Are You Properly Fueling For Your Workout?

Fueling properly for a workout usually comes down to having enough carbohydrate on board. Carbs are your body's go-to fuel for harder training, and a meta-analysis on acute carbohydrate feeding suggests that fueling up can support resistance-exercise performance—especially during demanding or higher-volume sessions.

Key Takeaways

• Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source for higher-intensity training.
• A systematic review and meta-analysis examined how acute carbohydrate feeding affects resistance-exercise performance.
• Fueling before or around a hard session can help sustain output, particularly for longer or higher-volume work.
• You don't need to overthink it—eat enough total carbohydrate and time some around your most demanding sessions.

Episode 165 of The Garage Gym Athlete Podcast is up!

Are You Properly Fueling For Your Workout?

This week we have Jerred, Trampis, and Ashley on the podcast. The coaches are tackling a meta analysis about carbs and how to fuel for your workouts. They tackle the science and then give their overall takeaways and how to utilize this in your own training. Next, they go over this week's Meet Yourself Saturday workout. It's Zone 2 MURPH and the coaches give their experience as well as tips on how to take on this workout. Lastly, the coaches give us their updates on life and how the challenge is going for them this far in year. 

What the research says

The study of the week, “The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” pooled the available research on whether taking in carbohydrate around a workout actually improves resistance-training performance. “Ergogenic” simply means performance-enhancing—so the question is whether carbs give you a measurable edge in the gym.

The practical idea is straightforward: carbohydrate is the fuel your body leans on most during harder, higher-intensity efforts. When you go into a tough session under-fueled, you may run out of gas before you run out of motivation. Topping off your fuel can help you maintain output across more sets and reps, which is exactly where it tends to matter for resistance and conditioning work.

How to fuel for your training

For most athletes, fueling well doesn't require a complicated plan. Make sure your overall diet includes enough carbohydrate to support your training, and pay extra attention to the sessions that demand the most—longer workouts, heavy lifting days, or high-volume conditioning like a Zone 2 MURPH. A meal a few hours out, or a smaller carb-rich snack closer to game time, is usually enough. If you want fueling and programming that work together instead of against each other, the Garage Gym Athlete membership builds both into one plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you eat carbs before a workout?

For harder or longer sessions, yes—carbohydrate is your body's primary fuel for higher-intensity work, and the episode's meta-analysis supports the idea that fueling around training can help performance. A meal a few hours before or a light carb snack closer to your session both work.

Do you need a sports drink like Gatorade to fuel a workout?

Not necessarily. A sports drink is just one convenient way to take in carbs (and fluid) during longer efforts, but whole-food carbs around your session work too. Choose what's practical for the workout in front of you.

How long before training should you eat?

A larger meal generally sits best a few hours before training, while a smaller carb-rich snack can be eaten closer to start time. Experiment to find what fuels you without leaving your stomach uncomfortable.

Related reading from Garage Gym Athlete

• How Important Are Pre Workout Meals? & MURPH!
• Carbohydrates - Weekend Warrior Fueling Series Part 1 of 3
• Are Carbs GOOD or BAD!?!?

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the Garage Gym Athlete podcast either on Stitcher, iTunes, or Google Play by using the link below:

• Subscribe on any device HERE 

IN THIS 40-MINUTE EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

• Zone 2 MURPH
• Properly Fueling for Your Workout
• Carbs    
• Gatorade 
• Update on 300 Challenge 
• Tips For MYS
• Updates and Announcements
• And A LOT MORE!!

Diving Deeper… 

If you want to go a little bit deeper on this episode, here are some links for you: 

Study of the Week 

• The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Garage Gym Athlete Workout of the Week 

Be sure to listen to this week’s episode:

• Are You Properly Fueling For Your Workout?

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Thanks for listening to the podcast, and if you have any questions be sure to add it to the comments below!

To becoming better!

Jerred