eating before exercising???

timanda2

Just wanted some thoughts on my dilemma. I have two kids, so I get up very early to exercise before they wake up. I never eat breakfast before I exercise because it is so early and I have no desire to eat at that time. However, I had just read that you should eat something small before exercising....Is it harmful to exercise on an empty stomach? Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcomed!

silhouettes

I'm not sure about this either.. I have wondered the same... There were times I used to exercise early before breakfast and the water kept me filled and I'd eat after I got done.. but wasn't sure if it was really helping considering I was burning calories I haven't even had to begin with?

That was only in the summer though and now that it's winter it's hard to exercise let alone early! So it's not a problem for me right now as I do it after lunch.. but it would help for knowing this summer!

I'll keep checking back with this for other's opinions, because I to would like them

staceyb_2003

you could always eat some fruit before exercising just don't eat anything to heavy x

Ratgirl35

I exercise first thing in the morning too and have been doing so for quite awhile. I also have no desire to eat anything at that time, if anything, it makes me feel worse when I do.

I am interested in hearing what other people's thoughts are on this.

MooseWizard

I do not know about harmful, but I am completely exhausted afterward if I do not eat something ahead of time. I usually have some kind of energy bar before, and some kind of protein afterward.

I love the Snickers Marathon bars before a workout.

Rubie81

I've heard the opposite. I have actually heard that exercising prior to eating helps weight loss.
Some one here posted this article: http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/8851564/

anubis609

This might help.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/374330-does-exercising-before-you-eat-burn-fat/

Basically, it's up to you. I'm diabetic, so I can't exercise first thing in the morning for too long before breakfast without feeling like passing out. There's another article I read [on LiveStrong also] where 30 minutes of exercise before breakfast is more beneficial to burning fat stores. Any longer may start burning muscle from fatigue and the lack of nutritional energy to get it from.

amehrkens

I was never a breakfast eater either and often worked out in the morning. I now have found that I actually like eating breakfast. Before I workout I like to have a granola bar or a banana, something quick. It is beneficial to eat before a work out, your body needs that energy to get thru. Like others have said, something small don't over do it.

kathvg

try making a quick fruit smoothie.
i go to bootcamp on sat mornings (7:30AM start) and our coach always tells us to make sure that we eat something prior.
smoothies are super easy to make, taste good and aren't "heavy".

sarah44254

There were times I used to exercise early before breakfast and the water kept me filled and I'd eat after I got done.. but wasn't sure if it was really helping considering I was burning calories I haven't even had to begin with?

Calories don't really go on our schedule. If it's the beginning of your day, and you haven't eaten anything yet, it's easy to imagine your calorie balance as 0. But our bodies go at whatever schedule they want, so it is more like this thought: You exercise early in the morning and 1) you get your metabolism excited about the rest of the day, burning a little more calories throughout and 2) you burn up any excess calories your body hasn't converted into energy yet (leftovers from the previous day, or even longer)

the first part I didn't research, I just have always been told that you can 'rev up' your metabolism with certain things, like standing instead of sitting, eating a grapefruit, or moving around (exercising) I have NO idea if this info is true or not, but it has stuck with me. I guess I should look it up! :happy:

I can NOT imagine exercise before eating as harmful. That is like don't feed your gremlin after midnight. How long does it have to be after you eat to be harmful? I ate last night, so I am not really exercising before eating! The logic spins itself around and doesn't make any sense to me personally.

dshalbert

A little energy bar or fruit might help but, If you work out 1st thing and it's under an hour it's fine to do it without food. I usualy run or do a 30 minute dvd. The only down side is that you'll start to run out of steam if it's longer than 60 minutes. It's also good to replenish with a banana or some protien to help your muscles recover after your work out (just in time for breakfast)! ideally some comlpex carbs before a workout are good, but you do need to give them time to digest and doesn't sound like you have that. These are tips that I got from Runner's World Magazine.

Buckeyt

Here's some info written by Clarence Bass, a well repsected authority in the area of exercise and nutrition:

Training on Empty: Good or Bad?

Q. Is training in the morning on an empty stomach more effective for burning fat? Some well-known bodybuilding gurus recommend doing high-intensity aerobics in the morning on an empty stomach to burn fat. Is this supported by scientific fact, or is it bad advice?

A. That sounds logical, I know, but it’s bad advice for two basic reasons. The first is simply common sense: You will feel more like training if you eat a small snack beforehand. It’s important to enjoy your training, because you’re not likely to keep doing an activity that you find unpleasant. I usually have a cup of instant coffee, made with one-third water and two-thirds skim milk, and a teaspoon of canola oil (to slow absorption), and a Tiger’s Milk energy bar about 30 minutes before my workout. If you’d prefer not to drink coffee and don’t like energy bars, a glass of skim milk and an apple would be fine. Avoid concentrated sugars which cause a spike in your blood sugar – a candy bar or honey are no-nos – or eating so much that you feel full and uncomfortable. Eat something small in volume and easily digested; that’s why I like a Tiger’s Milk bar. I eat my main meal as soon as possible after training. I’ll explain why a little later.

The main reason for a pre-workout snack, however, is to supply your brain with the energy it requires to function properly – and to avoid cannibalizing your muscles.

All the different tissues of the body, including your muscles, use glucose, blood sugar, for energy. Your brain, however, relies on glucose for energy almost exclusively. If your blood glucose level falls, the brain cannot function properly. The result is usually inability to concentrate, lethargy and confusion, but in extreme circumstances can be blurred vision, shock, and even death. For this reason, the body is programmed to maintain your blood glucose level no matter what the cost. When you understand the mechanism by which this is accomplished, you’ll know why you should eat a small snack before you exercise.

Most of the energy for a training session, weights or aerobics, come from the glycogen stored in your muscles. The glycogen comes from what you have eaten over the last several days, not your last meal. It takes a day or two to restore the glycogen to depleted muscles. About 200 grams of glycogen can be stored in your muscles. Muscle glycogen, however, is no help to your brain. As Lawrence E. Lamb, M.D., explained some time ago in The Health Letter, muscle glycogen has to be used by your muscles for energy; it can’t get out of the muscles to raise your blood sugar. So where does the glucose for your brain come from?

First, it comes from the glucose contained in your circulating blood. This, however, is only about 20 grams and doesn’t last long. Next, it comes from the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver; that’s about 70 grams. The glucose in your circulating blood and that stored in your liver, according to Dr. Lamb, is enough to tide your brain over during the night, but that’s about it. When you get up in the morning the body must look elsewhere to supply glucose to your brain. Unfortunately, if you don’t eat, the source of supply is body protein -- not the fat stored on your body.

As you probably know, extra calories from any source, carbohydrate, protein or fat, are stored as fat. "The catch," says Dr. Lamb, "is that this is a one-way street." Fat cannot be used to form glucose. Under normal circumstances, body fat can’t supply the needs of the brain. (After about two days of starvation body fat can provide energy to the brain, but that’s clearly not acceptable for our purposes.)

After blood glucose and liver glycogen are used up, the body turns not to fat tissue, but to protein to maintain the blood glucose level. The mechanism is called gluconeogenesis, the manufacture of new glucose. Your liver does the job. It strips the nitrogen from body protein to form glucose. In other words, protein from skeletal muscles and other body structures is used to maintain your blood glucose level.

Dr. Lamb summed it up like this: "In the morning, after an overnight fast, your body has already switched to converting amino acids to glucose. That is one reason why some carbohydrate to support your blood sugar level early in the morning is important. That can help conserve the cell protein, such as found in your muscles."

So, training in the morning on empty, without eating, is a bad idea. The result is exactly the opposite of that desired. Rather than encourage the burning of fat, if forces your body to burn hard-earned muscle.

To the best of my knowledge, Dr. Lamb’s comments are still state-of-the-art. I have yet to hear any authoritative opinion to the contrary. Until I do, I plan to continue eating a pre-workout snack..

I promised to tell you why I eat a full meal shortly after training. Glycogen replacement is more than twice as great if you eat soon after exercising than if you wait two hours. It’s important to take advantage of that window of opportunity to replenish the glycogen stored in your muscles. Otherwise, the calories consumed may be deposited as fat. As explained on our products page, my favorite post-workout meal is our High Protein Oatmeal. I add mixed vegetables and fruit to the oatmeal and top with skim milk or a multigrain beverage.

I’ve had many questions on this topic. I hope this clears up the confusion about eating a pre-workout snack.

timboman365

I'm glad to see Clarence Bass on this post. He is the ultimate guru on health and conditioning. Read his ripped series for both education and more importantly, motivation.

staceyb_2003

I feel to full up after eatting and usually save my exercising till the evening when my daughters in bed...a nd it exhausted me so helps me sleep too x