What do you eat before an early morning workout?

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  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    I work out at 6 am twice a week and one morning at 7:30. I take nothing but my preworkout mix.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    You need to figure out what works for you. I can bike 28 miles on a cup of coffee with a bit of milk in it, with a second cup of coffee at the halfway point. My wife needs to eat something like a banana or some toast, or she will become very hangry during the workout.
  • VillageSmithy
    VillageSmithy Posts: 42 Member
    I'll have a couple of swallows of the morning protein smoothie on the drive to the gym, then finish it off shortly after exercising.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    bryjess95 wrote: »
    I recently switched from morning workouts (9am) to EARLY morning workouts (5:30am) I know I need to provide my body with some fuel before a workout but I'm finding it hard to force down a meal at 5am.

    What is your go to morning meal before workouts?

    Coffee, water to get going. You could always have a GU or a gel every 30 minutes once you are into the workout if needed (depending on how long you are working out). Your glycogen stores should have enough to get you through 60-90 minutes without having to worry about it.

    Or nature's energy bar - a banana before to top off your energy stores.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    I work out fasted if I'm working out that early, but I have plenty of energy reserves (ahem) and I don't work out in particularly hardcore ways. As a general rule, though, unless you're working out very hard for longer than 90 minutes, you don't really need extra fuel to get through it -- a workout isn't the Bataan Death March, you know? Try it fasted and you'll probably be fine; if you find you're dragging a little, have a quick cup of Greek yogurt or a ham-and-cheese roll-up. Don't overthink it because you're convinced you have to constantly be eating in order to work out.
  • TerriK14
    TerriK14 Posts: 75 Member
    Usually just my coffee, and water before my workout. If I feel like I need something, it is a banana, or a couple of bites of a protein bar.
  • boredfatman
    boredfatman Posts: 100 Member
    I forgot to eat breakfast before a run the other day and set a pb for 5k. All I had was an espresso before setting out.
  • zeinmr
    zeinmr Posts: 79 Member
    I workout at 7 a.m. I go to gym fasting. I do HIIT and resistance. The only thing I take is BCAA during and after workout.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited April 2015
    Curt911 wrote: »
    single slice of toast with some peanut butter

    This, out of habit. Years ago when I was marathon training I often went without for early runs until one day on a long run in a forest just completely ran out of juice, in the pouring rain, far away from help.

    Dunno if my middle aged belly fat would protect me these days, but seeing as I'm working that away, I'll keep the habit!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I don't. I've been lifting up to 2 hours, 4 days a week at 5 am without eating first. On the off chance I wake up starving I will eat one of those Gogo Squeez fruit pouches because actually eating solid food that soon after waking up makes me gag
  • Oldbitcollector
    Oldbitcollector Posts: 229 Member
    coffee... lots of black coffee..
  • Terryb99
    Terryb99 Posts: 23 Member
    I work out around 430 am. I have either Jack 3d or Beachbody Energy and Endurance Pre-Workout Formula when I am home. When I am traveling I just make a cup of hotel room coffee before I work out.
  • Justygirl77
    Justygirl77 Posts: 385 Member
    If I was going to eat something (which I don't since I workout very early before it's even time to eat 4AM) I would make a pea protein green smoothie:
    Vanilla Pea Protein
    fistful of curly parsley
    vanilla, stevia
    water, Ice
    Nutribullet
  • tta1000
    tta1000 Posts: 1 Member
    abarriere wrote: »
    before 5 am personal training sessions, i either eat an egg on a piece of toast, or a piece of toast with peanut butter, or 1/2 of a green smoothie and save the other half for after. I can't go on an empty stomach because I get dizzy if I do.

  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    You don't "need" to. Test what works best for you.

    Weights - I ate nothing. No big deal.

    Long, steady ride? Toast with banana/jam/PB. Or cereal. Or sometimes nothing to stimulate fat use/glycogen sparing.

    Hard workout with intervals - now that's tough. Probably just sip sports drink with calories plus coffee. Learned the hard way.

    Long group ride that starts early and hard and has maximal effortintervals? Tricky, and probably screwed. Start the night before with a late night snack. Last time I got this one wrong my PB/banana/bread slice tried to come back. Many times, as stated in " learned the hard way" above. White bread. Instant oats. Banana. Simplest carbs possibles with no fiber/no fat.

  • htg20
    htg20 Posts: 116 Member
    Sometimes I'll take my gummy vitamins.
  • DrWhoIsYerDad
    DrWhoIsYerDad Posts: 263 Member
    banana or a yogurt
  • Sarasari
    Sarasari Posts: 139 Member
    I have an 80 calorie cheese stick. It's fast and convenient, not to heavy and gives me protein. I used to not eat anything before a workout, but found the cheese stick helped keep the migraines away.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Nothing. I wake up, get dressed, take my morning vitamins and pills then go to the y four my 6000 yard swim. :)
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    I don't. If I stop long enough to eat, I'll talk myself out of going and go back to bed.
  • XDoodlebugger
    XDoodlebugger Posts: 54 Member
    A banana.

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  • ACSL3
    ACSL3 Posts: 623 Member
    Add me to the nothing group. I get up at 5:30 and get to the gym around 6am. I generally drink about 0.5L of water, since I'm a little dehydrated in the morning, and then refill my water bottle so I have enough for the workout :)
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    bryjess95 wrote: »
    I know I need to provide my body with some fuel before a workout

    This is not true for everyone. I suggest you experiment with both the size and type of your meal (if any).

    Sometimes I eat first, but I usually perform best if my stomach is empty beforehand. Everyone is different


  • Ideabaker
    Ideabaker Posts: 531 Member
    Cking1162 wrote: »
    Nothing--I don't force it when i am not hungry. But, I will drink a glass or two of water before I work out!

    ^^^Ditto this. Plus I drink water throughout the workout. Immediately after my workout, I have breakfast.
  • sweetnsassyfied
    sweetnsassyfied Posts: 110 Member
    I do a banana before and a glass of chocolate milk afterwards. <3 I get out anywhere between 4:30 and 6am.
  • CockneyLady2014
    CockneyLady2014 Posts: 199 Member
    I generally eat 1 hour before going to the gym. Usually cereal. I have an hiatus hernia so I have to eat food that I know won't cause reflux. Eating nothing can also cause that.
  • Minkaky_
    Minkaky_ Posts: 8 Member
    Smoothie which includes blueberries, some banana, avocado and ricemilk. Easy to digest and it gives me great energy to workout at the gym.
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