Maximising energy levels.

[macker16]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering cause im young (17) and my metabolism is going along nicely whether or not i can get away with some simple carbs or a caffeine hit before my workout. It just seems that when im sticking purely to complex carbs my energy levels arnt exactly through the roof when im lifting.

Or, if the consensus is an energy drink or coffee is bad, what are pre-workout snacks you guys consume before your workouts to bring your energy levels that little bit higher?

[Commander]

Yes, you want simple carbs before a workout, even during. I'd save the caffeine for a particularly hard/long workout. Use sparingly.

[macker16]

Cheers man! Can you give me a couple of examples of simple carbs that you might consume? Fruit like an apple? Cheers

[Commander]

Maltodextrin and Dextrose are best.

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/laywindownon.pdf
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/dextrose.pdf

[macker16]

I have both maltodextrin and dextrose. So you take that before your workouts aye. ok, cheers. I was only going to take them after!

[Ratcat]

I think a longer lasting simple carb would be better than that. Like sandwiches or pasta. And use the malto and dextro combined with whey after your workout.

[Charles Izzo]

I don't think you need all that. Real food works just fine, a good meal, maybe a piece of fruit right before your workout. A little bit of caffeine might be ok, but don't go crazy on it. A coffee or diet drink should do the trick, sometimes a little bit more if you're used to it. There is a point where it gives you a good boost, but much beyond that won't give you more of a boost, instead it will make you shaky which in my experience can ruin a workout.

[macker16]

Yep i think im going to have an apple or a banana 20 minutes prior to a workout and caffeine if i think i really need it And just smash my oats and brown rice during the day to turn into SUPER COMPLEX-CARBS-MAN! Who's secret weapon is steady energy levels

[superbilt]

Simple carbs before a workout are usually helpful. I use caffeine prior to lifting because I train after a long day of work and it helps.

[Charles Izzo]

Originally Posted by superbilt

Simple carbs before a workout are usually helpful.

Yes, but the day before. Your muscles don't burn carbohydrates like that. I'll explain.

Carbohydrates get broken down by your digestive system and turned into glucose to be sent into the bloodstream. Your brain runs off from having the right amount of glucose in your bloodstream. However, your muscles don't run directly off that glucose like your brain does. What happens is that if you have too much glucose in your blood stream, your body turns the extra glucose into glycogen and stores it for later in the liver and muscles. When you do exercise, your body takes the glycogen from the liver and muscles, turns it back into glucose, and uses that as fuel for the muscles. So essentially, when you workout you are getting your fuel from the glycogen that was stored from perhaps the day before.

However, you still need energy for your brain during your workout, and you need to eat too. So thats why a moderately burning complex carbohydrate source is fine for right before your workout.

Simple carbs actually do have a positive hormonal affect on your body. They do give you energy, but not in the sense that you would normally think. They put your body in an anabolic state, allowing you to burn more calories due to an increased metabolism.

My friend explained to me that for some reason it works better if you eat it (simple carbs) the night before your hard workout. I can tell from experience that it did work better for me. Think about it this way. If you eat some simple carbs the night before, get your metabolism cranked up, get some extra glycogen stored, rest good, you will be ready to workout hard the next day come workout time. On the other hand, when ever I tried working out without eating good before, I always ended up not having enough energy for my workout no matter how much I ate on training day.

I am also more of a fan of foods from natural sources. Foods such as fruit or potatoes are great! I highly recommend against highly processed foods with the fiber removed and sugar added, no matter what anyone says.

So here's my summary:
Night before the workout: a "good" meal with simple carbs (don't overdo it though).
Right before the workout (workout day): eat normal.