On Health with Houston Methodist
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On Health with Houston Methodist
Workout Nutrition: What Works & What Doesn’t
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Should you eat before a workout? What about after? And do you really need electrolyte drinks, protein shakes or preworkout supplements to see results? In this episode, we break down why you shouldn’t enter a workout fasted, the biggest misconceptions around fueling for exercise and what actually helps you perform better and recover faster.
Expert: Amanda Beaver, registered dietitian
Notable topics covered:
- Why working out fasted can hurt your performance
- Simple, realistic preworkout snack ideas (even for chaotic schedules)
- How fueling needs differ for cardio, strength training and HIIT workouts
- What actually matters when it comes to preworkout and postworkout supplements
- The “protein-sparing effect”: Why carb intake matters after a workout
- How consistently underfueling can impact hormones, immunity and overall health
- Signs you might not be fueling enough — during workouts and beyond
If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.
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ZACH MOORE:Welcome to On Health with Houston Methodist. I'm Zach Moore, I'm a photographer and editor here, and I'm also a longtime podcaster.
KATIE MCCALLUM:I'm Katie McCallum, former researcher turned health writer, mostly writing for our blogs.
ZACH MOORE:And Katie, do you fuel up before a workout?
KATIE:Fuel up. I'm guessing you're asking me if I eat before a workout?
ZACH:Yeah, human fuel. Food, drink.
KATIE:You know, I don't. ZACH: Okay. Now, I know the internet would tell me that there's probably a lot of stuff I should be doing before a workout, and that is probably one of them. I know of pre-workout.
ZACH:Mm-hmm.
KATIE:I don't like to eat before a workout because I get in my head about how the whole point of my workout is to make it so that I can have, like, queso later or something and not feel bad about it. So taking in calories before a workout has always just stressed me out. I know I'm probably wrong about that. How about you, Zach?
ZACH:Well, I am not a breakfast person. So, I'm a person who can get up and, you know, not really eat or drink anything for a little bit. I'll just -- I'll look forward to lunch, right? That's sometimes how I see it, right? But I've also found if I am going to stick to any sort of regularity with my exercise I need to go in the morning. Because if I do it first thing it's done, I feel accomplished, I always feel better, right? But if I say, "Oh, I'll go later this afternoon, or this evening," not gonna happen. It's the first thing that falls off my schedule. You get too busy, you're tired, the day...
KATIE:You don't wanna do it anyways.
ZACH:Gets away from you, yeah. So, with those few things in mind, right? If I'm going to not eat anything or drink anything in the morning, but if I'm going to go exercise in the morning those are incompatible. Because, I remember when I first started trying to do this I would go to, like, a workout class in the morning. And one of the first ones I was just spent. Like, I had to step aside because I felt like I'm gonna -- I felt nauseous, you know. I said, what's going on? I talked to the trainer they're like,"Well, did you eat anything today?' I was like, no. They're like, "Well, you need to do that." So I started adopting like okay look, if we're gonna do this I gotta eat at least a cup of yogurt or a piece or fruit or something like that. A piece of fruit? A whole fruit. One piece of fruit's probably not gonna do the job for you...
KATIE:If it's cut. A piece of fruit, yeah, got you.
ZACH:But, my inclination is like yours, I don't need to eat or drink anything, but I found that I have to.
KATIE:Yeah. I think, if I were working out in the morning, I think I would kind of do have to do what you're talking about right now. It's why I avoid working out in the morning, I think. My workouts never feel good, probably because I am underfueled. So, lots of questions here, Zach.
ZACH:Lots of questions, who has answers for us today, Katie?
KATIE:So, we talked to Amanda Beaver, she's a Registered Dietician here at Houston Methodist and indeed had a lot of information to share with us on this.♪ ♪So, I see a ton of stuff online about how
to fuel for exercise:protein shakes, electrolyte beverages. I'm curious to kick this off by asking you, what are the most common misconceptions that you see and you wish you could, like, stop people and be like,"Hey, listen up."
AMANDA BEAVER:Definitely. So, there are a lot of these out there. One of the biggest ones that I would say that I'm encountering nowadays with the popular electrolyte supplements is that everybody who works out needs an electrolyte supplement, you don't.
KATIE:Okay.
AMANDA:Another really big one is that you -- everybody must eat within 30 to 60 minutes of finishing a workout, and we can get into tons of detail on that later. But that's another myth. And then, one of the biggest ones is, I think, ignoring carbs and what they do for us for exercise. Both pre-exercise and post-exercise, and during as well. And then another big one is, I think, nowadays protein is really in the limelight.
KATIE:Oh yeah.
AMANDA:We're seeing some people getting too much protein.
KATIE:Yeah. I can imagine. I mean, we've got -- We actually we're doing an episode this season about protein and how it's in chips, it's in popcorn, it's in ice cream.
AMANDA:Yes.
KATIE:I guess while we're there, you know, when you think about fueling for exercise, what should you eat before exercise now that protein is literally in everything around us. Like, protein ice cream before a workout? Probably a bad idea.
AMANDA:Yeah so, one of the common misconceptions with exercise is protein both before and after. And I think that for my people who are more weightlifters, people who are doing more resistance training it's not necessarily a bad thing to do a snack that has a little bit of protein in it before your workout. You can definitely get away with that. But for my runners and more cardio people, it's better to stick with things that are more carbohydrate-based within the hour before the workout. Because, protein and fat takes a really long time to digest and break down, and if we're putting a bunch of proteins and fats into our body within an hour of that workout...
KATIE:I know where this is going.
AMANDA:Yeah, it's not gonna feel good. Whereas with strength training, you know, it's not quite the same as endurance exercise so it's okay to do a protein source pre-workout if we wanted to.
KATIE:Okay, I'm glad you're already honing in on carbs because I think, taking a step back, you know, because we're gonna dive deep into all of this. It's a super nuanced topic, I know. I think, you know, I have this perception, I think a lot of people do and maybe it's from growing up in the diet culture.
AMANDA:Mm-hmm.
KATIE:Like, I'm working out so that I can eat whatever I want kind of thing, and so it almost, like, trying -- Eating food before a workout to me, just like, in my mind I'm like,"Why would I do that?" So when we're taking a step back and we're talking about, like, why should you fuel for a workout? For our listeners like me who, like, tell me why I need to be doing this because, like, I would love to just, like, not have those extra calories and go into my workout, you know, fasted or something. Am I hurting my progress and my performance?
AMANDA:Yes, absolutely. So let's get that right out of your head because it is not helping. So, when it comes to eating before a workout, think of the food that you have beforehand as your fuel.
KATIE:Mm-hmm.
AMANDA:This is your gas in your tank to perform your best during that workout. And if we're not going into the workout with appropriate fuel, or the amount of gas that we need in our tank, our workout is not gonna be as good and we're not gonna get the most out of it. So if you're going into your workout well fueled you're gonna be able to push out more reps, you might be able to fun faster, you might be able to ride harder. And so, you'll get a more effective workout that will advance your fitness level rather than just kind of keeping it centered around...
KATIE:Yeah.
AMANDA:Food.
KATIE:Yeah, exactly. And I will say, it's not even why I work out anymore, but I don't know, it's so hard to get out of that mindset.
AMANDA:Right.
KATIE:Okay, so it's definitely worth doing.
AMANDA:It's fuel. It's fuel. It can advance your fitness level, it can help you perform better.
KATIE:And so when we talk about, you know, eating before a workout or fueling for a workout, is this outside of the, "I have breakfast, lunch, dinner, maybe a mid-morning snack, afternoon snack?" I mean, how does this kind of fit in with all of that?
AMANDA:Yeah, so, with exercise our meal timing and our snack timing can really help us out or hinder us. So, to kind of break it down and start from the very top, ideally we don't recommend working out fasted. And the reason being is if you go into your workout with fuel you will probably perform better if you have some fuel in your tank. Compared to if you go into it fasted. Now, some people can definitely get away with it and some people don't like to have anything in their stomach. But I challenge you to just try the difference between maybe just a banana, or a date or two, or an orange and just see if you have a little bit more to give during the workout. And the second reason is, especially for women, if we go into a workout fasted we're gonna experience a higher cortisol release and it could potentially even be disruptive to our hormones: estrogen, progesterone, if we're not going into the workout fueled. And then for both men and women, if we're underfueling and working out we can get a depression in our immunity. It can suppress our immunity.
KATIE:Okay, I maybe have been doing this all wrong, it sounds like. Okay. I pretty much go into every workout fasted.
AMANDA:Pre-workout, fuel.
KATIE:Okay, okay, you have my attention. How do I know -- I don't know which question should come first, but I'm gonna ask this one first. How do you know if you're not fueling enough? So, let's say, you know, let's say you think you, you know, you think you're working out close to enough time after breakfast, but, like, how do you know if, like what are the signs that, like, "Woah, that was an underfueled workout"?
AMANDA:Yeah. So, you're gonna feel like you're lagging a little bit. You're gonna feel like maybe your legs are a little heavy, feel a little bit more fatigued during your workout. And I think that it's easier to know how this feels if you have a really well fueled workout to contrast it to.
KATIE:Okay. That's a good point.
AMANDA:Long-term, when we're chronically not fueling well before our workouts and overtraining you can start to see things like elevated heart rate, if you track your HRV on, like, some kind of fitness tracker, a lower HRV. It can also manifest as poor sleep and irritability, and even gut issues like constipation. So those are kind of some of the earlier warning signs beyond just feeling fatigued and slow during a workout. And then, some of the more advanced warning signs are a suppressed immune system and for women hormone suppression. So it could look like delayed cycles or even absent cycles.
KATIE:Okay, gotcha. Okay, so then I guess the next question that makes the most sense is...
AMANDA:Mm-hmm.
KATIE:How does someone fuel before a workout? Like, what are the parameters here? Like, timing, does timing matter? I heard you mention, like, an orange, a date, or a banana. So, already, like, none of those are workout supplements.[Laughing] Like, pre-workout doesn't seem to be on that list so, like, what does fueling for a workout look like to you, in like the simplest explanation?
AMANDA:Yeah. So, I would say it's gonna depend on what time of day you work out. And if you're somebody that's likes to work out first thing, I would say try to at least have something with a little bit of carbs. So maybe give me, like, about 30 grams of carbs at least and let's see if it helps you feel a little bit better.
KATIE:So, it's like, is that a banana?
AMANDA:Yeah. Uh-huh. It's like --
KATIE:A banana has 30 grams of carbs?
AMANDA:Just about.
KATIE:Okay. AMANDA: Yup. It could also be like a handful of grapes. It could be a handful of pretzels, which will have some electrolytes. It could be some cereal that's maybe a little lower fiber, not too crazy on the fiber. Or two dates, or two Cutie, or two oranges. So, all of those are gonna give you about 30 grams of carbs to give you some fuel for your workout. But, let's say that you have a little more time before you work out. Maybe you have an hour, pre-workout. That's when you can do something a little bit more complex. So that's when incorporating some protein before your workout can -- you have time to kind of digest it beforehand. So you could do yogurt with some fruit on it or yogurt with some granola on it, or toast with maybe some peanut butter. Is there a benefit to doing one versus the other of, like, the, you know, pieces of fruit versus trying to get a little bit of that, like, heavier meal longer before?
AMANDA:Well, if you have a snack, pre-workout, that has a little bit of protein in it it's gonna digest a little slower and maybe give you a little bit more sustained energy, perhaps. KATIE: Okay, gotcha. Also, it's kinda helping you stay fueled because your workout's not for a while. Whereas, if you're eating right before your workout we want something that's gonna be easy and fast to digest that's light on your stomach and isn't gonna impair your performance. So, for my cyclers, my runners, having something with a lot of protein or fat or fiber right before your work out is gonna impair your performance. It can make you cycle slower, run slower.
KATIE:Just feel heavier. Yeah. AMANDA: Exactly, exactly. But with strength training it's a little different that having protein pre-strength training isn't necessarily gonna affect our performance quite as much. Okay. So to that end, because that was gonna be my next question, the different types of workouts. I think you've kind of already answered this. How should the fueling change for my, you know, HIIT class versus my long run, versus, like, yeah I'm gonna go out in my garage and, you know, use the squat rack or something?
AMANDA:Yeah. So, it' gonna depend on, like, how long the exercise is and then also the type of exercise. So, for those more endurance- type exercises the focus is gonna be more on carbohydrates, unsurprisingly.
KATIE:Yeah.
AMANDA:And, in general carbohydrates are our body's favorite fuel for exercise. So, by not having them at all, like, notice even when I said for strength training do it with both a protein and a carb source? I didn't say just the protein. KATIE: Right. The reason being is carbs are our body's favorite form of fuel, and getting a little bit of both is gonna give you the protein you need from a muscular perspective and the carb that you need from an energy perspective. And then, for my runners, you know, we need something that's gonna be light on our stomach and easy to digest.
KATIE:If I -- So, I mean, I guess now that you're saying this it's making me wonder if I don't have fuel, like, is it going somewhere else for fuel? I mean, like, do we know? Like, if I'm not -- If I'm going in fasted is it gonna start breaking down the wrong things?
AMANDA:It can, it can. So, it kind of depends how fueled you are. So, our body stores carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in our liver and our muscles. And so, our body, if we haven't had any fuel or maybe we ate our meal four hours ago, it's gonna draw on those glycogen stores to give us fuel for our workout and give us energy. But if you run out of glycogen that's where we get that"hitting the wall" term. And I think runners tend to experience this more often just because it's so intensive, and typically runners are often going for really long times. When we run out of glycogen we're gonna feel sluggish, slow, heavy, weak. And so, this is not a good feeling. Like, we are not gonna work out our best.
KATIE:Especially if you're already, like, at some point in your run you still have to come back, which is probably the hardest part.
AMANDA:Right. But even for my people who are maybe doing a fitness class that has a lot of HIIT in it that incorporates cardio and strength training. It's possible to run out of glycogen stores during that class if you're not going into the workout with your pre-workout fuel, or going in fasted.
KATIE:Okay. So, supplements that suggest they should be used before workouts, like pre-workout.
AMANDA:Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
KATIE:Is that important at all in fueling?
AMANDA:So, it kind of depends.
KATIE:Okay.
AMANDA:Often times the ingredients in pre-workout supplements are caffeine.
KATIE:Mm-hmm.
AMANDA:It's probably the biggest one, and the one that we kind of feel a difference. Typically they'll also have some B vitamins. Those are only gonna be helpful if we're experiencing a vitamin deficiency. So having those extra B vitamins in a pre-workout supplement aren't gonna give us additional energy, they will only help if we're deficient, not getting enough from our diet.
KATIE:Okay. So it's just basically like a caffeine hit?
AMANDA:Yes. It's basically just a caffeine hit. So, if you want something that's maybe a little bit more of a simple ingredient you can just have a cup of coffee or tea, and get the job done with that.
KATIE:Okay, simple as that.
AMANDA:Uh-huh. Some of them will have a little bit of creatine, or maybe branched-chain amino acids, or other amino acids, and you know, those I think are kind of a whole other conversation. They can have their benefits, but the main thing that's helping with energy during a workout is the caffeine. And for those of us who are doing evening or afternoon workouts I would recommend avoiding a pre-workout supplement, just because it does take our body a while to process and eliminate caffeine from our body. So, having that pre-workout, you know, after work could definitely impair your sleep quality...
KATIE:I probably wouldn't sleep at all, yeah.
AMANDA:Exactly, exactly. Some of us are aware of that but I think some of us are in denial about our sensitivity to caffeine.
KATIE:Yeah, gotcha. Okay, these are good tips because I think I'm more of, like, the chaotic person, in terms of my workout routine of like, I don't know when I'm gonna work out. Like, I didn't squeeze it in over lunch so I'm gonna try to do it right after work. So like, I could have two Cuties and be ready to go, is kinda what it sounds like.
AMANDA:Yeah. KATIE: Okay, cool. So, to kind of talk a little bit about, I guess, meals and timing your meals with your workout. If you have a heavy meal, let's say you went to brunch and you're super full, I would give it four hours or so to digest. If it was a really big meal. If it was a decent sized meal, pretty big, you could maybe give it three hours before your work out. And if it was a lighter meal you could wait two hours.
KATIE:Okay.
AMANDA:So, having those heavy meals can impair our performance during our workouts to some degree. Just because the fat and the protein in them they take a long time to digest. And we don't need those sitting in our stomach and slowing us down.
KATIE:Yeah, absolutely not. Okay, great. Before we move on from kind of pre-workout talks, or pre -- before the workout talks. I know now pre-workout's the supplement so I wanna be careful of that. Before we move on, anything else you wanna say as far as fueling before a workout before we move on to what to do after, which I think is probably incredibly nuanced and a lot to talk about.
AMANDA:Yeah. I think we were pretty comprehensive, but I think this is the one that people usually neglect, is the pre-workout fueling, you know?
KATIE:I definitely do.
AMANDA:Right. Like, post-workout we all know, you know, it's really important to get your protein post-workout, but we're not really thinking about the pre-workout fueling. And we might not be getting the most out of our workout that we could be getting if we aren't getting that pre-workout fuel.
KATIE:No, it's really helpful and it's good for, like, I -- It's good for me to hear and I'm sure it's good for a lot of our listeners to hear because I literally will be like,"Oh, this was such a horrible work out, I wonder why." But -- And then, you know, there's lots of factors that I'm sure can feed into that but this one seems really simple to, like, to fix so that I know it's not that. Like no, I entered this workout fueled, like, what else could it be, you know? Things like that, so. Seems like a very simple thing to address. If you feel like your workouts aren't, like, doing it for you.
AMANDA:Sure.
KATIE:Okay, cool. All right, post-workout. I know we've touched on this, protein, protein, protein, it's like all we hear about. I think the thing I hear the most is like you need to eat protein 30 minutes after a workout. You know, what's your realistic picture that you paint of what you should eat and what your diet should look like after an exercise session?
AMANDA:Yeah. So, this is where it gets nuanced, like you said. And earlier on in our conversation you asked me about the biggest workout myths and one of them is that you absolutely need your protein within 30 to 60 minutes of finishing a workout. Now, do I still think that's generally a good idea? Yes, but there's a few scenarios in which it might not be as critical as we think. So, one of those are if we are well fueled before our workout that post-workout fuel isn't quite as critical because we're going in well fueled. But let's say on the other side of that spectrum you're going in poorly fueled, your day was chaotic, you had to just go straight into that class or that run, or whatever it was. That post-workout fuel is gonna be a little extra important if your pre-workout wasn't on point.
KATIE:Okay. And so what do you want post-workout fuel to look like?
AMANDA:Yeah. So, for that I usually recommend a combination of a protein source and a carb. KATIE: Okay. And the reason being is both play vital functions. And I think so often in popular media we just think of the protein part being the only one we need, or really the important one. KATIE: Yeah. But carbs can play a very important supporting role. So, the protein is important from a muscle recovery perspective and also maintaining, building new muscle, repairing our muscle, whereas the carbohydrates what they do is they refuel our glycogen stores that we expended during the workout. They also refuel the energy that we burned, you know, from the workout. But the one that I think is so cool as a dietician is that they have a protein-sparing effect. And I think this is maybe for a lot of us, a lot of people listening, this is maybe --
KATIE:The piece that's been missing perhaps?'Cause I'm like, as soon as you said it, yeah, okay, go ahead.
AMANDA:Yeah, yeah, it's so cool. So, basically carbs help our body utilize protein for all of those important functions I just mentioned.
KATIE:Mm-hmm.
AMANDA:The muscle protein maintenance, repair, synthesis, and carbs help our body use that protein for those functions. Whereas, if we're just having a protein source post-workout some of that protein is gonna be used to refuel our energy reserves that we expended during the workout. So think of carbs having this sparing effect. They help protein be used for what we want it to be used for.
KATIE:The whole reason you worked out, yeah.
AMANDA:Exactly. KATIE: Okay, gotcha. Exactly. So, try the combination. And I think also another benefit of this is they tend to help you feel a little fuller too. A big complaint that we get with anybody who's exercising a lot is just feeling hungry all the time.
KATIE:Yeah.
AMANDA:But instead of doing just your protein shake post-workout, maybe try pairing it with a banana or maybe try having a yogurt with some granola on top, even if it has some sugar in it, right? Or maybe some fruit on top, and see if that helps you feel fuller. But it's also gonna give you that benefit where the carbs will have that protein-sparing effect.
KATIE:Gotcha. I guess, like, as you're talking I'm wondering, how do I work all this into my diet -- I don't wanna say diet, my nutrition plan as it is, right? Because now we're kinda, like, adding some extra, like, pieces of food.
AMANDA:Right.
KATIE:And things like, do I need to be worri -- I hate to, like, get to this thing of, like, calorie counting it's not really -- Do I need to be taking smaller lunches now? Smaller dinners? Or is it just kind of, like, spreading it out and this is my snack instead, or? I'm not sure if any of that's making sense but I think it's -- AMANDA: Yeah. I mean, it's a really good point because I think, like, a lot of us, a lot of people's introduction to the fitness space is, you know, kind of related to weight and stuff like that. KATIE: Yeah, okay. I think that's where I'm coming from, like yeah.
AMANDA:And also diet culture too, you know. That's another one. Elephant in the room. So, when it comes to -- we're talking about adding these different things to our diet, it doesn't have to necessarily be this whole other snack. You could time your workout so you then go into your meal afterwards. KATIE: Okay. So, for example, like I mentioned where if you're going into your workout fueled you don't necessarily have to have your protein within 30 minutes. Like, you've got a little bit of a bigger wiggle room. So you could schedule your dinner after your workout and that's kind of your post- workout recovery, or fuel.
KATIE:Okay, so it's like a twofer?
AMANDA:Yeah, exactly. And the same thing goes with pre-workout too. If you have kind of a more moderate, light meal you can have that two hours before your workout, go and do your workout two hours later and crush it. If you had your meal four hours before, or three hours before, that's where having that, like, maybe a little date or two for some gas in the tank might give you a little extra energy. But you can make meals your pre and post fueling if they're kind of spaced appropriately.
KATIE:Gotcha. Dates, I think dates are an interesting one, I've never thought of that. AMANDA: Yeah. What are some more kind of, like, maybe types of foods or things people can use for fuel or recovery that we might not have thought about like, I would've never thought about dates. Any other ones like that?
AMANDA:Yeah. So --
KATIE:For putting you on the spot, sorry.
AMANDA:Oh no, no, this is a great question. I think for pre-workout fueling I mentioned pretzels is a good one, it'll give you some electrolytes too from the salt that's on them. It could be dried apricots, are another really good one or maybe some dried mango, that's a good one. And all of those dried fruits, look for ones that don't have added sugar.
KATIE:Sometimes they have a lot, I've noticed.
AMANDA:They can, they can. I mean, my runners who are doing tons and tons of miles don't really have to worry about it. They -- You might need the -- KATIE: Yeah, exactly. You probably kinda need those extra carbs anyways. But for the rest of us, look for ones that don't have any added sugar, but they can be really portable and easy because they're shelf stable. And then for post-workout, one thing that I'm really loving right now is all the drinkable yogurts on the market.
KATIE:Woah, I don't even know if I've noticed that.
AMANDA:Yeah. There's a lot now that --
KATIE:Like Go-GURT style?
AMANDA:They're in little bottles, almost like a protein shake. KATIE: Okay. But they have more in common with yogurt than a protein shake, I would say. So, what I love about them is that they tend to have a more simple ingredient list, and they have more in common with, like, a whole food than maybe one of those protein shakes that have, like, a whole laundry list of ingredients. And --
KATIE:Or like the protein chips and stuff. That's gonna be another question I have. If we're looking for simple things like --'Cause the protein chips probably have carbs and protein... AMANDA: They do. But they're processed and like, is that really the right answer? Or, like, what are your thoughts on those?
AMANDA:Right. And I think that's where, you know, with processed foods and things like that it's all about a spectrum, and I think those drinkable yogurts they tend to fall in little bit of the less processed side. Whereas, comparing those to, like, the protein chips or, like, a protein drink. That has a bunch of other stuff in it.
KATIE:Protein water, I think, is another one that I've seen recently.
AMANDA:Yeah. There's so much. We are getting really out there with our protein. But yeah, you like -- those are a really good one. And then there's so many yogurts now too and all of -- those are kind of whole, more minimally processed foods, right? Which is the goal. And some other good post-workout fuel, there's the ultrafiltered milks nowadays that are kind of the higher protein milks.
KATIE:We talked about this a while ago and you're the one who got me on the ultrafiltered milk and now it's all I drink.
AMANDA:Cool, cool. Yeah, they can be really useful.
KATIE:Yeah.
AMANDA:And they're not bad either. So, that's a really good one too for post-workout fuel. And then, also smoothies can be another one as well. That one is a little more time intensive. And then, protein shakes can be another option like the ready-to-drink ones, but one thing I encourage people to do is I mentioned post-workout how we want protein and carbs. So, check the label on whatever you're eating, whether it's the yogurt cup, the drinkable yogurt, the protein shake, and see if it has any carbs in it. Because nowadays a lot of them have basically none.
KATIE:Okay.
AMANDA:And if it's very low carb, have it with one of those fruits that I mentioned, and that's gonna give you that protein-sparing effect, right, and help you get the most out of your post-workout recovery.
KATIE:Okay, I love that. Another post-workout question.
AMANDA:Mm-hmm. KATIE: Rehydrating. Electrolyte drinks. I'll put in a plug, we did a podcast on this a long time ago so people should go listen to that. But in, like, your 30, 60 second kind of summary, when does somebody need that electrolyte beverage after a workout? Yeah. Okay so, this one is kind of tough because when you look at the electrolyte drinks on the market, the amount of sodium and potassium varies so widely. Some of them are a thousand, won't name brand names, but some of them are really high and some of them are really low, like only 140. So, that's a really big difference. And so for somebody that isn't doing a lot of sweating but maybe you want a little bit of flavored water, I would go for more of the ones that are lower on the sodium side. Whereas my people who are heavily sweating, like you're doing runs or you're maybe doing CrossFit in a place with no A/C.
KATIE:Or in Houston in the summer.
AMANDA:Or in Houston, exactly, exactly. Or if you're doing one of those hot classes and you're just sweating bullets, that could be a time where, maybe, you pick an electrolyte drink that has a little bit more sodium in it, a little bit more potassium in it. So I would say flip the label over and look at how many electrolytes are in it and use that to help you decide which one to pick. Another consideration too is for those of us who eat out a lot, and you know, maybe eat a lot, you know more processed foods in our diet, you're getting a lot of salt from those. You might not necessarily need an electrolyte drink because your getting it from your food.
KATIE:It's coming in your next meal.
AMANDA:Exactly, exactly. And that kind of speaks also to, like, we can get our electrolytes, our protein, our carbs from our meal. We can just time our meal after a workout and get all that stuff as a part of our meal. It doesn't have to be an electrolyte drink, a protein shake, you know.
KATIE:Another electrolyte drink question. I wanted to get your take on this because I saw it recently and I've been, like, saving this to ask you.
AMANDA:Mm-hmm, okay.
KATIE:Some of them have really, like, a ton of added sugar. Like, I was at a little coffee shop the other day and they had an electrolyte drink and it's like, literally just looks very healthy. I turned it over, it had 50 grams of sugar in the bottle. So like, what is the -- I know they're gonna have some added sugar so what's your, like, ma -- If I'm looking at labels, speaking of looking at the labels. AMANDA: Sure. What's, like, kind of your max added sugar where you're like, this has gone out of the realm of helpful to, like, getting towards that's too much?
AMANDA:Yeah. This is, it's kind of a tough question.
KATIE:Okay.
AMANDA:So, typically what we say when we're working with patients is if it's over ten it's typically considered high. But, I think that there's gonna be a lot of listeners that might be like, you know what, even ten is pretty high.
KATIE:Yeah.
AMANDA:So one thing I think is another consideration too is if you're really getting a intense workout in those carbs, those sugars that are in that electrolyte drink might not be the worst thing in the world.
KATIE:Okay.
AMANDA:They're gonna count as a carb, to help with that protein-sparing. They're also, they can give you fuel during the workout or even pre-workout to help you have more energy for it.
KATIE:Okay, this is a very nuanced question then, okay.
AMANDA:Yeah, so -- I would say if you're --
KATIE:Not all bad necessarily?
AMANDA:Not all bad, but for my people who are maybe just doing a little Pilates class or maybe you're doing your walk, you might pick one that's lower in added sugars or maybe even free of added sugars. So, I would say do one that's higher if you're a runner, a cyclist, or really doing a ton at your workout. Pick one that's much lower, or has none if you're not really getting a super intense workout.
KATIE:Okay, so I think that's probably all the questions that I had. Anything that I haven't asked about that you wanna touch on, especially for the people out there like me, who kind of came into this maybe not ever having fueled for a workout, and anything else you wanna leave us with?
AMANDA:Yeah. I think one of the biggest things that we can't have a conversation about nutrition and exercise and leave out is something called REDs. And this is a newer terminology that historically we would use something called the female athletic triad, and that's basically a phenomenon where we're underfueling and it impacts our bone health. But we've learned that energy deficiency, relative energy deficiency, that's what RED stands for, can happen to men too, it's not just women. So, what REDs is, is basically where we have these gaps in our fueling where our body doesn't have enough energy availability and we start to see some negative health effects from that. So, that's where we can get that suppression of immunity, or maybe a weakening of our bones where we're more predisposed to stress fractures or other injuries. And it can also look like hormonal impacts as well. So, a really big one for women is if we're seeing longer cycles, where we're having extra long cycles or even an absent cycle, that's a sign that our body isn't able to produce the hormones that it needs to because we're experiencing this relative energy deficiency syndrome. And so, we -- I think a lot of women are kind of like,"Oh, you know, lighter periods, my period's gone it's fine."
KATIE:That's great.
AMANDA:But -- Yeah, right. We're like, it's a good thing. It's not a good thing, it's not a good thing. It has huge impacts on our heart health, our bone health, even our brain heath. And so this is something that we really wanna correct because from a hormonal perspective it's not good for us.
KATIE:Okay.
AMANDA:And it's something that I think a lot of us don't really talk about, and it's definitely worth talking about.
KATIE:I've never heard about this so I'm glad we're talking about it.
AMANDA:Yeah.
KATIE:Had I known this sooner, I wish I would've known this sooner, I guess is what I would say. I've not really fueled properly. as I think we've heard throughout this episode, I've not been fueling properly but, like, for a long time now. So...
AMANDA:Sure.
KATIE:Yeah no, that's super important to know. Interesting, okay.
AMANDA:I think fueling for our workouts can also -- Not only do they help us feel better, they help us feel better during our workout, they help us feel better after our workout, to help us have more energy, but they help us get the most out of our workout too.
KATIE:Yeah. I think -- Yeah, I think that's the other huge selling point for me. You know, you're doing all this work anyways, like, why not make it worth it? I think the most frustrating thing is finishing a workout and just being, like,"Wow, that workout sucked." Like, I just did not have the energy I wished I had. So yeah, you've definitely made a believer of me to maybe sneak two Cuties in before the workout, or whatever it's gonna be.
AMANDA:Awesome, awesome. And think about this, like, this will just advance your fitness more and take your fitness to the next level. And I think, you know, we definitely work with people sometimes where we're adding these things in and we see body composition improvements and improvements in performance, and energy and sleep. And so, it can be so powerful.
KATIE:Okay, cool. AMANDA: Yeah. Well, thanks for sharing all this today. I'm really glad that we had you on to talk about this topic, this is awesome.
AMANDA:Yay, okay. Well, thank you so much for having me.♪ ♪
ZACH:So, Katie, after your conversation with Amanda, are you going to adjust your pre and post-workout routines?
KATIE:Yeah, I'm definitely gonna adjust my pre-workout routine to involve a banana or something like that. [Laughing] I don't think I'm ever gonna get to the point where my routine is so scheduled enough that I can have that sort of more complex meal that she mentioned an hour before. ZACH: Right. Mine will always remain very chaotic, but I like the idea of 30 minutes before have a banana or something like that. A couple dates, I thought that was an interesting tidbit. So yes, I will be trying to do that.
ZACH:I liked the pretzels, by the way.
I was like, "Oh, pretzels?" KATIE:Yeah, exactly.
ZACH:I never equated pretzels with exercise and working out, but now I will.
KATIE:All the things she mentioned were very tasty so that's good for me. The other thing too that was really helpful for me to hear was the way to know you're underfueled. Or, one of the ways, one of the best ways to know if you're underfueled in a workout is to have a very fueled workout to compare it to, which makes tons of sense. I've probably never done purposefully so, you know, once you have a really nice fueled workout just kind of remember what you ate and then if it ever happens, or you feel like it was -- you're sluggish, you can say, like, "Oh hey, I know what it feels to be fueled, I didn't meet that criteria. I need to maybe, you know, mix it up next time and get a little bit more in there.
ZACH:No, that's been my experience, like I said off the top. Now, I don't go to the gym every day or as often as I should, but when I do go I do make sure that I have that yogurt, have that fruit, because I've seen the other side of that. I've experienced the A/B comparison and yeah, it makes a huge difference. KATIE: Yeah. I don't work out in the morning but I am getting to a place where I'm thinking I might have to, because to your point the lunch, you know, trying to squeeze it in over lunch has just not been effective for me. And then, I do it after work and I, like, hate it more that way. ZACH: Yup, yeah.
KATIE:So yeah, I am gonna have to start fueling. The other thing that I thought was really interesting that she brought up was the protein-sparing effect of carbs after a workout. ZACH: Mm-hmm. I thought that was really neat. I've heard a lot of people talk about how they just have a protein shake after a workout. And I think her point is unless you're taking in carbs with that protein shake some of that protein is not being used efficiently. So, you know, you're doing yourself a favor by taking some carbs in at that point too. That was really neat. I thought that was a cool, like, tip that's pretty easy to incorporate. Again, a couple pretzels or something.
ZACH:Yeah, yeah. That's another layer to it because, you know, the general consensus and general knowledge is, like, you've gotta make sure you eat that protein within 30 minutes after your workout or it's nothing. It might as well not have taken place.
KATIE:Your muscles are deteriorating immediately.
ZACH:You didn't get those gains, right? But then in addition to what you're talking about you put those two things together to get the maximum return for what you're doing. I know I want maximum return.
KATIE:Exactly, it's why we're working out, so may as well do it.
ZACH:Yeah. Another thing that stuck out to me was y'all talking about electrolytes. Because, you know, we all drink water, we like water.
KATIE:I don't know if everyone likes water, but we know we need to drink it.
ZACH:We know we need it, and you know, but sometimes you want a little bit of taste, right? So, sports drinks have been a go-to for me. And you know, my logic is, well, I need electrolytes, right? So it's fine to, you know, mix in some sports drinks. And it still is, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, you know, you might not need the electrolytes because as she mentioned if you go out to eat a lot, which I do. Restaurants, they add a lot of salt to their food, so it's very possible that your electrolytes are being taken care of in your food diet and you don't need to go seek them out in other drinks. Something to keep in mind. KATIE: Yeah, absolutely. I think that was nice to hear as well. That it's not, like, yet another thing to add to the grocery cart in the sense of, okay, after every workout I need to be, you know, opening an electrolyte package or something, putting it in my water. So yeah, I mean, I think -- She gave us a lot to work with. To make sure that before and after our workouts our diet is kind of as optimized as it can, it should be. Yeah, and ultimately, like, don't get lost in the data, like you know how you feel, right? So trust that.
KATIE: Yeah. Pretty simple. ZACH:There it is. All right, well that's gonna do it for us this time on On Health with Houston Methodist. Be sure to share, like, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We drop episodes Tuesday mornings. So until next time, stay tuned and stay healthy.♪ ♪