There are many theories about weight training but the practice is that you have to lift a certain volume of heavy weights. I think it is the same with protein.
There was a study that said you got better results if you drink a protein shake and then work out. So that became standard advice for a decade, then somebody did a study where they gave people the shake before or during or after the workout and it was all good.
Some people have GERD and other problems if they eat too soon before a workout. When I was in my late 40s my digestion became more sensitive and I found I could not eat so much before I had to go to the gym. Working out hungry might train your ability to burn fat, but many people can't sustain hard workouts if they're too hungry. Serious athletes like Micheal Phelps who train hard all the time have a hard time eating enough to support all the training they do so it is no wonder he became a spokesperson for a proton pump inhibitor.
My sports nutritionist and doctor disagree and basically tell me to eat nonstop lol.
I also have suffered low bone density from not fueling. I was diagnosed with RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport). My body was canabalizing muscle and bone for energy.
I suspect age is a big factor here (I’m in my 40s). But I definitely will fuel before working out from now on.
