Pre-workout meals may matter less than you'd expect. In the study covered in this episode, reduced pre-exercise hunger was associated with better resistance exercise performance—suggesting a big meal right before training isn't always the answer. Jerred and Ashley unpack what that means for eating before you train.
Episode 143 of The Garage Gym Athlete Podcast is up!
How Important Are Pre Workout Meals? & MURPH!
This week Jerred and Ashley are back at it again! They kick it off with updates and then dive right into this week's study. It's all about pre workout meals and what's important about them. Both coaches break this one down and give the Garage Gym Athlete their takeaways! This week's topic is on MURPH again! This time Jerred and Ashley are giving you tips for day of. Make sure to tune in to learn how to excel at this workout! This week's Meet Yourself Saturday workout is called Plank You Tyler. This one gets spicy so make sure you pick up some tips to get after this one!
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:
IN THIS 46-MINUTE EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
- Plank You Tyler
- MURPH-How To Excel At It
- Pre Workout Meals-Are They Important
- Ashley Found a House
- Jerred's First MURPH For The Year
- 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
- Starving Your Performance? Reduced Preexercise Hunger Increases Resistance Exercise Performance
- How to Not Suck at Murph (actually, how to CRUSH Murph)
Garage Gym Athlete Workout of the Week
Be sure to listen to this week’s episode:
What the research says
The Study of the Week—titled “Starving Your Performance? Reduced Preexercise Hunger Increases Resistance Exercise Performance”—looked at how hunger before training affects resistance exercise output. The finding the coaches highlight is counterintuitive: lower pre-exercise hunger was associated with better resistance training performance. In other words, you don't necessarily need to be full to lift well, and training while slightly hungry didn't hurt performance in this study.
What this means for your pre-workout meal
Pre-workout nutrition is highly individual. Some athletes perform best with a meal beforehand; others feel sluggish on a full stomach. Use this study as permission to experiment with the timing and size of what you eat before training and find what lets you perform.
Want training and nutrition that work together? Explore the Garage Gym Athlete membership.
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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
Frequently asked questions
How important are pre-workout meals?
The study discussed found reduced pre-exercise hunger was associated with better resistance exercise performance, suggesting a large pre-workout meal isn't always necessary for a strong session.
Should you eat before a workout?
It's individual. Some athletes perform well slightly hungry, while others need fuel beforehand. Use the study as a reason to experiment with meal timing and size.
Any tips for MURPH?
Yes—the episode shares day-of tips to help you excel at MURPH, including how to pace and prepare for the workout.
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