Before or After?

I have always wondered this. Is it better to eat before you exercise, or after you exercise? I would think after, but I would like some other opinions on this issue.

Any response will be greatly appreciated!

hey i think both is good because if you eat before you go then your just going to burn it right off and plus you wanna be careful because you dont want to get a cramp...lol and i here you should eat atleat 30 to 1 hour after exercise because your body will burn it off...but make sure its something healthy

I usually try to eat some type of carb before and protein after, but that's just me. Everyone has their own routine. Some people like to workout on empty stomachs.

Sillybones has got it right. Some people can handle exercise on an empty stomach and some people need to eat something light up to an hr. before exercising. Carbs is ideal before a workout for added energy, and protein should always be consumed immediatly following an exercise, to replenish and repair the muscle tissue. Personally, I prefer to exercise in the morning before I eat bc my body is still in it's fat-burning, fasting mode before breakfast. If I exercise any other time of the day, I'll have a couple peices of bread to sustain me.

For body composition purposes, it makes little difference unless you are training while fasted - in which case you might realize a small benefit from eating (protein in particular) soon after the workout.

If you aren't training while fasted, time your meals however you prefer to maximize your performance. Some people prefer training while fed. Others prefer an empty stomach.

You may find this research helpful:
Effect of protein-supplement timing on strength, power, and body-composition changes in resistance-trained men.

Protein supplementation before and after exercise does not further augment skeletal muscle hypertrophy after resistance training in elderly men

Enhanced Amino Acid Sensitivity of Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Persists for up to 24 h after Resistance Exercise in Young Men

The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise.

Thanks so much for all of the opinions! They all have been quite helpful in giving me an answer. I suppose the best thing to do right now is to eat a little something (protein or carb) before I do my workout. Because otherwise I think I would most likely pass out. ^_^;

Thanks again!