early bird workout freaks.....

I work out every day at 6 am on an empty stomach. I prefer it that way. If I've eaten, I just find I'm not able to jump as high, and I get cramping more often.
When you work out before eating anything you burn stored fat as fuel instead of using the carbs from food you've just eaten, so I prefer to do it this way

I work out every day at 6 am on an empty stomach. I prefer it that way. If I've eaten, I just find I'm not able to jump as high, and I get cramping more often.
When you work out before eating anything you burn stored fat as fuel instead of using the carbs from food you've just eaten, so I prefer to do it this way

Yup and that's my answer as well!

I used to get up at 4:30am everyday to get to the gym at 5am. I would just drink 8 oz. of milk to get started. I mostly strength train, so there may be a difference there.

We roll out of bed and push play. No food, but we drink plenty of water before, during, and after. We drink a recovery drink within 15 minutes of being done with our workout. I couldn't imagine not working out before the kids get up - it just takes all of the "when am I gonna get it done?" out of the way.

i workout everyday at 5 am on an empty stomach.. get up roll out of bed a cup of black coffee with splenda speeds things up as well your body starts burning straight fat...... after eat some egg whites on a fiber tortilla with cheese n salsa u will be burning all DAY!

I get up at a freaky 4:30am to get in an hour or more workout before my first class starts. My routine is to drink (2) 16oz glasses of water before running/yoga/walking and/or weight lifting. I do not eat unless I wake up starving, and then I won't eat until after my 2 glasses of water. The body becomes dehydrated as we sleep, so the water flushes out any nasties, hydrates the brain and stimulates bowel movements. If I need to eat after my water, I choose a banana or make a green smoothie (google the term) and have a small amount (8 oz) of that before working out. I eat after I work out, usually fruit, a smoothie or like today an egg sandwhich. And more water! Coffee and tea dehydrates the body and actually causes you to feel sluggish because the cells in your brain are thirsty! Google the effects of dehydration too. It was an eye opener for me!

ok, gonna start working out in the early am before my kiddies wake up.....for those who do the same.....what do you eat!?!?! food usually has to sit for 45min before intense workouts....but man that seems like a lot of time to kill....i mean i would be sleeping if i had it my way, lol.....what do you eat? what time you get up? isnt working out on empty tummies bad for you? .....and something i've always wondered....if you do everything first thing in the morning, is it best since you have the rest of the day to eat eat eat?? lol....does it matter what time you work out?

That's a lot of questions.

What do I eat? Nothing. I work out on an empty stomach (and I actually prefer it this way).
What time do I get up? 3:45
Is workout out on an empty stomach bad for you? Certainly not.
Do you get to eat, eat, eat the rest of the day since you worked out early? No. You still have to stay within your calorie limits.
Does it matter what time you work out? Not really. I tell people to work out at whatever time works best for their schedule.

If do want to eat before a workout, it doesn't have to be a big meal--nor do you have to wait 45 min. 100-200 calories is fine--there are plenty of combinations. You can grab something first and by the time you get dressed and put on your shoes, you are ready to go. If you have drive to a gym, that's even a little more time.

You can choose to do what works best for you -- just keep in mind there are no physical benefits to working out on an empty stomach. So make your choice based on your needs -- not some urban folklore.

When I run first thing in the morning I can't eat or I will have the runner's sh**s. It's a funny name but it's a horrible feeling when you are running through a neighborhood about to deuce in your pants. I've even run half marathons on an empty stomach (ok, probably not the best idea, but I felt fine so I went with it). If they start before 8 I really just can't eat beforehand. If it starts at 8 or after, I'll wake up at 5 or 6 and eat something small so I can take care of the BM before the race starts.

I prefer to workout on an empty stomach as well. Try it and see how it feels. You might find that it's tough and you feel a bit queasy part way through your workout. If that's the case then try eating something small before your workout, like some fruit. Half a banana works really well as well as the oatmeal suggestion earlier. It can help to have that little bit of extra sugar to keep your blood sugar up but it doesn't need to be a full meal!

ok, gonna start working out in the early am before my kiddies wake up.....for those who do the same.....what do you eat!?!?! food usually has to sit for 45min before intense workouts....but man that seems like a lot of time to kill....i mean i would be sleeping if i had it my way, lol.....what do you eat? what time you get up? isnt working out on empty tummies bad for you? .....and something i've always wondered....if you do everything first thing in the morning, is it best since you have the rest of the day to eat eat eat?? lol....does it matter what time you work out?

I get up at 4:30am, make a bowl of oatmeal with a serving of BCAA, eat it down. Reset my alarm and go back to sleep for an hour. Get up, down my pre WO drink and go workout. I don't think fasted state training is the way to go especially if building muscle is your goal/maintaining muscle mass or performing at high intensity for a prolonged period..The liver cannot store sufficient glycogen to maintain blood glucose levels until morning when the nutrients become available from breakfast..So early in the morning as the potential for glycogenolysis falls, the liver increases the rate of gluconeogenesis/which is proteins being broken down to amino acids which are taken up by the liver for the biosynthesis of glucose..You combine that with the catabolic hormones like cortisol accelerating the catabolism of muscle proteins. So I just don't understand WO in a fasted state. It is very catabolic and counter productive.

I get up at 4:30am, make a bowl of oatmeal with a serving of BCAA, eat it down. Reset my alarm and go back to sleep for an hour. Get up, down my pre WO drink and go workout. I don't think fasted state training is the way to go especially if building muscle is your goal/maintaining muscle mass or performing at high intensity for a prolonged period..The liver cannot store sufficient glycogen to maintain blood glucose levels until morning when the nutrients become available from breakfast..So early in the morning as the potential for glycogenolysis falls, the liver increases the rate of gluconeogenesis/which is proteins being broken down to amino acids which are taken up by the liver for the biosynthesis of glucose..You combine that with the catabolic hormones like cortisol accelerating the catabolism of muscle proteins. So I just don't understand WO in a fasted state. It is very catabolic and counter productive.

wow that is very deep. looks like you know your stuff....but thats for body buliding right? what about just trying to tone up and loose weight?

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to lift heavy (like a man). You don't want to end up as skinny fat. Pick up a book call New Rules of Lifting for Women.

I get up at: 4:45 AM
I eat: nothing
I drink: 4-8 oz of water
Current routine: P90X, sometimes Insanity swapped in for cardio

Can a car run with an empty tank of gas? No. and Neither will you. It's best to eat BEFORE you workout. Your body needs fuel to function as well as perform intense workouts. Another girl just asked this and a guy that works out or at a gym was saying he seen some lady workout before she ate and she ended up fainting and breaking her jaw as well as a few teeth. Not trying to be rude .. Just tell it how it is. Use common sense everyone .. we don't need any injuries :-)

How do you know this happened to her because lack of food? she could have a pre-existing condition...how do you know? I've seen people, including myself get better results from not eating before a morning workout. It's not a bad thing to do. And FYI, my body isn't a car, you can't compare the two, we have fat reserves our body can draw from, when a tank is empty it's got nothing to draw from. If you want to debate the topic, have some actual data to back you up, and not "welll..a friend of a friend, saw someone who knocked her teeth out cause ..well...I think she didn't eat before she worked out. For some people it works, for others it doesn't your body will let you know.

Aerobically, the body can only work out at a maximum of about 60% of VO2 max if it is relying solely on fat as a fuel substrate. That's just a fact of beta oxidation. So, someone who is able to perform a hard workout, even in a "fasted" state, is still using the usual amount of carbs/glycogen. Just because you are "fasted" does not mean that your glycogen stores are depleted. Despite the cliches thrown about the subject, the vast majority of exercisers will not come close to using up their stored glycogen.

The body doesn't really care what you "want" to do or not. It is going to choose a fuel substrate mix based on the intensity demands of the exercise. High intensity = higher percentage of fuel from glucose/glycogen.

And the acute event of substrate utilization during a workout has little if any long-term effect on weight loss. A number of studies have shown that, in the 24 hour period following a workout, fat oxidation occurs inversely compared to the rate of fat oxidation during the workout--e.g. if you burn more fat during the workout, you will burn less during the post-workout period and if you burn less fat during a high-intensity workout, you will burn more during he post-exercise period--so it all evens out over time.

Pre and post-workout feedings should be designed to optimize workout performance and enhance recovery. No other reason. Research supports the preference of pre-workout feeding in general, however, there is enough variability among individuals that I would never criticize anyone's individual choice.

i workout everyday at 5 am on an empty stomach.. get up roll out of bed a cup of black coffee with splenda speeds things up as well your body starts burning straight fat...... after eat some egg whites on a fiber tortilla with cheese n salsa u will be burning all DAY!

I'm the same way. I roll out of bed at 5am and drink a quart of water with Jack3D in it, then hit the gym. That gets the metabolism working and the first thing that gets burned is going to be fat, because there's no 'fuel in the tank.' Then I'll drink a shake when I get back from the gym.