after a conversation with a guy about how his energy levels were low even after a pre-workout meal consisting of complex carbs, i wanted to share some of the points made during that convo. i do this because i am a firm believer that diet is 80% of the battle, and proper sports nutrition can make a huge difference in not just our gains but our performance as well.

a few things to know about carbs are that they are ultimately converted into glucose. glucose is the body's desired source of energy. when glucose levels are insufficient, the body will seek out other fuel sources to synthesize the needed glucose. although fats can be converted, the process is so elaborate that it takes too long to provide what's needed for immediate energy demands. that leaves one alternative as the primary substitue - protein.

yes, protein can be converted much easier than fats. however, this process is rather elaborate as well. so elaborate that the conversion process actually burns energy to make energy. this is the reason carb manipulation is so effective.

in terms of sports nutrition, proteins still impose some limitations for meeting immediate demands, though not to the extent that fats do. it is for this reason that carbs should always be ingested prior to the activity to ensure that optimal glucose and liver glycogen is available at the onset.

digestion takes some time to breakdown nutrients for absorption. until foods can be broken down into molecules small enough to be absorbed, they cannot enter the blood and be made available for energy purposes. as a result, ample time must be given to allow for both complete digestion and assimilation. the timeframe typically should be 3-4 hours prior to activity.

a good choice here would be complex carbs for this meal. my suggestion would be to consume this meal 3-4 hours prior to your workout. this will provide sufficient time for the nutrients to be broken down, absorbed, and assimilated by the cells in need of glycogen replenishment. the remaining will circulate in the blood stream to be made available at the onset of activity.

another thing to consider would be the total composition of your meal. proteins take longer to digest than carbs do, and fats actually slow the digestive process. what ends up happening is the digestive system, if not given ample time, can still be operating when you begin your workout. this is not a good thing..

the digestive system requires A LOT of blood to both aide the digestive process and to allow for the absorption of nutrients. for this blood to be made available an agonistic/antagonistic process takes place - vaso-dilation and vaso-constriction. because the volume of blood in our bodies remains relatively constant, when a portion of the body requires an increase in blood flow, the blood vessels in this portion will dilate (vaso-dilation). to allow for blood to be rerouted to this area, blood vessels in all other areas will constrict; therefore, restricting the amount of blood available to those areas.

without getting into a full blown biology lesson here... simply put, the body cannot support both the working muscles and the digestive system at the same time. the lack of blood flow compromises the working muscles because it does not allow optimal removal of waste or nutrient enrichment. this causes a more rapid feeling of fatigue. eventually the brain receives the signal from the muscles to increase blood flow here, so digestive blood vessels are constricted and the working muscles' blood vessels are dilated to meet the immediate demands. problem here is that digestion is still occuring, but blood flow has now been restricted. this can cause symptoms of cramping or nausea. this back and forth reaction continues to occur until activity is halted or digestion is completed.

proper meal timing will allow for all of these contraindications to be avoided by providing for complete digestion, absorption, and assimilation prior to activity. Remember, no matter what your fitness goals are, always strive to improve your performance. The faster you recover, the stronger you become. The stronger you become, the more you can push yourself. The more you can push yourself, the better your performance.

hope this makes sense and is easy to understand.