After Meal Exercise: How Long Should You Wait Before Working Out?

People who are trying to watch their weight are often afraid to eat a lot, even at parties, because they are scared to gain a pound or two. And when they eat, they usually workout to burn off the calories. But, the question is how long should they wait to workout after a meal? Is exercising immediately after eating a good practice?

Working Out Straight Away After a Large Meal is Not Recommended

A large meal, usually 600 calories and protein-packed, needs a lot of digestion to which the body sends a huge percentage of blood towards the digestive system to help in the process of digestion. The diversion of blood to the stomach is actually one of the major reasons why we feel sluggish after a large meal. So, what is the relevance of this process to our workout?

Firstly, we want to have a good workout, and the “sluggish moment” isn’t the best time to do so. Secondly, since the blood is diverted to help in the digestion process, the muscles wouldn’t have enough blood to pump, which kinds of make the workout futile. Working out the targeted muscles require enough supply of blood to tighten the muscles. Working out on a full stomach subject both the digestive system and the muscles in a competition, which disallows both to function efficiently. According to Dr. Phoenyx Austin, a sports medicine physican, “Basically, our body is not designed to do both digestion and exercise at the same time. That’s why people can get things like stomach cramps and stomach aches when trying to run/exercise on a full stomach.”

But, how long should you wait to workout?

Well, it depends on how intense the workout you are planning on doing. If it’s just a light exercise, you have to wait at least an hour after a large meal. But, if you are planning and intense workout, it would be good to wait for 2-3 hours before putting your muscles to hard pumping. The logic is that the greater the intensity of the workout you are planning on doing, the longer you need to wait.

Would it be good, then to exercise on an empty stomach?

The answer to this question is no. You will need energy for an optimal exercise, which is impossible when your body loses the strength after only a few workout routines. What you can do best is to take a protein and carbohydrate rich snack at 200 calories, 30 minutes to 1 hour before the workout. This helps increase your blood sugar, giving you energy boost.