Experiment: Do we need eating before exercising

Ignoramus30622 wrote:
:: Some people think that we need to eat before relatively modest
:: weightlifting or cardio. My personal feeling, after reading some navy
:: seal training books etc, was that it was a false theory and that as
:: long as we eat reasonably, we should not worry about eating
:: immediately before exercising.
::
:: Since I decided to try fasting once per week for a little while, I
:: decided to test this theory. So, this Thursday I did not eat
:: anything. This means that there was about 38 hours before my last
:: meal on Wednesday and my first meal on Friday.
::
:: As an aside, I felt pretty good throughout my fast and I was not
:: miserable at all.
::
:: So, this morning, after not eating anything on Thursday, I did my
:: usual resistance exercises, consisting of pullups, pushups, weighted
:: situps, crunches, deadlifts, dumbbells, etc. Then I walked to work
:: (40+10 minutes). None of these activities was impaired by the fact
:: that for the last 36 hours, I did not eat anything. In fact, I felt
:: that some exercises were even easier for me, namely pullups and
:: weighted situps.
::
:: That means there is at least one datapoint refuting the theory that
:: it is important to eat something before modest exercise. I will try
:: running after a fast next week, since I cannot run right now (a minor
:: knee injury).
::
:: As a clarification, obviously there is a point beyond which a
:: prolonged fast would impair exercise performance. Also, before doing
:: truly heavy exrcises like running marathons etc, eating before
:: exercise may be important. But for a regular dude like me, doing his
:: morning stuff, eating before exercise does not seem like it's
:: important at all.
::
:: I do not fast to lose weight, as such. I just read some convincing
:: things that suggest that occasional fasting may make one feel better.
:: It is an experiment at this point, I will try it for a few weeks and
:: then check if there is anything good that I get out of it.

It's a YMMV kind of thing. I don't like to lift if I feel hungry. Whether
being hungry impacts what I can physical do in the gym, I don't know or
care. What matters more to me is how I feel mentally.

Also, I would not attempt a long bike ride (three or more hours) without
having something to eat and drink. Of course, I'm not going to gorge before
either activity.

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 10:02:49 -0500, "Roger Zoul"
wrote:


It's a YMMV kind of thing. I don't like to lift if I feel hungry. Whether
being hungry impacts what I can physical do in the gym, I don't know or
care. What matters more to me is how I feel mentally.



Also, I would not attempt a long bike ride (three or more hours) without
having something to eat and drink. Of course, I'm not going to gorge before
either activity.



I find that my lifts are stronger when I'm not hungry. I don't like
to have a big meal close to the time I lift, but something a few hours
before has a positive effect on my strength and energy. (The energy
thing is more apparent for Olympic lifting.)

As far as cardio goes, I don't like to be too full doing it, but if
I've eaten nothing for hours I tend to get lightheaded. I agree that
this is a YMMV thing.

Chris

Hello Ignor,

You should be a scientist...lol. Your setting up experiments and putting
them to the test. All I know is during my time in the Army and Marines we
always exercised before breakfast. You always knew the ones who ate before
they exercised, they were the ones throwing up during the runs. I think as
long as you can handle the food in your stomach during exercise then it's
ok. I don't know if food in your system aids someone in exercising harder
or not. I've never fasted before except for medical reasons. I don't know
how you can fast so long.

Way to go on walking to work. We should all follow your example, except
it's hard if you work many miles from home. I've been walking approximately
20 miles a week, so I'm getting my exercise out of the way.

Take care,

Paul
300/235/175

"Ignoramus30622" wrote in message
...
Some people think that we need to eat before relatively modest
weightlifting or cardio. My personal feeling, after reading some navy
seal training books etc, was that it was a false theory and that as
long as we eat reasonably, we should not worry about eating
immediately before exercising.

Since I decided to try fasting once per week for a little while, I
decided to test this theory. So, this Thursday I did not eat
anything. This means that there was about 38 hours before my last meal
on Wednesday and my first meal on Friday.

As an aside, I felt pretty good throughout my fast and I was not
miserable at all.

So, this morning, after not eating anything on Thursday, I did my
usual resistance exercises, consisting of pullups, pushups, weighted
situps, crunches, deadlifts, dumbbells, etc. Then I walked to work
(40+10 minutes). None of these activities was impaired by the fact
that for the last 36 hours, I did not eat anything. In fact, I felt
that some exercises were even easier for me, namely pullups and
weighted situps.

That means there is at least one datapoint refuting the theory that it
is important to eat something before modest exercise. I will try
running after a fast next week, since I cannot run right now (a minor
knee injury).

As a clarification, obviously there is a point beyond which a
prolonged fast would impair exercise performance. Also, before doing
truly heavy exrcises like running marathons etc, eating before
exercise may be important. But for a regular dude like me, doing his
morning stuff, eating before exercise does not seem like it's
important at all.

I do not fast to lose weight, as such. I just read some convincing
things that suggest that occasional fasting may make one feel better.
It is an experiment at this point, I will try it for a few weeks and
then check if there is anything good that I get out of it.

i

"Jayjay" wrote in message
...
On 9 Jan 2004 16:17:06 GMT, Ignoramus30622
wrote:

In article , Jayjay wrote:
On 9 Jan 2004 14:10:15 GMT, Ignoramus30622
wrote:

Some people think that we need to eat before relatively modest
weightlifting or cardio. My personal feeling, after reading some navy
seal training books etc, was that it was a false theory and that as
long as we eat reasonably, we should not worry about eating
immediately before exercising.

snip

Why must you crost post the way you do.

This question is regularly discussed in misc.fitness.weights, and
fasting is a topic oft discussed in sci.life-extension. I do not feel
that my xpost was inappropriate.

The thing is - the groups tend to be conflicting at times, and you
tend to start flame wars and lots of unwanted traffic in ASD. Which
of course, just ****es people off towards you. Its common curtousy.

Cross posting is never acceptable and considered one of the rudest of
behaviors. I would except nothing else from the RI (Resident Idiot).

Martha

Ignoramus30622 wrote:
Some people think that we need to eat before relatively modest
weightlifting or cardio. My personal feeling, after reading some navy
seal training books etc, was that it was a false theory and that as
long as we eat reasonably, we should not worry about eating
immediately before exercising.

Since I decided to try fasting once per week for a little while, I
decided to test this theory.

People with this propensity to experimental science certainly deserve
to have at least one identical twin for thorough control of
conditions!

Not that I disagree with your conclusions.

DZ

So, this Thursday I did not eat anything. This means that there was
about 38 hours before my last meal on Wednesday and my first meal on
Friday.

As an aside, I felt pretty good throughout my fast and I was not
miserable at all.

So, this morning, after not eating anything on Thursday, I did my
usual resistance exercises, consisting of pullups, pushups, weighted
situps, crunches, deadlifts, dumbbells, etc. Then I walked to work
(40+10 minutes). None of these activities was impaired by the fact
that for the last 36 hours, I did not eat anything. In fact, I felt
that some exercises were even easier for me, namely pullups and
weighted situps.

That means there is at least one datapoint refuting the theory that it
is important to eat something before modest exercise. I will try
running after a fast next week, since I cannot run right now (a minor
knee injury).

As a clarification, obviously there is a point beyond which a
prolonged fast would impair exercise performance. Also, before doing
truly heavy exrcises like running marathons etc, eating before
exercise may be important. But for a regular dude like me, doing his
morning stuff, eating before exercise does not seem like it's
important at all.

I do not fast to lose weight, as such. I just read some convincing
things that suggest that occasional fasting may make one feel better.
It is an experiment at this point, I will try it for a few weeks and
then check if there is anything good that I get out of it.

i