Please Critique My Pre-Workout Shake

[1976pianoman]

Could you guys take a look at my pre-workout shake and tell me what you think? My goals with the shake are to get adequate protein, but more importantly, to carb-up for a rigorous workout. I don't know for certain how many carbs I should be aiming for and if I'm getting my carbs from the right sources. I'm 6'1" 210. 2 cups 1% milk, 1/2 cup raw egg beaters egg whites, 1 scoop 25g whey protein powder, 100g frozen bananas, 100g frozen strawberries, 1 tablespoon honey. This comes out to 57g protein and 87g carb. Is 87g carbs too high, too low? I can take the honey (17g carbs per tablespoon) out or add and additional tablespoon for a range possibly of 70g carbs up to 104g carbs. I typically don't eat honey or any sugar like substance for the sake of carbs, but I have decided to here to give me a glucose spike which I hope to feel the results of on the weights. Is honey not a good idea? Thanks.

 

[EasyEJL]

The bigger question here is what your post workout shake is like if this is your pre. Leaving some room for measurement errors, you are close to 600 calories right there, which is fairly hefty.

 

[1976pianoman]

Same shake just without the honey and half the fruit.

 

[EasyEJL]

In my opinion, you'd be better off with the larger shake after to replenish than worrying about the glycogen you'll burn up front. Depends of course on the details of your workout, but if its primarily anaerobic heavy weights then you definitely don't need. Even if its more crossfit / endurance style, if you aren't going past 90 minutes it likely doesn't add much value to have them beforehand

 

[1976pianoman]

Okay, I clearly have some serious misunderstandings going on here - probably stemming from my experience working out during ketosis. When my glycogen stores are depleted I cannot lift as well. So I made the assumption now that I'm out of keto, eating a bulking diet, that a pre-wo carb load would be beneficial. Give me a glycogen spike to help with the weights.

So this is not the case? Carbs are really only beneficial for cardio? Not weights? Thanks.

 

[EasyEJL]

Okay, I clearly have some serious misunderstandings going on here - probably stemming from my experience working out during ketosis. When my glycogen stores are depleted I cannot lift as well. So I made the assumption now that I'm out of keto, eating a bulking diet, that a pre-wo carb load would be beneficial. Give me a glycogen spike to help with the weights.

So this is not the case? Carbs are really only beneficial for cardio? Not weights? Thanks.

Not exactly. If you aren't in keto, then you have glycogen reserves that your body will use. For heavy weightlifting (anaerobic work), you'll burn more ATP than glycogen. Your body should have close to 2000 calories worth of glycogen reserves, so the odds of using a significant amount of those up in a single workout (unless its super long) is pretty low. It matters in ketosis, because your glycogen reserves are starting off already depleted. So its better to reserve the bigger insulin spike for post workout, when its less likely to cause a fat gain, and will still replenish whatever glycogen you've burned. I guess its more a case of what your goals are, if you are doing a 5x5 or powerlifter routine solely with the idea of gaining strength then the pre-workout carb insulin boost might be slightly beneficial. but if you are going for more physique oriented I think its better reserved for after.

 

[1976pianoman]

Now I see why they were flaming me on the other site. lol

THANK YOU for explaining this to me. This info couldn't be more valuable to me.