Eating before morning run

howardheilweil
howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just looking for advice... I am pretty new to running. I am now up to about 3 - 4 miles. I struggle with what to eat before heading out for a morning run. I am seeing a lot of contradictory advice online... What do you all do? Thanks!

Replies

  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
    Do what works for you. Personally a very very light snack works best, fruit or something similar. You don't need to eat before running, you don't need to skip eating before running.
  • albionjen
    albionjen Posts: 86 Member
    I've only been running regularly for about 6 months, but I've heard a lot of people say that you shouldn't eat anything too heavy just before heading out on a run.

    I don't like to eat or drink straight before I run - it can give me a stitch. If I have enough time I'll have standard breakfast (e.g. Scrambled eggs and toast) and leave it an hour before heading out on my run. If I just want to head straight out then I usually just have a small glass of water and some yoghurt or a piece of fruit. Then I have proper breakfast when I get back in. This works fine for me and I run up to about 7-8 miles at the moment.

    Hope that helps!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    This is a totally individual thing really. At 3-4 miles I don't need anything, but have friends who need to eat a small bit of something before heading out (i.e. granola bar, piece of fruit, etc...).

    Do what works for you.
  • GdeVries
    GdeVries Posts: 232 Member
    I'm at about 2.5 km now. I have to eat something before going out for a run in the morning or I get the worst tummy cramps. A banana is what I usually have and that works good for me.
  • msflynnbly
    msflynnbly Posts: 46 Member
    I run about 4.5 miles each morning with my pooch. I just have a drink of water before I go and we share an apple when we get back x
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    I would eat some carb the night before and not worry too much. You would need to eat at least an hour before your run for it to get into your body. Running 3-4 miles should be fueleable (if thats a word) on the glycogen stored in your muscle if you eat carbs late in the previous day. Have carb soon after your run though because your muscle is designed to swallow it up a short time after running and you will refuel yourself for the rest of the day :-)
  • prdavies1949
    prdavies1949 Posts: 326 Member
    Carbohydrates about an hour before running, As I usually run in the morning, I usually eat a bowl of porridge and that gets me through all distances up to half marathon.
  • mitchiejo
    mitchiejo Posts: 179 Member
    I know some people say to have a light snack before working out in the morning but my body doesn't like that. You have to listen to what your body is telling you.
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    My body hasn't said much yet!
  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
    I would say it depends when in the morning.. If it is before you would normally eat breakfast I would have a wee yoghurt or something but if after then I will have breakie first
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
    when i'm in a regular routine, i always eat breakfast before i run. lately it's been scrambled eggs and bacon. but i also enjoy PB on toasted english muffins, and oatmeal is yummy in the mornings too. this also requires me to get up 1.5-2 hours before i run so i can eat, then allow myself time to digest. but i enjoy my pre-run morning routine very much.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    As others said what works for you. I don't run in early morning very often if it's going to be below 6 miles I normally wouldn't eat as its not good for me. Over 6 I'd try and get a banana in before I go. Trial and error in reality what works for you
  • childscg
    childscg Posts: 1
    Adding in my two cents. What I believe to be happening when you wake up and start your day with a run is elevating your heart rate, thus kicking on your metabolism. Its good to not let your metabolism get too high on an empty stomach because you will start to get hungry and your blood sugar will be low. May cause dizziness, and this could be easily avoided with some long chain carbs. Just off the top of my head this would be like sweet potatoes or quinoa, oat meal is good to (plain oatmeal not the sugary quaker stuff).

    In addition to that, if you have read the four hour body by Tim Ferris, and if you haven't you should look into it, he talks about eating 30g of protein in the morning within 30 mins of waking up. This I believe, once again because it is theory for myself and I have yet to get the numbers back, helps to prevent cravings since protein is a slower breakdown than simple sugars like cereal with tons of sugar on it or even fruit (though it may be good it breaks down very quickly).

    So, before your run, I would suggest almonds with a tbsp of honey. You could make your own combination of protein, fat, and sugar and try it out for yourself. I personally like to do mini-workouts throughout the day, another trick from Tim I borrowed, to jumpstart my heart rate and try to boost my metabolic rate during the day. I am also trying 2 cups of coffee strategically placed throughout the day with cinnamon, another hypothetical metabolic booster. Hope this helps.
  • 2stepscloser
    2stepscloser Posts: 2,900 Member
    I know you are supposed to eat before exercise but my body doesn't like it! I usually just have a cup of coffee or two before I workout (when I do so in the morning). The days that I eat, I'm sluggish and feel sick. A banana or some yogurt might be small enough to eat before you run.
  • Gwen_B
    Gwen_B Posts: 1,018 Member
    I personally, can not eat before I run. It shakes up up in my stomach and it get so upset I can't finish my run. Running on an empty stomach is so much easier for me!
  • chadstrain1
    chadstrain1 Posts: 6 Member
    I rarely eat anything, and if i have to have a snack i go with raw cucumber.
  • marikevr
    marikevr Posts: 389 Member
    For me it depends on the distance I am running and how long I've been awake before I do it.
    Up to 10k I can easily run on an empty stomach if I wake up and go run immediately. For longer runs and if I've been awake for a bit, I need to eat.

    Your body will tell you when it is time for food. If you worry carry a small snack with you.
  • RedHotRunner
    RedHotRunner Posts: 850 Member
    Whatever works for you. I just have a cup of coffee before my morning runs, which are currently anywhere between 4 and 12 miles. The only exception is when I race a half marathon because those usually start later in the morning and i'm hungry by then. In that case i'll have a banana or a half a luna bar prior to race time.

    If i'm running more than 8 miles, i'll take a GU or sport beans with me for some mid-run fuel and try to eat a carb heavy dinner the night before (pasta, baked potato, rice, etc)
  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,724 Member
    You need to figure out what works for you via trial and error. Fried eggs work for me. Also, oatmeal. And on long runs i add Gu every 45 mins.
  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
    A cup of coffee and, if I am going to running much over an hour, a banana. I do this at least an hour before I go out. The coffee helps "get things moving" if you get my drift. I try not to eat or drink anything (including water!) an hour before I go out. For a race, I make it two.
  • arl1286
    arl1286 Posts: 276 Member
    I just eat a banana. And if I'll be out there for more than an hour, I bring a quarter cup of raisins on the road.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Individual preference. When I run in the morning I feel best when I don't eat. I've gone up to 20 miles without eating.

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