Eat fast or slow carbs before strength training

How long are you until the official start of training, whether you are fasting that day, and the intensity target of this training. For ordinary fitness enthusiasts, choose slow carbs when training is 30-60 minutes away, and choose fast carbs when training starts within 15 minutes. This is an unmistakable choice in 90% of cases.

To be honest, I also struggled with this problem when I first started working out. I read dozens of popular science articles. One time, I said that fast carbs are good for weight loss, and other times, I said that slow carbs are stable and not low in blood sugar. It wasn’t until I stepped on the pitfalls twice that I figured out the rules. In order to catch up with the coach's morning class at 7 o'clock, I didn't even dare to drink more water when I got up. After changing my clothes, I took my bag and ran to the gym. On the way, I could only grab a banana from a convenience store and gnaw it. It was only 10 minutes before the training started. If I gnawed on a corn, my stomach would still make a rumbling sound when I was doing deadlifts. I could feel the corn kernels shaking when I exerted force, which would affect my condition. At this time, bananas are just right for fast carbohydrates. They raise blood sugar quickly and do not take up gastrointestinal space. They can provide enough energy to keep up with the exercise and there will be no feeling of bloating.

On the other hand, if you are still fishing at get off work at 6 o'clock after work and go to the gym at 7 o'clock, then it will be much more comfortable to eat slow carbs such as a small steamed sweet potato or half a whole wheat sandwich half an hour in advance. The blood sugar level will be stable and you can complete more than an hour of regular training. You will not see gold stars in the fourth set of deadlifts, nor will your blood sugar drop halfway through the training like eating white bread, and you will be so weak that you can't even lift a dumbbell.

In fact, this issue has been quarreling for almost ten years. Many of the old-school classical bodybuilding athletes insist on eating only fast carbs before training, or even drinking glucose water directly. The core logic is that fast carbs can quickly increase insulin levels, which can not only avoid muscle decomposition during training, but also quickly supply energy to the muscles, so that they can have enough explosive power when punching heavy weights. Don't tell me, if you are preparing for a personal PR that day, such as breaking your previous record in deadlift, this method is indeed effective. Before I tried to deadlift 180kg last time, I ate an energy gel and a small handful of raisins 20 minutes in advance.

However, this statement is actually quite controversial in the current natural fitness circle. Many practitioners of natural fitness will feel that fast carbs raise blood sugar quickly and fall back quickly. If you train for more than an hour, you will be prone to hypoglycemia in the second half of the training. On the contrary, it is not as gentle as slow carbs’ energy supply curve, and your condition will be stable throughout the process. And if you are insulin resistant or have blood sugar problems, no matter how long you still have to practice, don’t touch fast carbs. Fluctuating blood sugar will not only affect your training status, but can also be dangerous in serious cases.

Oh, by the way, there is another pitfall that everyone should avoid. Whether you eat fast carbs or slow carbs, the amount must be controlled. Just control it to 10-20g of carbs, which is about the amount of a small banana or half a sweet potato. I once had a brother who was so hungry an hour before training that he ate two steamed buns with fine noodles. As a result, he ended up doing bench presses on the third set. He vomited half of the mat with acid reflux as soon as he held his breath. He was so embarrassed that he was too embarrassed to go to that gym for the next half month.

If you are trying to burn fat recently, it is right to give priority to slow carbs. Stable sugar rise will not trigger excess fat storage, and it can also extend the energy supply time. The fat burning efficiency will be higher during training, and you will not be hungry after training.

Actually, you don’t need to dwell on this issue for too long. Fitness is a very personal matter. Try it two or three times and find out which one does not cause acid reflux, does not cause dizziness, and has enough strength when you practice after eating it. That is the best choice for you. Other people's experiences are always a reference, and your own physical feelings are the most accurate, right?