running

[DJmma]

well, my favorite cardio exercise is swimming. well maybe thats because i play water polo and swim for school. but really it is a great workout. i swim every day for hours, and over the last 6 months, ive been whipped into shape. my endurance has increased tremendously. and i guess i do it because i enjoy it as well. I also run, and do other dry land work outs.

[lordtariel]

Any type of exercise on a full stomach is a bad idea, that being said, everyone is different. When I ran in high school, I knew people who could eat half a pizza fifteen minutes before a meet and not be effected at all. I can't see running on an empty stomach as hurting you any though. As to running in sweats or a sauna suit(never seen one before), it's might not be such a bad idea if you know you have an race in a really hot climate and you want to condition for that as opposed to trying to loose weight.

[Whitefeather]

Possibly an espresso before the run?

Trust me, you do NOT want to do that. Caffiene does a lot of different things, but one of them is that it raises your heart rate substantially. Combine that with a hard run, and you could have serious problems, anywhere from slight damage that will manifest in many years to dropping dead from an heart attack. I do not have studies to back that up, so take my advice with a grain (or two) of salt, but, as they say, better safe than sorry.

David

[Whitefeather]

Nevermind. I just did a little research, and it does not appear that consuming caffeine right before working out is all that risky.

Sorry about that,

David

[Aodhan]

Nevermind. I just did a little research, and it does not appear that consuming caffeine right before working out is all that risky.

Sorry about that,

David

Depends on the person, really.

I personally can't eat within a couple hours before a workout.

The physiological response of the body to a workout is to take blood from the core, and send it more towards the periphery to aid in cooling. Also, the digestive system slows down, as the rest of the body is taking away the energy needed for digestion. And, the stomach tends to shrink in size. So, if you have a huge meal, your stomach shrinks during the workout, well, the food has to go somewhere.

But, I also know some people that can scarf two big macs, couple fries, shake and pie, and go for a two hour run. Everyone is different, just experiment and find what works for you.

Aodhan

[Red J]

I always have a cup of coffee before a run, just to get the old "system" working. I'll use that strategy next week when I do the "7 Mile Bridge" run in Marathon Key next week along with a bagel with peanut butter. I will also try to drink water the night before and some before the race.

[jaymac]

I do not think eating a large portioned meal is a great idea, but some carbohydrates prior a good work out are useful to keep you going that extra mile. As said previously, sauna suits are very dangerous. I am appalled everytime I hear a young wrestler in high school has to drop significant amounts of weight prior to a match. I remember one of my friends was constantly ill during wrestling season because he always had to drop weight to wrestle in a division lower than him. The best cardiovascular work out you can do to increase muscle mass, increase metabolism, drop weight, and reduce risk of strain on your joints is swimming.

[isshinryu5toforever]

You should have something in your stomach when you workout for your body to draw off of. Eat a piece or fruit or something. Also, it'll get your metabolism going for the rest of the day, so you'll burn more fat. That's why they suggest eating many small meals throughout the day to keep that fire constantly burning.

[Red J]

I always have a cup of coffee before a run, just to get the old "system" working. I'll use that strategy next week when I do the "7 Mile Bridge" run in Marathon Key next week along with a bagel with peanut butter. I will also try to drink water the night before and some before the race.

Ok, I got up, drank a cup of coffee and then some gatorade, I ate a Cliff bar and took a GU 30 minutes before the race. I did the race in 59 minutes and felt great.