What's best to eat before 1hr 4mile treadmill to avoid low sugars?

chetfreeman
chetfreeman Posts: 9 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I would prefer to do my treadmill exercise (1 hour, 4 miles) before I eat supper, but several times recently I ran out of "gas" at 40 to 45 minutes and when I checked my glucose it was under 80. What food(s) have enough energy to get me thru it, but without adding a lot of calories?

Replies

  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I usually eat an orange or an apple. It's not heavy (doesn't sit like a brick in your stomach) and has sugar for that quick release of energy.
  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
    I actually find I train better without food at all. My last meal is around noon, and then I don't have anything but a coffee until I get to the gym at 5:30, and train for about 3-4 hours (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu).

    The answer depends on the person, so I suggest you experiment, but some things worth trying:

    * A handful of nuts
    * One serving of fruit
    * Granola Bar or Protein Bar (eg: Quest, Vector, whatever)
    * A protein shake (When I first started training on an empty stomach, I'd keep a bottle of water & whey protein mixed up by the mats, to stave off hunger)

    Generally, I find people tend to shy away from dairy, indian food, or anything heavy - things that may upset the stomach/bowels. I can't say I blame them ;)
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited January 2015
    I assume you've eaten during the day, or are you completely fasted from the previous day/evening?

    Sugary stuff. Rice crispy treats are a go-to energy source for me, but most any sugary food/drink can work. Might take some trial and error to figure out how much to eat and when, though.

    On a side note, assuming your calorie intake and macros are reasonable, you may just need to push through it. It's only 15 more minutes/1 more mile. Many people think they need calories when actually they just need to keep working.
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
    Usually I have a banana and a protein shake (130 calories, 25 grams protein) about 1.5 hrs before I run an I am good for at least an hour run and 45 minutes of lifting. Each person is different though. Rand has some good suggestions, it's a bit of trial and error depending upon your needs.
  • chetfreeman
    chetfreeman Posts: 9 Member
    I should have mentioned I am a type II diabetic. Currently my meds are being adjusted to fit to my new diet and exercise program. My thoughts are that proteins probably wouldn't help as they would not be converted to sugar fast enough. I am not sure that even low glycemic fruits such as a banana or apple would provide it fast enough. I also would prefer to "save" as many calories as possible for my main meals. I was thinking of something along the lines of three Brach's Star Brite peppermint candies (60 calories, 15g carbs and nothing else to speak of. The question is whether they would give an adequate boost for long enough. I think they kick in fast enough, like within 15 minutes.
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