then carbohydrates before your workout are a must. The carbohydrates will be used for energy so that your body doesn’t have to break down your already low bodyfat for energy. When you eat carbohydrates before a workout, they will be the fuel of choice for your body. Thus, eating carbohydrates before a workout saves your bodyfat.
Eating Carbohydrates After a Workout
If you are trying to lose weight, especially bodyfat, you should always work out on a fairly empty stomach. This way, your body will have no choice but to draw upon its own energy reserves (in the form of bodyfat) for energy. The reason you want to eat carbohydrates after a workout is to help your muscles recover from the workout and rebuild themselves. (Muscle is built by a constant breaking down/rebuilding cycle.) By eating or drinking a meal of both protein and carbohydrates within an hour after a heavy workout, you are providing your body with the building blocks to rebuild your muscles (protein) and the fuel to make the rebuilding process possible (carbohydrates).
For those of us trying to lose weight, eating our carbohydrates after, as opposed to before, a workout is the best possible time. Not only is our metabolism running at top speed and able to handle the extra calories but our body is in the process of recovering from the workout and needs carbohydrates to use for the energy to do so.