Exercising before the MCat

[iceman132]

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I have been exercising and then studying for the mcat for a few weeks now. (Mainly lifting)

I'm really not sure if this has been the most beneficial. I sometimes feel tired while studying (Although it may just be laziness)

So for those who exercise..... How did you do it while studying for the Mcat (Before you studied or after) and before/on the test date and what kind of diet did you have while studying?.

Thanks!

 

[Donald Juan]

I would NOT recommend exercising while studying for the mcat, your brain needs all the ATP it can get, and you don't want to waste it on useless skeletal muscle. You need to focus on working out your brain, not the body.

I would recommend you start out the day with 3 mcdonald's breakfast burritos, a venti americano from starbucks, and a pack of mike and ike's for when your blood sugar gets low. Don't forget to take plenty of breaks while studying to smoke cigarettes, the nicotine will help you get past that plateau.

Also, don't forget about recovery time. It really isn't any good to keep studying without taking the necessary time off (seriously, this is just as important as the studying!). Since you need to study everyday, make sure you drink copious amounts of alcohol at night. This way, your brain gets completely turned off while you sleep, and you won't waste energy on unnecessary processes like dreams.

 

[RUc10]

I'm interested to see because I've been wondering about this myself. I'm mainly a lifter but I would NOT lift before the MCAT because I know how much it would drain me.

I recall seeing studies though that light cardio prior to cognitive testing showed a slight increase in ability. After running I do get more "focused," technically it happens for lifting too. But I think it's more of a product that my brain is always racing causing my mind to drift a lot and after exercise it's just a little more drained so it doesn't have that same type of energy. I'd assume that if I was taking an exam this would help me do well in PS but be ready to take a nap by the middle of Verbal.

 

[MDminded]

I'm subscribing to this thread because I, too, would love an answer. I'm not a lifter (my female anatomy can't really handle that right now), but I do run and strength train in the morning beginning at 7 a.m. I shower, have breakfast, get ready for the day, and fight falling asleep by being on SDN until lunchtime, after which I begin my studying.

I am worried since my exam is at 8 am on a random Thursday in July. I know you're supposed to start simulating conditions, but to not work out for the entirety of July (I have a race on July 4th, so up until then I'm running in the mornings)?

Donald Juan, I don't know that I agree with your prescription of 3 McDs burritos and a SBUX drink to start my day off. I don't think I agree either with your remark about not exercising. Though it does burn up some ATP, I find running seriously calming. My mind wanders all over the place during the day, and running is my one time to just focus. It helps me while I study, because I can make analogies to my training with my studying. (We've all prob read this 5485439 times, but for those who haven't seen it - the journey through the MCAT is like training for a marathon, not a spring)

Tons of other people in the 30+ thread suggested exercise, as it was their sanity break.

 

[iceman132]

I'm subscribing to this thread because I, too, would love an answer. I'm not a lifter (my female anatomy can't really handle that right now), but I do run and strength train in the morning beginning at 7 a.m. I shower, have breakfast, get ready for the day, and fight falling asleep by being on SDN until lunchtime, after which I begin my studying.

I am worried since my exam is at 8 am on a random Thursday in July. I know you're supposed to start simulating conditions, but to not work out for the entirety of July (I have a race on July 4th, so up until then I'm running in the mornings)?

Donald Juan, I don't know that I agree with your prescription of 3 McDs burritos and a SBUX drink to start my day off. I don't think I agree either with your remark about not exercising. Though it does burn up some ATP, I find running seriously calming. My mind wanders all over the place during the day, and running is my one time to just focus. It helps me while I study, because I can make analogies to my training with my studying. (We've all prob read this 5485439 times, but for those who haven't seen it - the journey through the MCAT is like training for a marathon, not a spring)

Tons of other people in the 30+ thread suggested exercise, as it was their sanity break.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to keep exercising.... But the TIMING and TYPE of workout is my question. According to my psychology professor working out at night is a no no because it tends to keep you awake. (Although hew exercises at night anyways)

Maybe working out at night or in between would be better. I'm sure some people kept a stricter diet before studying also.

 

[MDminded]

Yeah, I'm definitely going to keep exercising.... But the TIMING and TYPE of workout is my question. According to my psychology professor working out at night is a no no because it tends to keep you awake. (Although hew exercises at night anyways)

Maybe working out at night or in between would be better. I'm sure some people kept a stricter diet before studying also.

Diet is a key part of this process, too, especially when you get to taking FLs. I need to figure out the right snacks that keep me awake and going. Caffeine normally puts me to sleep, so at least I don't have to worry about that. But maybe chocolate?

 

[Xcited392]

I'm pretty sure Don Juan was being sarcastic... 😛

Anyways, I also workout (lifting only, very little cardio). For the past few years, I've consistently worked out around 1pm (3x a week), after a late-morning class. In the summer, when school's out, I'll still hit the gym around 1pm; I guess the schedule just stuck with me. Interestingly, my upcoming August MCAT will be at 1pm.

Workout wise, I would probably avoid working out the day before your MCAT, especially if you have a habit of over-training. If you're training to failure (where you literally are lifting until you cannot do it anymore) the day before, you will most likely exhausted/fatigued, sore, and probably not in an ideal physical state to take a 5-hour exam. If you still want to workout the day before, keep it light and simple--lower the # of sets, decrease the intensity (i.e. not to heavy), and fewer exercises. You could do this in less than 45 minutes and get out. Also make sure you are taking days in between to rest. You don't want to workout more than two days consecutively. I personally do Mon, Wed, Fri.

In terms of diet, you'll need to experiment around and stick with it. If you're radically changing how much and what you eat right before the test, you're body won't be able to adjust. I've found that if I lower my carbs, I don't feel so tired and sluggish; I'm actually mentally more alert on a low-carb diet. A lot of other people, however, absolutely need their carbs to function. I have a friend who will get nauseous, headaches, and cold-like symptoms when not eating enough carbs! I wouldn't suggest extremely under-eating (calorie wise), because that will make your body tired, too. For sustaining your appetite during FL exams, I've found that slow-digesting protein keeps me feel full, like cottage cheese and other casein-containing foods.

I think the point is, don't go the extremes and keep it consistent.

 

[ridethecliche]

I had my week set up like so (working full time).

I'd go to the gym tues/thurs/sat/sun.

On tues/thurs after work and the gym, I'd either do 1-2 ek section tests or do 1 vr exam or review a practice exam and do practice passages. If I had less time, I'd read over notes.

On m/w/f, I'd study from 5:30 after work, till 10:30 or 11. Short half hour break for dinner. Saturday sunday, I'd workout in the morning. Drink coffee and eat something for lunch, then hit the books till the evening. Saturday night, I'd try seeing friends if I could something together.

Sunday, I'd gym, eat, and take a practice exam in the afternoon.

If you're at school, this should be easier. You can workout before class or between classes and you don't have to go super far away to get to the gym or to work.

Just put together a schedule and stick to it.

My schedule fell apart coming into the month before my test because of a nagging injury and because I needed to work more. So I signed up for a 1 month deal at my neighborhood gym ($$$$$$$$$$$) and went before or after work when I needed to get something in. Still easy enough to get a few hours of studying done.

 

[Donald Juan]

I'm pretty sure Don Juan was being sarcastic... 😛

Looks like someone here is headed for a 12+ on verbal!

 

[inquiry101]

mcat is a physical test just as much as a mental test. Cardio and yoga in the morning. Daily meditation to help with focus and relaxation. Also, some vitamin supplements including gingko biloba, fish oil, and a daily multi-vitamin along with balanced meals and 7-8 hours of sleep can help