Can I Digest Nutrients Pre/Post Workout...

Vicki, and Val...

Mark...

   5am Women Only

Besides real diseases we are subject to many that are imaginary, for which physicians have invented imaginary cures: there are several names, and drugs for them.-Swift

Q. "I know the body does some different things around workout time. I was curious, am I wasting my money by consuming my post workout shake immediately after my WOD? Am I really absorbing the nutrients? Is my body capable of digestion at this time?"

A. Pick up any of the funny pages (bodybuilding and fitness magazines) and you will see article after article on this topic alone. "The Anabolic Window" is what I learned it as, years and years ago. But to understand this phenomenon, you need to understand a little about digestion. Or well maybe you don't...but here goes anyway.

Without getting to high school science on you, think back to what you learned about your nervous system. Particualarly the Sympathetic aspect, or fight or flight mechanism. The Sympathetic Nervous system is "go time". It helps regulate our bodies before and during our WODs. When we start to get amped up, and go into workout mode, our bodies fall into this particular state and become "ready". There is no doubt CF WOD's are stressful, hence the reason they produce results so well...remember-duration=deception, intensity=results.

A complimentary system is the Parasympathetic which essentially works when we are at rest. This is where digestion occurs...when resting, not stressed. As a side note, eating on the run in a hurried state may add to nutrient deficiency's, heartburn, other GI issues, and a malady of other items simply because we don't slow down to eat.

Many a study below shows athletes who, depending on the level of activity and duration, have some type of GI issue. In fact its estimated that at least 25% of endurance athletes have theses issues, and Im sure CFer's who eat certain items too close to WODs due as well. 

But to take a closer look one may find the athletes above were failing to pay attention to what nutrients they needed and where. 

PRE-WOD:

You do not digest real food immediately upon eating it. So you can imagine real food close to a stressful WOD, when the body essentially shuts down its digestion anyway, isn't going to lead to anything fun. Anywhere from heartburn, vomiting, and dysautonomia reactions could occur. Interesting the endurance athletes surveyed are the ones always trying to gauge that nutrition right up until the gun shot. Granted if your going for long bouts, you need to be pretty spot on and ready for the game, but nutrient absorption, and workout readiness starts post-WOD....not pre-WOD....think yesterday, the day before, the day before that. The more of those days that were good, the more proper fuel in the tank. You will not cheat an improper diet race day, so focus more on post-WOD nutrition.

Its not that you need neglect pre-WOD nutrition, but there are several studies that show even liquid supplements taken too close to workouts increase unwanted cortisol spikes as well as insulin responses, making it harder for the body to continue to burn fat during workouts, or use fat for fuel in general. 

Toy around with this, but I would suggest not eating close to WODs. If your on a proper meal schedule, and consuming your proper calorie requirement thorugh the day, and scheduled the workout in the right spot, there should be plenty of gas in the tank. Again, toy with times and such, but proper POST-WOD nutrition equates to proper PRE-WOD nutrition.

POST-WOD:

Ask yourself, "When does my heart stop beating out of my chest?" Add about 10-15 minutes to that, and I would assume that is about as rested as you are through the whole day. This is a perfect time for a POST-WOD shake, contents and amounts differ for everybody depending on size and goals. But at the very least, your shake must have protein in it. 

I would imagine this shake to be around 20-30 minutes POST-WOD. After about another 45 minutes to an hour, one should be able to easily eat a real food meal and feel no ill effects.

However, the cool thing about the body is, if you do end up pissing it off, it will show you. Especially when dealing with digestion. If you ate too soon heartburn may set in, quickstepping to the bathroom, nausea or any number of GI ailments to boot. So test it. If you attain any of these symptoms PRE, or POST-WOD look at meal times. Too soon, too late, too close, too much. All these factors play a role when it comes to nutrient digestion around WOD time.

So, to summerize, eating soon before your WOD may very well be doing you wrong, even if your void of symptoms. From poor energy transfer, to nutrient deficiencies and other GI issues, its most likely not a good idea (unless were going with multiple WOD recovery which is a whole other animal for another day). The best PRE-WOD meal, is yesterdays POST-WOD meal. Stop playing catch-up, and stay on schedule eating for your particular goals. The "Anabolic Window" is yours to break....

References:

Here

Here

Here

Strength:

Muscle Clean

1,1,1,1,1

Turkish Get-up

1,1,1,1,1

For Score:

6-Banded Push-up Salmon/Blue

12-Box Jump Over

24-Double Under

AMRAP 10 minutes

Post MC, TGU, and rounds to comments:

Comments

[Joey Franchise]

NEWS ALERT NEWS ALERT
The Franchise Report: Recently one of my best friend's grandaughter was mauled by a dog. She had to be careflighted and rushed into 9 hours of surgery to repair lacerations to her face. More surgeries are sure to come. She is 2 years old. Her name is Rylee. On October 2nd. in Piqua, the local fire dept is having a 5k race at 8:30am to help the family with the $100,000 they have incurred in medical expenses. I invite all the crossfit community to come support this race, have some fun, great workout, and all proceeds will go to the family. Franchise Athletics will be out in full force. What the hell, lets all wear the Franchise t shirts to show our support. Thanks to all who can make it in advance. See the franchise for more details if interested. Thanks, Joey Franchise

[holly]

125# muscle
55# turk
3 rds

[Angela]

85 lb thruster
35 lb turkish get up
4rds(m)
Franchise-absolutely I will be there, with all my kids in tow:) And order me a shirt also-small.

[Joey Franchise]

145 muscle clean
55 get downs
5 rds.

[Jodi]

85# muscle
25# turkish get-up
4 rds

[Melanie]

105 muscle clean
35 turkish get-up
3 rds

[Steph]

165 sumo grip deadlift
No get ups
3.5 rds (M-push ups and stair climbs)

[mel]

85# muscle clean
55# get-up
5 rounds

[NP]

95lb TGU
7 1/3 rounds M(singles)

[HeatherT]

75# muscle clean
25# get-up
4 rounds (m) step ups for box jumps & 35# kettle bell swings for double unders

[Vicki]

65# muscle clean
25# get-up
6rds (m)

[Min]

55 turkish
95 clean
5 rounds

spent so much time on the turkish trying to get 65 (and i got it 95% of the way before dropping it at the very end) that i didnt even max out on cleans. grr, i'll get you, 65lb dumbbell!

[Dana]

75# muscle clean
35# TGU
4 rounds NO(m)!