Chocolate as a pre-workout meal... thoughts?

[WoIIie]

Before working out yesterday I had a LOT of chocolate. A few Kit-Kat bars to be exact.

After about an hour I was itching to go run. As it turns out, I felt like I had more energy and drive going through my workout than in days past when I either went on an empty stomach or had a healthy meal.

Is this a placebo effect or is there something to chocolate and sugar in general being a good pre-workout meal?

[animalwithin]

Contracting muscles use sugar as their primary fuel source, you were not experiencing a placebo. Contracting muscles can pull sugar out of the blood stream as well as stored sugars very rapidly in order to burn. While this is good, it is unwise to load up on really sweet foods prior to a workoout because it's only good for short periods of time and not long term and anytime there is a spike in your blood sugar levels isn't very good. Remember, carbs (bread, pasta, etc) are sugars chained together, you're better off consuming those for energy rather than eating copius amounts of Kit-Kat.

[WoIIie]

Kit kats have carbs right? You know, the wafers... Two birds... yeah.

Good answer.

[palek]

If you keep it up you'll find yourself passed out in a puddle of your own watery excretion. And there are unpleasant affects as well.

[Anonymous]

well, obviously, this is like nutrition 101.. it's called a sugar high..., sugar is quick release energy, it works like a drug,

but it also has a lot of calories and is bad for you so you're kind of shooting yourself in the foot if your aim in exercising is to be healthy.

[Morningglory3]

I do it sometimes. I don't eat a lot of chocolate, just half a hersheys bar with almonds. Sorry I can't give you any explanations. It just pumps me up enough. There are better choices, but sometimes I don't have healthy alternatives, or I just want some chocolate.

[WoIIie]

Lol 1/2 of a Hershey bar. That's blasphemous.

[Morningglory3]

Ha some of us have self-control. And besides, I'm shorter so I should eat less.

[bubbiexo]

I got nothin'... Could be the sugar, but simple sugars in candy bars typically aren't good before a workout. Could be a placebo effect.

So, I don't know. Sorry!

I do love my chocolate, though. :P And chocolate milk post-workout=heaven.

[WoIIie]

Still an informative answer even though you didn't know LOL.

[Anonymous]

Sugar can give you a quick boost, but it doesn't last very long. You might try something healthier for that boost, like a banana and some peanut butter. Throw in a few squares of dark chocolate if it really floats your boat. Most candy bars have a lot of weird chemicals in them.

[CorneliaisPretty]

i think its because the sugar in the chocolate gives you a high amount of temporary energy. you should try making yourself a fruit salad or smoothie... with fruits like berries and oranges but no bananas

[Cute11]

It's good to have a high carb meal before a workout but chocolate isn't the best thing to have try something else that's a bit easier to work off

[OpenArmsAlice]

I don't think that is a particularly good idea. But to each his own.

Smoothies would be my choice.

[Anonymous]

oh god I think I would get such bad heart burn if I ate a bunch of chocolate then went on a run

[Anonymous]

You will definitely gain weight if you keep doing that. Simple sugars cause a high and then a crash

[Anonymous]

I'm going with placebo effect.

[WoIIie]

Just a stab eh?

[Opinion Owner]

At the very least Kit-Kat bars do not sound like the most effective source of nutrition. You're sucking up some sugar and energy but that's about it, it's probably not even that much either... so yeah placebo effect is my input.