Using Huel Pre/Post Workout?

Hey everyone,

I go to an early morning crossfit class during the week (6 am class). I’ve read that you want to have simple carbs that digest quickly before such an early class, for energy purposes, and simple carbs immediately after, for recovery purposes.

It looks like Huel is made of the healthier, complex carbs. Am I right to assume its not great to use before or after an early morning workout? If not, is it better before or after? Wondering if I should instead save it for a lunch replacement. Appreciate any guidance.

Given my level of functioning before 6am, I wouldn’t be able to manage more than Huel and/or coffee.

Are you thinking a piece of fruit? That’s generally recommended for all/any occasion, isn’t it? :slight_smile:

For no particular reason, I’d suggest a banana/apple/orange before and a serving of Huel after to get you through the later morning before lunch. Have another for lunch (I usually skip it, though I shouldn’t)

Well, that is certainly the conventional wisdom. But let me quote Patches O’houlihan: Conventional wisdom “is about as useful as a poopy flavored lollipop”.

There is no universal formula for what you should or should not eat before or after a workout. Only professional body builders need to stick to any particular rules. Most people can do what works best for them. The most important thing is what your overall daily macro-nutrients are.

I’ve drunk Huel before workout sometimes and after workout sometimes. It worked great either time. In general, unless you are doing some insanely high level exercise, “simple carbs” should almost never be consumed. Not that I adhere to this strictly. I am not sugar free but I have been trying to cut back these last few months. But I am saying that most people do not need sugars at all in their diet. Me included. The small amount of sugar from fruit (not fruit juices) is fine, but we probably don’t need any other forms of sugar… ever… before or after exercise. Ever. “simple carbs” are probably the worst thing we could ever put in our bodies.

Besides, when we exercise our insulin levels drop. (Because exercising muscles do not need insulin to uptake glucose. that’s why some type 2 diabetics will do some form of brisk exercise if their sugar level is high and they want to quickly get it down. and type 1 diabetics need to cut down the dose of insulin if they plan to do exercise.) But since insulin levels are low during exercise, fat will freely come out of adipose tissue and be readily available for energy. Our bodies use fat to make ATP during exercise quite efficiently. So we don’t need a bunch of sugar for exercise.

Huey Freeman on the Boondocks referred to High Fructose Corn Syrup as “the white man’s poison”. No truer statement has ever been uttered on Adult Swim.

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