I'm trying to figure out what to eat/drink and when in regards to a work out. I started c25k this week and will be starting back to the YMCA next week. I know I need to be hydrated before a work out but what about protein and carbs? Protein before or after a workout? I never worried about it before because I had PLENTY of everything to last but now my intake is so small I want to do it a the best times. And thoughts or suggestions?

I often like to workout on an empty stomach, but for some people (maybe most), that doesn't work for them. A Protein shake a half hour or hour before your workout can't hurt, unless you notice that it negatively affects your workout or your stomach doesn't tolerate it for some reason. But I just seem to be a little on edge if I am working out on an empty stomach and I'm able to have a more intense workout and my focus is a little better.

After a workout I'll have a Protein Shake, wait about 15 mins and eat half a banana. Then my next actual meal, I'll make sure to have a lean protein (turkey or chicken) with a few complex carbs (broccoli, quinoa, carrots, unsweetened oats, etc). Everyone is different and their body's often react differently, but normally you'll want to at least get some lean protein in you within an hour after workout. On days I workout/lift I'll try to make sure I get plenty of lean protein and a few complex carbs for the first couple of meals after a workout. On days I don't workout (usually Sundays), I'll cut back the carbs and add in a few healthy fats.

I like to eat good carbs (energy squares from nuts.com) before running and drink tons of water all morning. I follow up with a recovery protein shake mixed with water. This is when I run at 9 am. I also run about a mile when I pop out of bed at 5:30 am to get my circulation going, especially in my legs because I sit most of the day for my day job. For that run, usually I run empty. I do not bother with any food or water. It is not intense run as I try and get it done in about 9 minutes, maybe .5-1% incline. The hard stuff comes during my 9 am workout. The easiest way to fuel around a workout is good carbs before and protein immediately after. Hope this helps!

Thank you both! Very useful info. I never really took the time to care about it before because I had a "surplus". Now that I take in very little I'm trying to do it right. Thanks again!

I like to eat good carbs (energy squares from nuts.com) before running and drink tons of Water all morning. I follow up with a recovery Protein shake mixed with water. This is when I run at 9 am. I also run about a mile when I pop out of bed at 5:30 am to get my circulation going, especially in my legs because I sit most of the day for my day job. For that run, usually I run empty. I do not bother with any food or water. It is not intense run as I try and get it done in about 9 minutes, maybe .5-1% incline. The hard stuff comes during my 9 am workout. The easiest way to fuel around a workout is good carbs before and protein immediately after. Hope this helps!

Follow this. Quality carbs before, quality protein after. Fasted cardio works for tons of people, but at a non intense state. Working out hard on an empty stomach in most will promote catabalysm and you'll end up burning tons of unnecessary muscle mass, you'll lose weight, but that weight will be the worst kind to lose, muscle. Look at low GI carbs. 70% of your energy starts with carbs, eat some oatmeal or sweet potatoes before a workout. You can google best pre workout carbs and get a ton of ideas, or better yet, click here.

I rarely exercise in a fasted state, with the emphasis on "fasted". Unless it's walking in the morning, which I may do once a week. But I do like lifting on an empty stomach, with emphasis on "empty". As in I don't like to eat within an hour or two before my workout. Usually I lift at lunch around 12:30 ish, so I'll have at least a protein drink mid-morning (10 ish), if not some oatmeal or something along those lines. That way I still have some recent nutrition in me, but my stomach is for the most part empty, but I'm far from a fasted state (body completely void of ingested nutrition) at that point. I've found that works for me and may not be for everyone. I used to down a small to medium sized low/no fat meal about an hour before my workouts, but noticed I usually felt lethargic, slow and distracted during my workouts, perhaps because my body was still digesting that recent small meal. So when I switched to working out on an empty stomach (meaning recently emptied or nearly empty), it felt different at first, but I immediately had better more productive workouts and made better strides in strength and muscle gain. In the end, I say it's all about individual trial and error, be in tuned with your body and see what works best for you,

I rarely exercise in a fasted state, with the emphasis on "fasted". Unless it's walking in the morning, which I may do once a week. But I do like lifting on an empty stomach, with emphasis on "empty". As in I don't like to eat within an hour or two before my workout. Usually I lift at lunch around 12:30 ish, so I'll have at least a Protein drink mid-morning (10 ish), if not some oatmeal or something along those lines. That way I still have some recent nutrition in me, but my stomach is for the most part empty, but I'm far from a fasted state (body completely void of ingested nutrition) at that point. I've found that works for me and may not be for everyone. I used to down a small to medium sized low/no fat meal about an hour before my workouts, but noticed I usually felt lethargic, slow and distracted during my workouts, perhaps because my body was still digesting that recent small meal. So when I switched to working out on an empty stomach (meaning recently emptied or nearly empty), it felt different at first, but I immediately had better more productive workouts and made better strides in strength and muscle gain. In the end, I say it's all about individual trial and error, be in tuned with your body and see what works best for you,

I have this problem with carb loaded meals, even quality carbs, they still just make me feel slow sluggish. It's hard for me to lift or do cardio with anything eaten without about the same time frame as you, I think it may be more common than we think eh? haha