From the elementary grades we were told that it is impossible to start playing sports right after eating.
But, probably, everyone in life had a situation when they had to run after eating.
The sensations from this can hardly be called pleasant, but this question does not end there just.
In this article, we will analyze not only why it is impossible to practice immediately after lunch, but also explain what kind of gap will have to pass in order to conduct the most effective training.
Why can’t you exercise right after eating?
If you begin to perform any exercises on a full stomach, then you will inevitably feel discomfort in the abdomen, heaviness and discomfort. The reason for this is simple - the food did not have time to digest, and roughly speaking, it jumps in pieces in your stomach. At the same time, it mixes with gastric juice, and your stomach from the inside begins to resemble a contented, terrible brew. Of course, to the displeasure of both the stomach and yours.
But in some situations, such a practice can even be harmless. This applies to cases when breakfast is rather modest - for example, a glass of kefir with fruit. Some people have such a feature that after a light snack they want to do some kind of activity. If your stomach does not bother you during such classes, then of course you can do it right after eating. But here it is worth mentioning that discomfort is not the only reason why such activities are contraindicated.
Digestion problems
Another reason is that physical activity after a meal can slow digestion. The body will begin to rush in the first place to those organs that perform the most activity - in our case, to the muscles. Accordingly, it constricts blood vessels in other parts of the body - the body understands that in itself "its owner" would hardly begin to exercise after a meal. Therefore, the digestive function slows down and stops. At this point, the body will be torn in the choice - what to give preference to and who will receive a greater influx of blood. From this we can conclude that the slowdown in digestion is inversely proportional to the intensity of the loads.
Physical activity after eating is not only associated with discomfort - it can also cause vomiting, heartburn and other ailments. Problems with the stomach will cause a deterioration in mood, which will also affect the ongoing training. In addition, you can even feel cramps in the body, which in some sports can be quite dangerous.
A condition that does not imply training
Any meal is accompanied by the production of a special hormone, serotonin. It gives a sense of security, comfort, but at the same time, it also makes the body more lethargic, sleepy. This condition is familiar to everyone - a certain satisfaction and bliss after eating. Of course, to train in this state you will need to force yourself very well. This is just a small list of all the functions of serotonin - since it performs a huge variety in the life of the body.
Reduce Fat Burned
During the digestion of food, insulin is produced in the body. This hormone is akin to the "storekeeper" in our body - it is responsible for ensuring that unused nutrients are deposited in the body. Some of them are in the form of fat. A break between lunch and exercise will make the food digest faster and insulin secretion weaken. This will help you burn more fat.
How long after eating can I go in for sports
In most cases, the answer to this question is two or three hours. However, these are just rather rough estimates, which do not always have a connection with the truth. It all depends on many factors, one of which is the health of your stomach and metabolism. For many people, internal processes, including the digestion and assimilation of food, last much longer than others. This is due to slow metabolism. It is safe to say that full people will need more time to relax than thin.
In addition, the food itself is also important. Some foods digest faster, others slower. If you, for example, ate only an apple and washed it with kefir, then you do not have to wait a few hours. This is quite uneconomical with respect to time. In this case, about half an hour will be enough. The period of 30-60 minutes is suitable for all light snacks, which include the use of fruits and vegetables.
Much longer time is needed for meat. For example, for complete digestion of pork in the body, it sometimes takes up to 6 hours. But this does not mean that you need to wait all this time - just wait for the moment when the food settles down and there will be a feeling of lightness in the stomach.
In general, frankly speaking, it is optimal to exercise on an empty stomach. But this rule has its own caveat - training on an empty stomach helps to lose weight, but they do not combine with strength training.
What period after a meal is it worth carrying out intensive training
In this case, you need to be able to "catch the moment." Initially, digesting food, the body seeks to process it to restore glycogen stores. That is why the morning should have the most dense meal for the whole day - almost all the food consumed at this time will go into energy, not remaining in the form of fat. The period immediately after training on the same principle.
Once glycogen stores have been restored, insulin commands the remaining nutrients to be converted to fat as a reserve. And in this moment you need absolute knowledge of the habits of your body. Training should be carried out at a time when glycogen stores are full, but not all food is processed. In this case, during training you will spend energy, which will be restored at the same time from existing reserves. This is especially good for those involved in heavy sports, similar to bodybuilding.
Of course, this is not about seconds, or minutes. Optional, and impossible to perfectly pick up the moment. However, you should be able to feel when the effect of serotonin begins to weaken, and the body begins to overflow with energy - this is a sign that it is time to start training. In this case, you not only do not waste a single calorie, but also do not run the risk of acquiring excess fat.
What is best before training
In order not to distract you with unnecessary information, and not to clog your attention with unnecessary terms, let's just say - the source of energy of our body is carbohydrates. When they are digested by the stomach, the substance that we need is formed, just as the technique needs electricity and gasoline. Proteins and fats are also vital for the body, but in this case they will be superfluous, since they perform completely different functions.
In order for intensive training to take place in the right light, you need to “load” the body with carbohydrates in advance. They, in turn, are divided into two types - fast and slow. Fast carbohydrates provoke the release of a large amount of insulin in the blood, which causes it to deposit a large amount of nutrients in fats. We do not need this at all, so it’s worth paying attention to slow carbohydrates. The difference between them is that slow carbohydrates cause the body to produce insulin in small portions, and allow the body to be nourished with energy for a long time. For intensive training, this is just the way to go.
So, answering the question posed initially, "how much you can do sports after eating," we have come up with several possible answers. If you want to engage in fat burning, it is best to exercise on an empty stomach. If your goal is to conduct a high-intensity training session, then it is best to consume a sufficient, but not excessive amount of carbohydrates in 1-1.5 hours. As for proteins and fats, they are best consumed immediately after training.
