early morning workout.... do I need to eat before?

lesliev523
lesliev523 Posts: 366 Member
edited December 28 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok... I am going to give a 5am workout a try.

I don't normally eat first thing in the morning. Usually it is a couple glasses of water and my vitamins... then coffee a little later at work. Sometimes a greek yogurt.

I am thinking I will need to eat something pre-workout. I know I am not going to want to prepare anything....will a greek yogurt do?

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Replies

  • davisrl0
    davisrl0 Posts: 93 Member
    Well I dont know if it's right or not, but I am an early exerciser too. I dont eat before. I have water during (If Im working out at home) or a few sips before I go out and run. I have a protein shake immediately after exercise. My next meal is a snack around 9:30 at work (greek yogurt/cottage cheese/fruit mixture).

    Curioius what others will say.
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 366 Member
    Thank you for the reply!
  • ceefin
    ceefin Posts: 16
    I don't eat before I go out running either, but have a toasted bagel when I return, before I go to work
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
    It depends on what you're doing during your workout. If you're just performing moderate cardio, then doing so without eating is fine. Some people like to eat like a piece of fruit or something small so they don't feel faint (like me). If you're going to do a longer and more intense workout--that will likely require a lot more energy--it's a very good idea to eat before hand, making sure you have protein and carbs in that small meal.
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
    I workout between 4 and 4:30 and just drink water/crystal light during and after. I have a diet coke on the way to work then a frappachino light around 7. If I'm hungry, I'll have a yogurt or breakfast tacos mid-morning, but I tend to eat most of my calories for lunch and dinner.
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 366 Member
    Thanks! My workouts are usually 20-30 min strength training and 45 on the arc trainer
  • heddylyn
    heddylyn Posts: 173 Member
    I work out at 5am as well and rarely eat anything before hand. On rare occasions I may eat a banana but that's it. I do a boot camp that is very intense then have a protein shake when I get home. I just don't have an appetite that early in the morning and I get up as late as I possibly can to make the class. I think it's a matter of personal preference. There is no "wrong" way to do it.
  • jackflak
    jackflak Posts: 153 Member
    I get up about 25 minutes before working out and make a cup of coffee. I only drink about a 1/4 of it and then I do Insanity work outs. I'll break open a G2 low calorie and sip from it occasionally. But no food. I'd probably barf it all over. But that's what works for me. Might not work for you. Experiment! I eat about 45 minutes later-regular food, not a shake. I also finish the G2 and the coffee on the way into work.
  • rancid2040
    rancid2040 Posts: 8 Member
    I would say, it really depends on your metabolism. If you have a super high one, you could pass out depending on how hard you push yourself. Just as another perspective, when I was in army training, we did not eat before workouts. You had dinner around 5-6pm the night prior, with the exercise session (PT) starting at 4:30am. That exercise session lasted approximately 2 hours, and the most often reason soldiers passed out (which rarely happened) was because of dehydration.
  • sfoster3171982
    sfoster3171982 Posts: 76 Member
    When I go on Sunday mornings I do not eat because i feel like I am gonna puke if I do.
  • Lorichr
    Lorichr Posts: 54
    I work out first thing in the morning; I have found I either do it then or I never end up doing it. I don't eat before, drink water during my workout and then eat breakfast right afterward. It works well for me. Even when i am really hungry in the morning, which I often am, it hasn't caused a problem.
  • CrystalFlury
    CrystalFlury Posts: 400 Member
    I don't eat before working out in the morning if I can help it. I learned eating before a run isn't too good for me--my stomach gets upset. I sometimes eat cereal before doing my workout video or go to the gym for the elliptical, but always wait about an hour before doing any activity. Just depends on how your body works and what it allows you to do. Definitely make sure you eat post workout though!
  • estepteau
    estepteau Posts: 146
    I would say a small fruit or some type of bar to fuel your body prior to working out. We burn calories when we sleep and when we wake up there is no much to fuel our bodies. Our bodies also burn more calories while digesting. So you will be digesting that very small meal and burning that and more at the same time. And of course always replenish your body after the workout with your regular breakfast :)
  • ohohraptor
    ohohraptor Posts: 205 Member
    If its cardio I don't eat before, but I feel really weak if I try to do any kind of strength training without some kind of fuel.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    I exercise very early 4:30 -5:00 start generally, even on my days of long runs for 3 hours or more, I don't eat before starting. If running for more than an hour I fuel mid-run, but I've never ate before exercising. I also exercise during my lunch hour and have nothing between breakfast and my lunch workout.

    I've read somewhere, don't remember the source an interesting article about your body being able to follow what you are used to it. The study was done on cyclists about not fueling mid-ride for long endurance rides and did they really need it or did they simply start to rely on it and their body thought they needed it. Interesting read.
  • PierdoPeso
    PierdoPeso Posts: 25
    I workout between 4 and 4:30, and it's only a couple sips of water before for me.
  • stang_girl88
    stang_girl88 Posts: 234 Member
    I get up at 4:45 am to workout. I dont eat before working out mainly because it makes me incredibly nauseous to have just eaten beforehand. I cant even drink water until I am done. It hasnt hindered my weight loss at all, I have lost about 35lbs so far.Good luck to you! :drinker:
  • jonielena
    jonielena Posts: 29
    As other posters have mentioned, if you're just doing some cardio you'll probably be fine on water. But if you're planning on doing weight training, interval training, plyometrics, etc., then you should definitely get some calories in you beforehand. I find that if I exercise on an empty stomach then I am so exhausted after 30min that I can't keep going/give it a good effort. More energy = a harder workout = faster results. I suggest you try fresh juice blended with a banana. Fresh juice gives me soooo much energy! Try drinking it 15-30min before you start working out so that your body has time to digest. If you don't have a juicer, consider investing in one 'cause they are awesome!

    I use Vega Sport Natural Plant-Based Performance Optimizer, and I swear by the stuff. It's a pre-workout drink designed by a triathlete, and it is gluten, dairy and soy free. It's all natural, so you shouldn't get any of the caffeine-related jitters that other energy drinks give you. I drink it a half hour before every workout (at 6am), blended with juice (usually apple and spinach that I juice fresh) and a banana, and it gives me a ton of energy without the stomach cramping/nausea that I get if I eat anything solid before exercising. After my workout I have a smoothie for breakfast that usually consists of Vega protein powder (awesome stuff, but it tastes horrible - do NOT get the Chai flavour haha), oatmeal, almond butter, almond milk, and fresh apple juice (masks the taste of the Vega powder pretty well). That smoothie, plus the pre-workout drink, give so much energy that I feel like I could run to work!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    You only need to eat if you want to or it makes working out at 5 am easier for you. I workout at 5 am and don't even have water until afterwards. Roll out of bed, put on shoes, walk to workout room, work out until 6 am, shower, then water, protein shake, & vitamins. That's my routine.
  • SilkyHotspur
    SilkyHotspur Posts: 233 Member
    I would agree with calories before strength training. Some of my best workouts come after a 24hr fast, when i walk into the gym with nothing in me except my pre-workout drink. I think i'd be a bit light headed otherwise..
  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
    Sometimes I eat before I workout, sometimes I don't. If it's an early morning workout then I usually don't eat anything I just roll out of bed and go. I do have water already handy for during the workout.
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 366 Member


    I use Vega Sport Natural Plant-Based Performance Optimizer, and I swear by the stuff. It's a pre-workout drink designed by a triathlete, and it is gluten, dairy and soy free. It's all natural, so you shouldn't get any of the caffeine-related jitters that other energy drinks give you.

    I think I would like to find this! Thank you!
  • aefader
    aefader Posts: 4 Member
    To prevent nausea and to maintain energy oatmeal is my number 1 choice. If I get sick of it then I heat up one of the healthy Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches (egg white turkey sausage etc).
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