Carbohydrate timing post workout
Trying to structure my carbs post training and having some issues. Ideally I like to have a sugary treat post workout for those quick sugars. Typically it’s a cinnamon roll and a protein shake post workout. Then I eat my big dinner an hour later. Is that bad? Too much food at once? Should I have my dinner meal right after training and instead have the shake/treat before bed?
I basically finish at the gym at 5:30/6:00 pm and have a total of 200g carbs to eat before I go to bed. What’s the best way to split those up?
Additionally how clean do my carbs need to be? I was looking though my fitness pal and saw that my sugar yesterday was at 205 grams. Now a lot of it comes from dried dates, maple syrup on my oatmeal, my oatmeal itself, yogurt, Rice Krispies pre workout.
I’m not too concerned with the sugar around the training window but is that too much?
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Bad idea. Carbs pre spikes insulin and because bodybuilding exercises burns only carbs. Hardcore workouts then natty spike hgh. Carbs post will spike insulin which shuts down hgh. You then shorted recovery. Good fast protein post so the hgh shuttles needed proteins for recovery. 45-60mins then a good small complete meal.
So you are saying the pre training carb meal is good,
The intra carbs are good,
But post workout carbs are bad? What are you saying ? Thank you!!
You’re doing this all wrong. I did things similar. I just pounded anything I could with carbs in it, mostly sugar. Now my blood sugar and insulin sensitivity/resistance is FUCKED. I don’t recommend a crazy dirty bulk or slamming sugar after a workout. If you really want to get some carbs in, use a HBCD or something similar. Plus if your not 220+ and have tried everything else, it’s not necessary, just eat your meals and lift heavy
I like your advice and will apply it
However I’m not out here straight dirty bulking
For example
Breakfast carbs is English muffin , yogurt, banana
Pre training meal is a huge bowl of oatmeal, some granola, blueberries, and maple syrup
Then intra is Rice Krispies and HBCD
Post training is my cinnamon roll, then from then on just healthier carbs like rice tortillas sushi air fried French fries etc
Ya you’re probably good man, just no matter what the source is I wouldn’t go over 100 grams in like an hour. Especially with shakes and powders, even with the hbcd you could toss back 100 grams easy, which is better than 100 grams of sugar but I think it’s still causing blood sugar issues eventually. I think what ficked me up was massive amounts of maltodextrin.
And I’m not joking when I say it fucked me up. I still haven’t fixed it and since my blood work looks fine I can’t really get anything done by clinics or primary care
KonstantViktoryI don't think that's terrible, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't a benefit to having a small meal of something like steak and rice ready to go alongside that. You know. So the immediate whole food post workout benefit isn't lost. Even if it's just a couple ounces of steak and a couple ounces of rice.
KonstantViktoryProtien shakes typically have a nice capability (quality) of spiking nitrogen levels quickly. I wouldn't NOT reccomend a protien shake immediately post workout. Cinnamon is great for controlling BGL (blood glucose levels) - the sticky roll part makes for a nice quick acting carb to restore glycogen. Go for quality though. The consistency varies too much IME with cheaper snack cakes. You risk microplastic and harsh chemical preserve processing intake. Yucky. If you want to be a sticky bun though... I guess. I'd settle for nothing short of Cinnabon made fresh daily. Lol.
Smart man
And to your point I agree. I get the pack of the raw cinnamon rolls and bake them myself. Fresh baked is far superior to the individual wrapped ones.
And I agree I will do the cinnamon roll, then also some meat/carb that isn’t sugary. Like tacos and rice. Or steak and white rice.
KonstantViktoryThat's great man also try to include a steady vegetable variable like broccoli, cucumber, eggplant etc. Any kind really like 1/4 of a cup around the same time every day makes a big difference for me. Helps me feel much, much, better. If you are one hundred percent out on veggies then a citrus is the next best option and make sure to eat a bit of the peel for the fiber.
You're the goat bro thx for the advice. Why around the same time each day? just curious.
Right now diet is hard for me bc i commute an hour to work so temporarily its tough but when i move in 6 months food will be sooo much easier.
also unrelated, how much training volume per week should i do for side delts?
alot of people are gonna say no, but if you are a hard gainer(very fast metabolism like me) go ahead and eat the cinnamon roll everyday as long as the rest of your meals are alright but what i would do is eat it after your protein shake post workout cuz that will provide a nice insulin spike to shuttle all the nutrients in the protein shake down to all your muscles. a big insulin spike post workout is good, im not saying eat swiss rolls and otger snacks that are straight sugar, at least the cinnamon roll has some type of breading/carbs. i would eat a honey bun with peanut butter everyday and would eat alot of flavored oatmeal on top of the regular chicken and rice meals all while taking either mk677 or hgh. i was taking slin pills(berberine based glucose/carb disposal supplument) and my blood sugar was perfect. but it all depends on your genetics on if you can splurge in sugar and salt daily and get away with it.
anvilAre marshmallows a fast digesting carb? Why eat junk food when there are so many more sensible ways to get pre workout/post workout carbs. Your are having to much refined sugar , cinnamon roll? Processed and refined sugars are not fast acting my guy. 205 grams of processed sugars are your issue, use sugar free maple syrup, yikes are you on a dirty bulk?
What’s the overall glucose levels in your body? Edit: when I eat like that apparently and that’s just not good, some peoples genetics allows them to eat this way some don’t.. over time though I really get fucked up from insulin sensitivity and it goes right to the stomach.
My experience nothing too lookup LOL
AK80I have something to eat every hour or two starting from 8am till 8pm and there's about 40 carbs per each one of those meals. However, most of my carbs are in the morning (banana & Kodiak protein oatmeal and orange juice) I like the quick carbs before the gym like rice krispie treats, pop tarts or my homemade preworkout drink which is water, orange juice, dextrose powder and pink Himalayan salt. After the gym I like to take in 50grams of clusterdextrin. Nutri Bio Super Carb is the brand and digests more slowly. Shy away from too many carbs at night if you are cutting. I'm a hard gainer with a fast metabolism and needs carbs or I feel sick and get angry. My body build is between the 212 guys and the classic physique guys (240 in the winter - 220 diced in the summer)
I'm a massive user of Dextrose/Glucose powder too as my body burns it so quickly, have it in Protein shakes, daytime drinks and EAA's. I love the taste of it and also the fact it mixes so easily into anything with a spoon rather than having to be shaken. How do you find the cluster dextrin compares to it - is the time release longer and more sustained? Does it feel as satisfying as the dextrose does once its in the blood?
anvilSame. I use the dextrose.
Boom! Quick carbs through workouts let me hit it hard! No carbs at night myself! Good shit!
I’m bulking and I have about 75 carbs in the morning, 0 carbs at lunch (for insulin sensitivity)
Then huge bowl of oatmeal/carbs pre workout, then big meal post workout so around 7 pm.
anvilLate night carb up is not the best strategy. That will stop the natural glucose dump you have during sleep.
I stop eating 1-2 hours before I go to bed. Is that still considered late night ?
Since I’m done with gym at 5/6, eat post training meal 7/8, then bed at 10
What are you goals you're trying to achieve? I eat carbs throughout the day and normally stop my carbs 2-3 hours before I go to bed. As for training... about 30 mins before I train I eat oatmeal with 10 eggs ...When training hard, my blood sugar drops and I feel lethargic so I keep candy in my bag and eat simple sugars throughout my work out. Do what works for you. What I do may not benefit you as it does me.. Also, get bloods done.
Agree bro! Mine is similar to yours! I like juice throughout my workout. That feeling of no energy sucks, I get it! I don’t eat carbs at night myself
Unless you’re a pro or aspiring to be one, what you’re doing right now is wasaaay over thinking things. Train hard, eat what makes you happy (within reason I’m not saying go full obese mode), and enjoy your life man. The window timings and types of carbs to fit in them only make that last few % difference when trying to step on stage.
But 200 g of sugar is that too high?
I think what’s ideal for me,
Is post training sugary snack (cinnamon roll, whatever)
Then can cook dinner (tacos, beef and rice, sushi, etc)
Then usually a yogurt bowl after that to hit protein goal and whatever carbs I got to hit
AK80200g of sugar all at once is a bit high if you do it every day. 50g you shouldn't have any issues long term. I agree with @SeeOhShow below regarding bloodwork. Get it done every 4 months (3 times per year) and donate blood every 2 months if possible, especially if you are on gear.
It’s not all at once it’s over a span of like a 6 hour window around training. And also only on training days
Also why the blood donation? Is that necessary ?
Elevated RBC production from the gear. You’ll see guys hematocrit jump on cycle or when running too high of a “trt” dose on their cruise.
This happened bad for me and it happened when I was three weeks of the TRT all together
Oh thx. I’m only on 150/week TRT tho
It can happen to people on that dose too. Never know until you do bloodwork.
Either way, donating blood is also just helpful. Every 2 months might be extreme, but it’s still nice to do it even if you don’t need to. I donate blood ~4x a year. Two of those I’m not even on cycle. I just do it to help out.
If it’s working, then keep doing it. There is not a cookie cutter macro amount for any person. All depends how active you are and what your bloodwork shows. If your triglycerides, HDL, A1C, fasting glucose, insulin levels, etc all look fine doing what you’re doing, then it’s fine.
Overall your actual amount going in vs what you burn off is what causes weight loss or weight gain, who knew right ?