thorfinn

Err... Depends. You want the digested results (amino acids in the bloodstream) to be available immediately after you complete exercising, which is when the "increase muscle mass" hormones are at their peak. So, for meat eaters, eating meat a few hours before is probably good, along with some low glycemic index carbs so that there's plenty of glycogen available for the exercise itself. IIRC, you're vegetarian, though? Protein digestion is faster from vegetables, I think, so eating closer to gym is fine. But either way, not for an hour or so before exercising... Digestion draws a lot of blood into the intestines, and you do not want that happening whilst you're trying to exercise. I believe that eating some protein after exercising as well is a good idea, that way there's a slow trickle into the bloodstream for a number of hours afterwards, whilst the hormones are all still going.