Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body

by Michael Matthews

The research on eating carbs before a workout is clear: it improves performance. Specifically, eating carbs 15 to 60 minutes before working out will help you push harder in your training and may also aid in postworkout recovery and muscle growth. Eating carbs before training provides your body with an abundance of glucose to burn for immediate energy. This helps you in three ways: The more glucose that’s available for your muscles to burn, the better you’re going to perform in your workouts (especially if they’re longer).5 Elevating blood glucose levels helps preserve the glycogen stored in your muscles, because your body doesn’t need to draw from these glycogen stores as heavily to fuel your training.6 This, in turn, improves performance. Research suggests that maintaining higher levels of muscle glycogen improves cellular signaling related to muscle building.7