thats no doubt. i support zepp's take however if someone takes in slow releasing carbohydrate source and hour to 1.5 hours before working out, followed by a glucose dominated, right before the workout, that individual will have sufficient energy source to get through their workout, as long as that person isnt a fool and workout for 3 + hours. My pre workout meal consist of slower absorption protein and slow releasing energy from carbs about 1-2 hours before working out. (eggs and flax bread perhaps). 15-30 before working out, down goes 25 grams of whey and about the same about of glucose (either dextrose or maltodextrin).
...exactly. That's pretty much the way it should be done, isn't that basically what I'm advocating (although I left out the 1.5-2 hr. pre meal since I thinks it's a given that no-one here [hopefully] attempts to train on a completely empty gas tank...)
My point is if an individual takes care of their 'pre' workout nutrition, a meal of carb during the actual workout isnt necessary.
...yeah, but post-workout carbs aren't 'necessary' either, doesn't mean they're not extremely beneficial. Look at it this way: think about what elevated insulin-levels (which will be stabilized as a result of one's workout-induced hormonal 'milieu') can do in terms of promoting anabolism and inhibiting catabolism
during your training (esp. if you've got adequate amounts of (BC/E)AAs around to get shuttled into your muscles.) To put it simply, directly pre/mid-workout carbs not only pre-empt catabolism, but they allow you to resynthesize glycogen while it's being depleted rather than afterwards. I guess it comes down (really) to intensity, but I'd rather be taking in my carbs mid than post.
That may be the difference. I'm a sprinter, so I'm doing power-cleans, deadlifts and other compound work almost every time I lift, and I find if when I stick to my above recs, I can wreck **** in terms of sets/weight even when keeping my rests minimal and still recover quick enough to come back and hit a similar routine w/in 48hrs.