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During the week, I come home, eat dinner, and then go to the gym (with a protein shake after my workout). But some doctor in a Newsweek column (link and excerpt below) said you should limit yourself to a snack before the gym, and eat dinner afterwards. Does that make sense?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/81173

Minneapolis, Minn.: Should you eat before or after exercise? I get home at about 6 and use an exercise bike or do weight training until 7:30 or 8. Then I have dinner and am in bed by 10. Should I eat first?
Exercise takes energy. That means your heart has to pump more oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles. But when you eat, your intestinal tract also demands more blood to help it digest food and carry nutrients to the rest of your body. To avoid competition between your muscles and your guts, exercise before you eat. It's particularly important advice for people with heart disease and for healthy people who exercise strenuously. For others, a light snack before exercise may be OK, but real eating should be postponed until after real exercise. Although food and exercise don't mix so well, fluids are very desirable indeed, especially in warm, humid weather.

I lift, swim or do my cardio at night - it just works out that way - so I eat a good, healthy late lunch, and after working out I might eat a salad or some fruit. This works for me.

I have a buddy who is a good physician - works in sports medicine. His advice: Breakfast like a king; Lunch like a prince; Dinner like a pauper!

YAY! I get to use what I learned in Anatomy and Physiology!

There are two parts of the your nervous system the somatic and autonomic. The somatic part you can control but the autonomic you do not control.

Within the autonomic nervous system there are two additional systems; the sympathetic and parasympathetic. They contol the same organs but have opposing effects and cannot perform at the same time. The parasympathetic is also called the "at rest" stage and is usually ALWAYS in effect. During the at rest stage, your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing are normal, and you body is in a constant digestive stage. However, the sympathetic division is also called the "fight or flight" stage. It usually takes control either when you are excited, surprised, or EXERCISING. During this time your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing speed up and your body STOPS digesting.

So, if you eat THEN work out your body has food inside that needs to be digested but it cannot because the sympathetic division has taken over and stopped you body from digesting.

So it is better to have a small snack before working out and have a dinner afterwards.

FrznPhoenix saidYAY! I get to use what I learned in Anatomy and Physiology!

There are two parts of the your nervous system the somatic and autonomic. The somatic part you can control but the autonomic you do not control.

Within the autonomic nervous system there are two additional systems; the sympathetic and parasympathetic. They contol the same organs but have opposing effects and cannot perform at the same time. The parasympathetic is also called the "at rest" stage and is usually ALWAYS in effect. During the at rest stage, your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing are normal, and you body is in a constant digestive stage. However, the sympathetic division is also called the "fight or flight" stage. It usually takes control either when you are excited, surprised, or EXERCISING. During this time your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing speed up and your body STOPS digesting.

So, if you eat THEN work out your body has food inside that needs to be digested but it cannot because the sympathetic division has taken over and stopped you body from digesting.

So it is better to have a small snack before working out and have a dinner afterwards.

Wow thanks! Great information. I always workout first then I eat.

I've always eaten afterwards, even on the weekends when I go in the mornings, I cannot have more than some fruit or else within an hour into my workout I will hurl!!

judging by your body, i would say to hell with that doctor. i think they are more talking in order to fully stimulate your matabolism and to help lose weight, similar to not eating after a certain time at night. plus, if you are eating 6 meals a day, or about every 3 hours, its going to be hard not to eat before your workout

Always workout before dinner...