[Lost Dog]

There's simply no way that the average gym-goer, looking to lose fat, is going to have depleted glycogen stores in their workout. Even with a specific depletion workout it's hard, even if they've been on a low carb diet.

Most of the PWO studies seem to have been done after the people had fasted overnight, so the response is not what we experience in real life.

There are a couple of threads on pwo (or peri-workout) nutrition vs just eating food on a regular basis, but I can't find them at the moment. Maybe someone else will find a link.

That being said, I use shakes for convenience. I keep two bottles with a serving of protein powder in my gym bag, and if I haven't eaten in a while, I use that before and after. If I feel like I need some carbs, I have some fruit or something with it.

I prefer eating a burger or some tacos a couple of hours out, followed by a meal when I get home, though. I don't like to waste my calories on a drink that's gone in 30 seconds.