Exercising before breakfast

sagetracey
sagetracey Posts: 607 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just read this article about exercising before breakfast - an extremely limited study.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/exercising-before-brekfast-helps-you-lose-more-weight/story-fneuzle5-1226506951347

I prefer to exercise before breakfast because it suits my schedule and my body clock. Others?

Replies

  • nosillanosilla
    nosillanosilla Posts: 42
    Working out first thing means I get it done before my day gets too busy. I've really come to enjoy my morning workouts :)
  • Froody2
    Froody2 Posts: 338 Member
    I'd rather give myself a lobotomy lol
  • IronDame
    IronDame Posts: 275
    If I am going for a jog in the morning or do something cardio based then I do it fasted. If I am going to lift weights, then I must eat a little something.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I think fasted training may benefit already-lean individuals.

    In obese folks the differences between fasted and fed training would likely be somewhere between "tiny and zero". Additionally, this study used 10 subjects, no mention was made of overall calorie or macro intake, and the net difference in fat stores was a whopping 45g.

    In lean individuals, sometimes fatty acid mobilization gets to be a problem and fasted cardio can apparently assist with this. In obese people, mobilization isn't typically an issue.
  • Abbymsom
    Abbymsom Posts: 3
    I enjoy exercising before breakfast. It is my time before kids and work take over the rest of the day. I also find that it gives me more energy in the morning, I am happier, and it curbs my appetite!
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    I find it more comfortable to workout on an empty stomach :smile:
  • pullipgirl
    pullipgirl Posts: 767 Member
    I exercise on an empty stomach or I have a coffee before I workout
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    I find it more comfortable to workout on an empty stomach :smile:

    If I eat before working out, I tend to feel nauseous the whole time. Probably doesn't help that I wake up at 3:45 am to work out.
  • kdub67
    kdub67 Posts: 181 Member
    I find it more comfortable to workout on an empty stomach :smile:

    This.

    I can't eat before working out...my stomach feels like it's going to come up through my throat if I do...yuck! :happy:
  • jwh225
    jwh225 Posts: 45 Member
    Best time of the day for me, otherwise I'll never get it done. Besides, what better way to get your day started?
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    On weekdays working out before breakfast means working out before work... and I've found I don't get much out of early morning workouts because I don't have as much energy. However, I do walk or bike to work every morning so I get some light exercise in before I eat.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Agree with Sidesteel.

    If you can perform to the same level doing fasted training then go for it. If performance suffers then I'd eat something prior. I've found it's mainly the mental challenge though.
  • misskittyfantastico1991
    misskittyfantastico1991 Posts: 145
    I always have a walk before breakfast. I find I'm not hungry as soon as I wake up but after a walk, I feel refreshed and hungry and ready to start the day
  • spicerv1
    spicerv1 Posts: 11 Member
    Same here. I wake up at 3:45am (Monday thru Friday) to get in 60 minutes for cardio or toning or both before work. By doing it in the mornings, I've outsmarted by excuses. Now if it provides me with a little more edge in the weight loss category...that's icing on the cake!
  • jwh225
    jwh225 Posts: 45 Member
    Best time of the day for me, otherwise I'll never get it done. Besides, what better way to get your day started?

    Now, having read the article, I've seen studies that say just the opposite. "Workout on an empty stomach and you will have less energy. A lite meal prior to a workout will give you more energy and a better workout."

    Do what works best for you.
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    If I'm not working out in the afternoon or night
    ..I wake up, eat breakfast, wait an hour and a half, and then work out!
    I need the energy to work out and I need time to wake up a bit haha, and I also leave time for food to digest to avoid a stitch :)
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    oh yes I always do my morning walk before eating. But then at night I do my evening walk after dinner.
  • BeSophisticate
    BeSophisticate Posts: 132
    Hmmm. I've tried the morning workout thing and it simply doesn't work for me. It may have something to do with not being at all a morning person. Typically, it takes me a solid two hours to wake up enough I'm not awkward and clumsy. I'm basically a zombie in the morning.

    For me, that means a morning workout isn't as effective because my muscles simply won't respond as readily. That makes me sluggish while trying to do cardio. Your lung capacity is at its lowest in the morning, which means less effective cardio because you wouldn't be able to move as much oxygen. The last time I attempted a morning cardio workout, it took almost a full extra 10 minutes to raise my heart rate. Since it's become difficult to raise my heart rate into the target zone anyway, that was particularly frustrating.

    Having said that, I have had some success with strength training in the morning. The bonus there is that I do all my strength at home, so I don't even have to go to the gym at such an ungodly hour. Of course, given my lack of coordination at that time of day, I have to be particularly careful with form and such and definitely can't forgo a few minutes of warmup for the muscles.
  • LilacSnow
    LilacSnow Posts: 238 Member
    i'm way too hungry when i wake up to spend 1-2 hrs working out before i can eat.
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 650 Member
    Biochemically...if the blood sugar isn't there...the body will call for the fastest and highest level of energy meaning it will draw from your muscles. It is like your body says "Oh CRAP...we need energy and we need energy NOW! Dadgum get that muscle quick high usable energy here NOW...we don't have time to wait for FAT to convert and get here!" If you goal is to lose FAT and you want your body to burn FAT it is best to have some blood sugar (food) on board so your body can say "oh...yeah...I'm going to need a bit more soon....I better draw from the fat stores."
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
    Hmm, I have always heard that working out on a totally empty stomach burned muscle, not fat. While the study you posted is VERY small (and limited), I might have to do some more research. I recently have started eating just a little bit before working out. I do 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter on one slice of toast with coffee and 24 oz of water before working out. Then, after my workout, I officially have breakfast. I also workout in the evenings a couple hours after dinner.
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    I think more extensive studies have found it doesn't matter when you exercise you gain the same benefit. I generally like to exercise in the morning b/c I like getting it done and out of the way for the day....but I don't always do it first thing. Like today for instance, its flippin' cold (34 this morning...which might not seem bad except it was just close to 80 last week...so it IS) and I am overly sore from the last two days workouts....so I stayed in bed. I will walk at lunch with my neighbor like I always do on M-W-F, then I'll run 2 miles after work and maybe bike for 30 minutes...it's a run 2 miles or cross train day for me...I'm thinking of doing both (I'm an over-achiever...which might be why I am so sore lol)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Hmm, I have always heard that working out on a totally empty stomach burned muscle, not fat.

    I have heard the opposite and in my personal experience, fasted exercise seems better for me.

    Not exactly scientific, but it's working for me.
  • marikevr
    marikevr Posts: 389 Member
    If I get up and run immediately I manage quite easily without breakfast for anything up to about a 10km run. But, if I've been awake an hour or so I need to eat before setting out.
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    I don't eat until 6pm most days since I'm fasting so all my workouts are before I have breakfast. I also tend to have better workout on an empty stomach.
  • jhunny31
    jhunny31 Posts: 73
    I use to enjoy morning workouts but then my neighbors downstairs started complaining. I don't blame them, I would get upset to if i heard it at 5AM. I do however, workout Sat and Sunday mornings before breakfast -- just to get it out the way.
  • samuraidoctor
    samuraidoctor Posts: 29 Member
    Interesting posts. Here's my addition:

    1. Studies have shown that people who eat just one meal a day tend to be fatter than those who eat more. (just had to get that out of the way)

    2. Different levels of exercise burn different types of fuel preferentially. If you are exercising at Phil Maffetone's MAF level and going for a long, slow aerobic fitness work-out, you can easily do this off the fat of the land, so to speak (depending on whether you have fat in your land or not). If you exercise above this level (closer to your maximum heart rate) you will preferentially burn sugar. When you wake up, you have some glycogen stores in your liver (about 100 gm), and some in your muscle, which is quickly converted to sugar. If you are exercising for an extended period of time in this zone, you will blast right through that. I suspect heart rate increases sooner when exercising at this level while fasting because the body is more stressed.

    3. I have observes that some people, no matter when they get up, just can't eat without nausea until later in the morning. They are probably wise to avoid eating if they must work-out. I have observed, though, that it is a good idea to drink some water before exercising in the morning. After all, the reason I personally weigh myself first thing in the morning, is that it's my driest and lowest weight of the day. Unless you've had water through the night, you're probably a bit dehydrated.

    4. On a personal level, I find I do my best work if I've had something to eat before exercising. I try to make it at least an hour before and make it relatively small volume and well balanced. I also go for more complex carbs, like nuts, so the sugar release is slow through the work-out, and will sustain me.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Interesting posts. Here's my addition:

    1. Studies have shown that people who eat just one meal a day tend to be fatter than those who eat more. (just had to get that out of the way)


    even more studies show that people who eat a caloric surplus tend to be fatter regardless of how many meals or what time they eat during the day
  • BakerRunnerBadass
    BakerRunnerBadass Posts: 1,359 Member
    I fall into that category that can not eat for the first couple of hours in the morning without feeling sick. I also need to complete my workout in the morning as I find if I don't it likely will not get done. I have eaten and then done a later workout in the morning and those times I find that I am sluggish and feel sick during and after.

    I do have a bit of water before I go, but I usually roll out of bed, grab the dogs and hit the road....works best for me, but everyone is different.
  • allthenamesaretaken1
    allthenamesaretaken1 Posts: 98
    Makes sense to me. I feel great when I get on the treadclimber for 10-15 mins before breakfast. I do a regular workout later in the day but that morning workout wakes me right up and makes me feel good through out my day. Thanks for sharing!

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