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4/19/12 4:39 P

Thanks for that article, I usually do not eat fruit after HIIT anyway (I crave complex carbs) but I will be sure to keep it in mind.

I also find that keeping my electrolyte balance in check helps me perform HIIT better (making sure I get enough potassium and not too much sodium through the day).

Edited by: VALKYRIA- at: 4/19/2012 (16:41)

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4/19/12 4:30 P

This article fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/
2010/12/24/a-fountain-of-youth-in-your
-muscles.aspx discusses many things about high intensity interval training including the importance of not eating any form of sugar or fructose 2 hours after HIIT exercise. Eating sugar, in any form, will prevent the production of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) which high intensity interval training produces. There is much discussion about what to eat after different kinds of training or exercise - Carbs? Protein? Both? Not having fruit or sugars of any kind only after HIIT workouts is the one dietary thing I always heed.

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4/19/12 1:18 P

2. You should eat a light meal or snack before training, unless you want to enter a state of catabolism and burn off muscle. Think like, maybe 200 calories 1 hour before doing HIIT or 300-350 2 hours before, light food with not too much fat (banana w/ peanut butter is my favorite pre-workout snack). After HIIT, you should eat within 30-90 minutes at a ratio of 1:5 protein to carb to replenish your glycogen. Some people like to eat less carb after workouts, which can help insulin sensitivity.. but your recovery time will be greater this way.

4. I don't know if there is a best "time of day," but if you do strength training after cardio your strength training will be more effective, since you have gotten through a significant amount of glycogen already. That being said, some choose to do strength training before cardio, so that glycogen stores are nearly spent.. if you do HIIT after strength training it will maximize EPOC, but you may not be able to do as many intervals due to exhaustion. It's a personal choice. try it both ways!

Edited by: VALKYRIA- at: 4/19/2012 (13:23)

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4/19/12 11:28 A

Charlie: Here are some of the answers to your questions (based on my experience):

1. Yes you can do HIIT with weights but they must be weights you can control, so try with light weights. (Any Boot camp or Circuit Training workout that gets your heart rate where it needs to be to, I think, can qualify as a HIIT workout).

2. I never eat before I work out, I have digestive issues which make the impossible for me. But other people can eat and not have any problems, so that would be up to you and how your body reacts. As for eating after, that's what I usually do but I don't follow any specific guidelines (relating to when I eat after my work out, that is).

3. If you mean doing a total body strength training workout with weights, then, no, it does not hurt. You just would not be able to lift the next day since it is best to rest between strength training sessions. Core work can be done everyday but if you are incorporating weights, I would wait one day before I worked the core again.

4. As for the best time for weight lifting, I know there are people that say you should lift before you do your cardio, some who say after. I tend to lift after doing cardio or do them together (boot camp or circuit training). As for time of day, I think that depends on what works best for the individual.

Hope this helps.

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4/19/12 10:16 A

I don't have an answer for most of your questions, but I think I read it's best to eat after about 30 minutes after a HIIT workout as your metabolism is up since your heart rate takes longer to come back down. But don't quote me on that as I'm not positive. If I find where I think I read it, I will let you know.

Sorry that I don't have any answers for the rest of your questions.

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4/19/12 9:47 A

1) Can HIIT be done with weights too?

2) What about eating before or after?

3) Does it hurt if you do Core, Upper and Lower Body all the same day 3 or more days a week or is it best to break it up?

4) When is the best time to do Weight Lifting, morning or anytime?

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