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Should you eat before a morning workout?

MaggieMay131
MaggieMay131 Posts: 211 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Okay fellow fitness people! Help me out.

Personally I believe that you need to eat breakfast to fuel your workout. Not eating is like trying to run a car with no gas. Food=energy.

There is so much talk out there about how not eating before a workout will help you burn your fat vs. your carb stores. (I just got into it with a coworker about this.)

Can someone who REALLY knows what they're talking about point me to some research or an article about this? Maybe I'm wrong, but I really feel that if you have the energy for a better workout (coming from EATING), you will in turn burn MORE calories because you have more energy--- in turn burning more fat.

I don't normally workout in the morning anyway, but if I do I grab a banana or a PowerBar beforehand. I will get dizzy and lightheaded if I don't eat - I don't know how anyone else can do it!

Replies

  • KrisPage
    KrisPage Posts: 539 Member
    interesting in the answer to this.
  • lauble
    lauble Posts: 47
    bump
  • koolgurl84
    koolgurl84 Posts: 35
    This was one of the topics on the Dr. Oz show and he said that you shouldnt eat before a morning workout. Because you will burn fat quicker, when you eat, you have to burn through what you ate first before you begin to burn fat.
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
    dont eat before you workout.....ARNOLD said it and hes right!!!
  • Nomomush
    Nomomush Posts: 582 Member
    It has been proven scientifically that your body will burn fat stores when there is no food/carbohydrates to burn (food in your stomach)

    Here's an article that will give you more info on the science behind it:

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37492881/ns/health-fitness/
  • mjf0461
    mjf0461 Posts: 470 Member
    I have always grab something small, bananna or apple before working out just to have something on my stomach. And I drink plenty of water..
  • sharesb
    sharesb Posts: 416 Member
    I don't know the answer but I am interested in knowing too..I literally roll out of bed, walk to my living room, put on my running shoes and do a 30-40 minute workout every morning. Sometimes my eyes are still shut when I am doing the warm up -lol- :blushing: but once I start I wake up and have never had problems being tired or finishing my workout.

    I did used to have a personal trainer who would get mad at me when I showed up at the gym without eating. I don't really want to have to wake up at 5:30am just to eat before I work out though....
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    I need at least 45 minutes between eating a (small) meal and working out.

    I suck at working out hungry - but I don't get hungry until after 10:30 am

    Um.

    Do what you like with that info.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    I'm sorry, but I'm not going to look through the journal of medicine to get the answer for you. What works for MY morning workouts is half of a banana. The type of workouts that I do would cause me to barf all over my family room floor if I took in more than that. I immediately follow that up with food or a protein shake for recovery.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    I have always grab something small, bananna or apple before working out just to have something on my stomach. And I drink plenty of water..

    Agree with that though - Hydration is essential!
  • PlanetVelma
    PlanetVelma Posts: 1,223 Member
    Here's just one of the million articles on if you should eat before a morning workout. I do think it's a good idea to at least eat something small and having a nice glass of water. You may burn more fat by not eating, but you will not be able to perform at your highest intensity level, at least I know I wouldn't be able to! LOL

    http://she-fit.com/should-you-eat-breakfast-morning-workout/
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    There is a theory that "fasted cardio" ie working out before eating can help burn fat. But it doesn't suit everyone.

    Years ago i used to jog before breakfast about 3 times a week, and I found that a pretty good way of shifting weight. Just recently I've started doing a 7 am class at the gym - and I've done that with only my mug of lemon water. And it's only once a week. If I find that it really hinders my effort, then I'll think about taking something light before I work out. But I think there's a need to listen to your body, experiment for sure, but find what works for your individual make-up.
  • smithalcutie
    smithalcutie Posts: 30 Member
    I never eat before my workout. I drink lots of water though. i think it depends on you
  • MaggieMay131
    MaggieMay131 Posts: 211 Member
    I understand not everyone is going to go searching for me-- I looked a little myself-- just wondering if anyone in the industry knew anything relevant offhand. I used to be a trainer as well, I just enjoy reading up on this stuff! : )
  • tophatchief
    tophatchief Posts: 1
    Hi,
    Eat something in the moring! Please do so. I know that I was always finding excuses why I could not have breakfast before I left for work. I found out & knew it was wrong to do so. I have changes my morning routine of fixing something for breakfast. Gives me fuel for the day and I feel fantastic.

    Have you been tracking your food count throughout the day? That will help so much and you'll see what you eat throughout the day-gives you energy.

    Good Luck-Aloha
  • Woodman725
    Woodman725 Posts: 288 Member
    I'm excited to see what someone comes up with. I only work out in the morning, as that is where I have made time. I rarely get up early enough to even scarf down a power bar before my 5:30 workout. I just feel like if I eat something before I work out it might upset my stomach. Maybe just a powerbar or a banana will help. I'll give it a try this week. I started two weeks ago eating a much more substantial breakfast and it made a huge difference. Several reasons, a couple are: gave me more energy to start the day, gave me less calories to consume later in the day.
  • koolgurl84
    koolgurl84 Posts: 35
    I have always grab something small, bananna or apple before working out just to have something on my stomach. And I drink plenty of water..

    I agree. If you cant workout at all without having something in your stomach, grab a fruit. That way it shouldnt take that long to burn through that, and you begin to burn those fat calories quicker as well.
  • pinkgigi
    pinkgigi Posts: 693 Member
    I ride my bike for an hour 3 times a week starting at 6.00 a.m., I don't want to get up earlier to have breakfast so I go on an empty stomach. I used to eat before I went, but then I got really hungry by 9.30 a.m., so I ended up eating more. When I ride for longer I have to eat before I go or I feel faint.

    The bottom line is experiment with what works for you.

    GG
  • Jellyspider
    Jellyspider Posts: 18
    The science behind burning more FAT calories due to less sugars in your bloodstream I believe to be true from what I've read. However; if you can workout harder and feel better having eaten breakfast, then do it. I think the important part is total cals in, total cals out.
  • Harshberger24
    Harshberger24 Posts: 155
    This was one of the topics on the Dr. Oz show and he said that you shouldnt eat before a morning workout. Because you will burn fat quicker, when you eat, you have to burn through what you ate first before you begin to burn fat.

    I read the same thing in Health magazine.. do not eat (so it said)
  • corpus_validum
    corpus_validum Posts: 292 Member
    I think the answer is like everything else in life...it DEPENDS.

    There's so much variability: type of morning exercise, intensity, duration, etc.

    Obviously, if you're going to have an intense morning workout (e.g. HIIT, P90X, resistance+cardio circuits, etc.) you should take in some nutrition around an hour before.

    But a very good authority (Lyle McDonald) on fasted cardio and fat loss had the following response to this very commonly asked question:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fasted-cardio-and-fat-loss-qa.html
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
    This book is what I swear by and this author has trained thousands of people. Fasted cardio is the way to go if your body can handle it. Eating B4 weight/resistance training is a must. Here's a review:

    http://www.reviewsexclusive.com/burn_the_fat_loss_programs_reviews/burn_the_fat_feed_the_muscle_review-1.htm
  • anna441
    anna441 Posts: 253 Member
    I really do not know the answer too....

    If I am hungry then I do drink a glass of Orange juice and then I do my work out...
This discussion has been closed.

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