I have a question about eating and exercise

So I see online you should wait 1 to 2 hours before exercising after eating a meal. 30 minute wait is fine if it's a small snack. Then I see that it's fine to wait 1 hour after eating, but it depends on how much you ate.

So, I've got this stand with bike pedals on it, and I've been doing that for about 1600 revolutions, roughly 20 minutes.

Today I had a burger, mac and cheese and a spring roll, and I probably finished all of that 10 or 20 minutes before 5:00pm EST. What would you suggest is a good amount of time to wait before doing the bike pedal exercise?

Top | New | Old

DareToSayIT · 31-35, M

You need to wait. The reason being your stomach needs enough blood and oxygen to helps with the digestion and provide you energy. If you are biking or exercising, what happens? Blood rushes to those muscle groups and the stomach lacks blood to help with the digestion process and we don’t want that. Also, there’s every chance you may get reflux and throw up what you have eaten. Give give yourself an hour or 2.

Or you can split the meal into 2. Eat the first half an hour before workout and other half after the workout.

seaglass · F

You can do a bike pedal exercise right away and, in fact, it's best for your blood sugar that way. When they say to wait after eating to exercise, they mean very intense exercise

ABCDEF7 · M

Take lighter meals if you think you can't have a 2 hour break before doing exercises. Better to plan your exercise routine in advance and properly aligned with proper gaps between meals and exercises.

twiigss · M

@ABCDEF7 oh I had plenty of time, I was just trying to get an answer of, " if you eat X amount of food, wait 1 hour. But, if you eat this X amount of food, wait 2 hours"

I can always just flip it and exercise before eating too. My friends brother mentioned that you have to wait and I didn't know that.

ABCDEF7 · M

@twiigss There are several factors that decide how much time it would take for food to move from stomach to intestine. Typically, it can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours for food to pass through the stomach and small intestine, and another 24 to 72 hours for the rest to be fully processed and eliminated.

1. Type of food:
Carbohydrates (like fruits and vegetables) are generally digested faster than proteins and fats.
Proteins (like meat) and fats (like oils or cheese) take longer to break down.

2. Meal composition:
Meals that are higher in fat or fiber tend to take longer to digest. Fiber helps with digestion but can slow down the process, while fat takes more time for the stomach to break down.

3. Portion size:
Larger meals take longer to digest, as the body has to work harder to break down the larger quantity of food.

4. Individual metabolism:
Each person’s metabolism plays a role. People with faster metabolism might digest food more quickly, while those with slower metabolism might take longer.

5. Hydration:
Staying hydrated can help speed up the digestive process, as water aids in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients.

6. Activity level:
Physical activity can stimulate digestion, while being sedentary might slow it down. After eating, it’s better to avoid heavy activity for some time.

7. Health conditions:
Conditions like gastroparesis, IBS, or acid reflux can alter digestion time, making it either slower or more irregular.

8. Age:
As people age, digestion often becomes slower due to changes in the digestive system.

SaorUladh · 26-30, M

At least an hour for that kind of exercise

twiigss · M

@SaorUladh Thank you

Add a comment...