Carb load before a work out? Good/bad?

lately i've been eating a bowl of pasta (whole grain or multigrain) 2 hours (give/take) before i work out. I can really rock the work out's, and put down good #'s, but what are the long term effects of doing this? I don't do it every work out (5 days a week), but i do for the harder one's. im doing p90x if that matters. so is it good or bad to be eating that many carbs before working out?

i don't see how that would be any problem

The carbs in pasta are pretty complex. Someone might correct me, but I'm not even sure you are seeing anything one way or another after only 2 hours.

Either way, I don't see it being an issue? I try and eat fruit closer to my workouts. It's said that fat burns in a carbohydrate flame?

i think my main concern is burning off the amount carbs in my food + extra. i.e. the whole in-out thing. tho im very new to this so i dont have hardly an idea of what im talking about

"carbo loading" is largely misunderstood by most people. It really only affects endurance events, and must be done over a few days for best results. That said, carbs are necessary for exercise, and eating a good meal a couple hours before a workout is a good idea

what's your goal for working out?

best pre-workout meal ~2 hours prior to lifting

2 slices whole-grain whole wheat bread
3 slices cold-cut turkey
1 slice mozzarella cheese
small handful of spinach

enjoy.

as for carb loading, take 1-2 days of no carbs at all (depleting your body of glycogen stores so it starts burning fat for energy), then on the 3rd day have a nice heaping helping of oatmeal in the morning and that sandwich for lunch/2 hours prior to lifting. it'll shift your body back into energy consumption from food intake. then repeat process.

If you're doing p90x, Tony even says that not eating up to 3 hours before a workout will help you burn fat (if thats what you're after). So eat whatever the hell you want 3 hours before. That way your body is burning fat stores, rather than what you're currently digesting.

I like to eat something small, like a yogurt, or some fruit 30 mins before a workout. Im not looking to burn fat, and want any healthy energy i can get.

good stuff. i'd like to trim some more, but im guessing cardio would do that more than eating and waiting for 3 hours then working out. if i eat, then 2 hours later work out i can get some good #'s down. when i work out after NOT eating for half a day, my #'s are less, simply cause i have less energy. so is it better to have less #'s with less weight while waiting 4 hours after eating to work out(to burn fat), or is it better to eat and use the energy thru that to put down some good stuff.

here's what i did today. legs and back p90x. my meals were this

i usually don't eat breakfast (terrible i know)
but today i had
1 sunny side up egg
half a bagel with cream cheese
1 cup of coffee with cream
this was at 9:15 with coffee at 9:45

lunch
tuna fish sandwhich on sliced whole wheat. first half at 1:15, 2nd half at 4:15

dinner, got home around 6:30
at 7:15 i ate 1 scoop protein powder with 1 packet of oatmeal with 3/4 glass of milk, blended then drank it

8 oclock i started p90x. ended up doing 165 pullup's :)

9:30 i got some chicken wings (grub)


i typically don't eat protein shakes, but i will get protein after a work out be it chicken or some sort of beef. my usual routine is cup of coffee in the am, sandwhich split up for twice throughout the day and then i get home, work out and eat dinner.

i'm pretty lean as it is, but like i asked, would it be better to workout w/o eating 2 hours before or is it better to eat some and then work out? I am NOT looking to bulk, just trim and get some muscle definition.

just to make sure im readin what people said correctly; to make the exercises burn FAT, i should not eat prior (within 3 hours) of workig out.