Leave too big of a gap and your energy levels will be depleted. Too little and nausea will make training a nightmare.
So when is the perfect time to smash a feed if you know you have a big workout coming up? According to Livestrong, If you're having a huge meal, they recommend taking three to four hours before launching into vigorous exercise. If it's just a small feed, two hours should do the trick.
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However, According to the Human Performance Resource Centre, if it's a short sharp session, eat 200-300 calories 60 minutes before. If this seems like too little time between eating and exercising, It may well be a case of getting know how your body copes with digesting.
If you know training will go for 60 minutes, go with 200-300 grams of carbohydrates and 1-2 servings of protein 3-4 hours before you get started.
But the foods you eat can also impact how you feel during exercise. Fatty foods take longer to digest and can cause an upset stomach, especially exercising.
If you want to know what carbs to eat to help stack on the kilos, check out this handy guide.