How Long Should I Wait To Exercise After Eating?

While it’s important to give your body enough nutrient value (i.e. food) to complete your workout, exercising immediately after eating can actually hinder your performance. It’s therefore important to have an understanding of how long you should wait to exercise after eating. 

If you’ve ever experienced that sluggish post meal feeling when you feel like a nap, then you might be able to relate to the reasons why a rigorous workout post meal isn’t a great idea. Ultimately, exercising after eating is really dependent on the density and type of food you are eating, see our guide below: 

What are the potential side effects of exercising too soon after eating?

Studies have shown that endurance based workouts (i.e. exercises that promote the heart, lungs, and muscles to work together for a longer period of time) too soon after eating can lead to some pretty uncomfortable side effects, including:

• Nausea

• Cramping

• Bloating

• Reflux

• Vomiting 

• Diarrhoea 

• General feelings of sluggishness

How long should I wait to exercise after eating?

After eating, it takes approximately 2 to 4 hours to digest our food as it moves from the stomach into the small intestine. While we don’t need to wait until food is completely digested before eating, ideally you’ll want to wait until it has settled in your stomach to avoid any potential side effects. Here’s a rough guide:

• Wait 1 to 2 hours before exercising after a moderate meal.

• Wait 30 minutes before exercising after a snack.

If you can’t wait to get moving, going for a walk is a great low impact exercise option you can do immediately after eating.

How does exercising too soon after eating hinder workout performance? 

A recent study amongst 10 basketball players determined that eating a high carb, high protein meal just before a workout led to lowered levels of athletic performance. 

So, before you fuel up with a big meal and then head straight to the gym, take the time to let your food settle for a more comfortable workout experience. 

Please Note: all advice in this article should be used as a guide only and some people may need to wait longer between eating and working out for a more comfortable exercise experience.