Any Point In Me Using Workout Nutrition?

This may seem like an obvious answer but I don’t see any reason of me taking para-workout nutrition.

My reasoning for this is that I am constantly eating, and my workout is probably the longest I go without food for the entire day.

Heres how my day usually goes (meals take 15-20 minutes to eat):

11am: 6 eggs, 100g oatmeal
1pm: 2 cup rice, 10oz steak, 2 apples, 2 oranges, 10 cubes of pineapple (bit larger than sugar cubes)
2pm: workout, lasts about 90 minutes, full of energy throughout.
3:30pm 1 cup rice, 8oz chicken, 2 apples, 2 oranges, pineapple
5:30pm baked potato, 8oz steak, veg
7:30pm 1 cup brown rice, 8oz fish, veg
9:30pm 1-2 cups sweetcorn, 8oz chicken
11pm 2 scoops protein shake, 2 slices wholemeal toast w/ jam

I’m gaining weight steadily, i’m at 205lbs now (195 in avatar, 2 months ago) with no increase in waist size, new stretch marks on lats, pec/delt, hamstrings… not to mention big strength gains.

So… is there any point in consuming something during/before/after my workout (other than water)?

My body is pretty much full/maxed out with carbs/protein at all times, would a workout drink do anything other than simply increase my overall calorie intake?

Your meal before your workout seems to be quite digestive-intensive. Although you have the nutrients sitting in your stomach, how much are actually fueling your muscles for the workout?

The slower the transit, the less nutrients are getting to your muscles in X time frame. The steak would most likely slow down gastric transit a fair bit, and the meal is quite fibrous as well. I think that you may be a bit better off scaling down the fat and fiber here (perhaps moving it to breakfast) and just sipping some hydroslate during a workout.

But in regards to your final sentance, the actual question. The workout drink would spike Insulin acutely much more than not having the drink, and would deliver more protein in the same X time frame (assuming less digestive intensive), which seems to be very important during a workout.

Do a para-workout protocol even if you already eat a lot, if not your missing out man. Ensuring optimal muscle growth is a good feeling.

If you’re not too hungry from breakfast, I would just replace your second meal with protein & dextrose a half hour before working out.

[quote]silverhydra wrote:
Your meal before your workout seems to be quite digestive-intensive. Although you have the nutrients sitting in your stomach, how much are actually fueling your muscles for the workout?

The slower the transit, the less nutrients are getting to your muscles in X time frame. The steak would most likely slow down gastric transit a fair bit, and the meal is quite fibrous as well. I think that you may be a bit better off scaling down the fat and fiber here (perhaps moving it to breakfast) and just sipping some hydroslate during a workout.

But in regards to your final sentance, the actual question. The workout drink would spike Insulin acutely much more than not having the drink, and would deliver more protein in the same X time frame (assuming less digestive intensive), which seems to be very important during a workout.[/quote]

I agree. I don’t know if you start eating so late because of work/school but starting earlier would be a good idea. Also, chicken or turkey would be a better call earlier in the day, rather than steak which is very heavy and hard to digest/utilize quickly.

I’d switch the steak to your dinner, and try to substitute your morning meals with faster digesting nutrients (shakes are also a great morning option).

In short, I’d say target high carbs and low fat earlier in the day, and low carbs high fat towards the end of your day. I think that would best suit your goals.

[quote]silverhydra wrote:
Your meal before your workout seems to be quite digestive-intensive. Although you have the nutrients sitting in your stomach, how much are actually fueling your muscles for the workout?[/quote]

This is a good point, some days i can’t feel my muscles contract as well as others. Thats usually when I’m in a rush. I think I should make an effort to wake up earlier and have an extra hour after my 2nd meal before I work out.

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:

[quote]silverhydra wrote:
Your meal before your workout seems to be quite digestive-intensive. Although you have the nutrients sitting in your stomach, how much are actually fueling your muscles for the workout?[/quote]

This is a good point, some days i can’t feel my muscles contract as well as others. Thats usually when I’m in a rush. I think I should make an effort to wake up earlier and have an extra hour after my 2nd meal before I work out.

[/quote]

Maybe try some digestive enzymes? They’re quite cheap and would speed up the digestion process. In your scenario, they would make a world of a difference with your pre-workout meal.