early morning workout...eat before or after?

jeffarthur

I usually roll right out of bed and hit the bike for 30 mins then eat...am i doing this backward? c'mon fitness people...you know, don't you??

AnnThereseRN

I'm not a fitness guru, but I have had good and bad luck going both ways. If I don't eat, I am less likely to cramp up during a run. But if I don't eat I also could lose steam 1/2 way into my workout.

I'm curious as to what people have the most success with.

japruzze

Planning on starting an early morning workout routine (waiting for my new treadmill to arrive). I'd be interested in what people recommend too. I was planning on hitting the treadmill as I roll out of bed (I will stop to put my sneakers on first!) but was planning to eat afterwards.

japruzze

bump

BrandyontheRun

Your body needs carbs to burn while working out. I believe they say to eat half an hour to an hour before you workout. This is what I do and I find when I don't, I get cramps mid run. I also have a small snack (or lunch, depending on the time) after I finish my workout. So before I hit they gym I usually have some fruit (and maybe some toast, depending on my mood/what I want of course) and water.

theginnyray

Trial and error - find out what works for YOUR body!
I work out early mornings too. Three or four mornings a week I run, the other days are strength days. I need caffeine before I run, or I lose steam fast - so running mornings I take a PowerBar Gel with caffeine before I head out the door. On strength mornings, I don't need the extra caffeine, so I work on a completely empty stomach. That's what works for me. On a rare occasion that I am ravenous when I wake up, I might have half a banana or something.
As a general rule, if it's not broke, don't fix it.

debilyn574

I'd say to have something light before working out. A piece of fruit is good, this morning I had eggs on a whole wheat tortilla and that seemed to work well too. I came home and had my oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts as my real breakfast.

bizco

Nope, not backwards. Doing cardio on an empty stomach is very beneficial for burning fat and it kickstarts your metabolism for the day. Keep it up!

Sidesteal

I usually roll right out of bed and hit the bike for 30 mins then eat...am i doing this backward? c'mon fitness people...you know, don't you??

I would base this decision entirely on personal preference.

Anecdotally: Fasted cardio will only POTENTIALLY make a difference for already lean people trying to get very lean. Mobilization of fatty acids can increase but in overweight people mobilization is a non issue.

In short -- up to you.

smae1980

I also work out before I eat for the same reason someone posted above, because if I eat right before I get cramps during my workout and it makes it hard to focus. I find I don't run out of steam as long as I work out right after I get up instead of waiting a little while, then as soon as I finish I eat breakfast. If I work out later in the day I try to time it for between meals so I haven't eaten too near to the time of my workout, again because of the cramps, then I have something to eat right after

tistal

I chug a bottle of water then do 30 mins of Zumba in the mornings before I eat.

JenSmith1104

Nope, not backwards. Doing cardio on an empty stomach is very beneficial for burning fat and it kickstarts your metabolism for the day. Keep it up!

^this!

Shannonnn92

I eat before and after I go to the gym... I have an english muffin with peanut butter before and when I get back I typically have some granola and a grapefruit... I have found that I function best that way, but I think it can vary and you should just do whatever feels best for you.

kimoRUN

Early morning empty stomach workouts.

Low intensity cardio: Good
Weights: Bad

Panda86

Honestly, I think it's whatever works for you. For me, if I exercise in the early morning, I don't feel like I need food beforehand. I usually workout around 6:30, but I can't eat before 8 or I will get a horrible stomach ache all day. But my workouts aren't super strenuous, and they are rarely longer than 30 minutes. However, if I am going to do something like, 60 minutes on the elliptical, I MUST have food before, or I totally lose steam. Especially if its later in the day. I also try to eat an hour or so before a 3-mile run, because I will lose steam on that if I don't. Find what works for you

carebear7951

Nope, not backwards. Doing cardio on an empty stomach is very beneficial for burning fat and it kickstarts your metabolism for the day. Keep it up!

That's what I was told (well, not personally LOL) by Denise Austin who is a long term fitness professional. (And shoot, if I look like her in my 50s???? I'd feel like I had room to tell people what to do!) She says that if you eat first you are burning what you eat. If you burn on an empty stomach you are burning what's already there (ie fat!) so that's what I do. Besides, who wants to puke? Plus, if I sit down to eat before I work out...fuhgeddaboutit! LOL I have to get it done asap.

catattack13

if I eat aaaanything before I work out I will get an enormous, debilitating cramp, immediately, and potentially fall off the treadmill or drop whatever weights I'm trying to lift.

mcarden86

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/

friendlygecko

A couple of years back, I was seeing a nutritionist and we discussed this exact issue. She said that everyone needs to eat within 30 minutes of being up (since your body has gone so many hours without eating). She said if you are someone that gets sick when you exercise with food in your stomach, to at least have a piece of fruit for some natural sugar. Then as soon as you are done working out, eat your breakfast. Your body needs food every 3-4 hours while awake, and no food for 2 hours before bedtime. Hope this helps!! When you workout on an empty stomach, you are burning into your muscle that you want to improve, not fat, and your body is actually storing the fat. Good luck all!!

lareymarey

I am another that falls out of bed onto the treadmill, or of to the gym
I eat after i have fnished usually within an hour

I do need to have a glass of water beforehand

jbenton091011

I will have a banana before my work out. Gives me enough energy to get through the work out but not enough to make me feel full and crampy while I'm working out. When I'm done, I shower and then have a good bowl of oatmeal.

firesoforion

Before. I don't get cramps and I read somewhere that you force your body to go into the fat stores rather than just rely on the breakfast energy to get you through it.

tannjam

No expert but was always told more effective to work out first then wait 1 hr before you eat. Supposed to burn more calories ..

ROCKERFOREVER81

I will have half of a banana for a pre-workout snack and then the other half for after workout. Does that make sense? I works for me :happy:

judgejava

Your body has enough glycogen stores from the last meal before bed for an early morning workout, if it is 45 mins or under it is fine to not eat first.

If you are planning on a long and intense workout over 45 minutes then eat something about 45mins to an hour at least before your workout, something like a bagel and peanut butter and jam, for some fast acting sugars and some sustainable ones with a dash or protein.

personally i can get up and run 12 miles without nothing in the tank at 5 am, but i usually dont, i usually eat about 5 some porridge and fruit, then run about an hour or hour and half later, anywhere from 4 to 16 miles on a mornring run, then have a recovery meal upon return.

People often say working out early on an empty stomach will burn fat too, this is not strictly true, your body will use its available glycogen stores which unless you are starving yourself then you will have enough for like i said about 30 to 45 minutes workout, it takes a while for the body to tap into its fat stores during exercise.

Cheers

GrahamBarwick

no expert but men's health says to run on empty stomach in the morning, bettter for burning fat??? David Gandi (D&G Model) apparently trains that way too?

BetterCrazyThanLazy

I work out at 5:30 AM so there is no way I will get up earlier to eat. I have half a cup of coffee and grab a bottle of water with me. It's too hard to work out right after you eat anyway, but everyone's body is different so do what works for you. I personally think that it's better to work out before you eat so your body burns stored fat for energy. It's not like you are running a marathon in the morning and need to fuel up before you do it....

jk0912

I usually eat after my workout. I ate first this morning and went for a run 45 minutes later and was cramping up a few minutes in. Never again. I do much better on an empty stomach.

rachemn

I can't within an hour before my workouts or I get a bad stomach ache. So if I'm working out in the morning, I'll usually have a protien shake about a half hour to an hour before. If I'm working out at night, I just make sure not to eat the hour prior. I think it's more of a preference thing...though I love the idea that if you don't eat you are burning stored fat!

judgejava

no expert but men's health says to run on empty stomach in the morning, bettter for burning fat??? David Gandi (D&G Model) apparently trains that way too?

yes and no. Only if you run/workout for longer than about 30 minutes at minimum, then it may tap into fat stores, depending on available glycogen.

Also your body can metabolise protein for fuel also, (if you sweat and smell ammonia) that is why, when i trained in the heat i use to get it all the time as i was burning protein for fuel (food or muscle), fat usually takes a while during exercise before it is metabolised for energy

FatgutBgone

If I am going to lift weights I try to have a shake and oatmeal or something an hour before. Then I eat my big meal after. I get sick if I eat too much before working out. I find that I store less fat if I eat right after working out and have better gains.

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