Excerpted from "A Year of Health Hints"
365 Practical Ways to Feel Better and Live Longer
Is it better to exercise and then eat, or eat
and then exercise? Follow these guidelines.
Don't eat much right before a workout, because your body will
divert blood to your muscles
and away from your digestive
organs, disrupting the process of digestion. Generally, it's best
to work out 2 to 3 hours after a
meal, or an hour or two after a snack.
Always eat
breakfast. If you exercise before breakfast, you may reduce
fatigue if you eat a small
amount of food--like a small
glass of juice or a piece of toast--15 or 20 minutes before you
set out.
If you exercise
before dinner or late in the day, make breakfast and lunch your
main meals. To boost
energy levels, have a
late-afternoon snack.
SOURCE: Adapted from HealthyLife® on
Fitness (Southfield, Mich.: American Institute for
Preventive Medicine, 1987).