Should you REALLY eat in the morning before a workout?

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  • GsKiki
    GsKiki Posts: 392 Member
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    Try both and see what works for you.
    I personally prefer having breakfast within half an hour of waking up. But on the other side I don't like to have full stomach while working out.
    Some people tho don't eat breakfast but always eat before working out. It's just your preference really.
  • TrickyDisco
    TrickyDisco Posts: 2,869 Member
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    Passive aggressive? Ooh, labels now. You were stating the obvious, of course context matters. But my post was merely giving my own opinion. Thankfully mfp allows everyone to have an opinion.
  • cristalina95
    cristalina95 Posts: 25 Member
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    2 breakfast options that are good for pre-workout: slice of wheat toast w/ peanut butter, cinnamon & banana OR fruit/Greek yogurt/protein smoothie :smile:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Up to you. I can workout on an empty stomach if I do it right away. If I wait even one hour, it's a disaster. Likewise, if I workout too soon after eating and it's an impact workout... bad idea. I absolutely can't eat oatmeal less than 3 hours before a workout either.

    But meal timing doesn't matter... Eat when you're hungry.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    TrickyDisco wrote: »
    Passive aggressive? Ooh, labels now. You were stating the obvious, of course context matters. But my post was merely giving my own opinion. Thankfully mfp allows everyone to have an opinion.
    Of course everyone is allowed an opinion. But don't be surprised when the knowledgeable peeps around here express theirs, too. Especially if yours is open to misinterpretation.

    Bear in mind that most people who visit here are lurkers. It's just as important to get the information right for them as it may be for the OP. :)
  • TrickyDisco
    TrickyDisco Posts: 2,869 Member
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    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    TrickyDisco wrote: »
    Passive aggressive? Ooh, labels now. You were stating the obvious, of course context matters. But my post was merely giving my own opinion. Thankfully mfp allows everyone to have an opinion.
    Of course everyone is allowed an opinion. But don't be surprised when the knowledgeable peeps around here express theirs, too. Especially if yours is open to misinterpretation.

    Bear in mind that most people who visit here are lurkers. It's just as important to get the information right for them as it may be for the OP. :)

    Oh, I wasn't surprised at all. The old 'open to misinterpretation' - lurked here for years and seen that a lot. :)

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
    edited January 2016
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    The only thing I like to do hungry is prepare a meal.

    That said, I'm not hungry first thing in the AM and during the gardening season will often do a little gardening before work. If my sleep schedule allowed me to workout before work, I'd bring a smoothie with me so if I did get hungry, I'd have it. I'm currently doing cardio at lunchtime after eating lightly and strength training at night after dinner.
  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
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    Some of my most successful weight loss happened when I was eating a 1000 calorie breakfast and then hitting it hard at the gym.

    Plus if you don't eat your body will use your muscle for energy. It also burns fat, but still it's not good. I read you can burn off glycogen really fast this way though as well, so if you really insist you should only do it extremely sparingly.
  • 20likenow
    20likenow Posts: 40 Member
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    I think it's personal preference. I'm new to this but can't and never was able to eat as soon as I wake. I wake up at 5 and have a glass of hot water and lemon then get to it. After I'll have a cup of coffee and then breakfast. Works for me for now
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
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    I take medication right when I wake up in the morning and I'm not supposed to eat for an hour. If I try to workout right after a meal, I feel sick or have terrible reflux during things like ab exercises on the floor. My preference is definitely on an empty stomach - and that might be first thing in the morning if I can muster up the motivation out of bed.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    TrickyDisco wrote: »
    girlinahat wrote: »
    there is some new research coming out that shows women and men burn fat differently, so women do better if they eat a small meal before working out, and men after, but it's probably negligible and up to you how you feel.

    Watched BBC's Trust Me I'm A Doctor the other week and they tested two groups of people for this and came to the same conclusion - that women should work out after eating and men before.

    I have yet to see 24 hr partition data research that suggest that this is true. Or even significant.
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    TrickyDisco wrote: »
    girlinahat wrote: »
    there is some new research coming out that shows women and men burn fat differently, so women do better if they eat a small meal before working out, and men after, but it's probably negligible and up to you how you feel.

    Watched BBC's Trust Me I'm A Doctor the other week and they tested two groups of people for this and came to the same conclusion - that women should work out after eating and men before.

    I have yet to see 24 hr partition data research that suggest that this is true. Or even significant.
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    TrickyDisco wrote: »
    girlinahat wrote: »
    there is some new research coming out that shows women and men burn fat differently, so women do better if they eat a small meal before working out, and men after, but it's probably negligible and up to you how you feel.

    Watched BBC's Trust Me I'm A Doctor the other week and they tested two groups of people for this and came to the same conclusion - that women should work out after eating and men before.

    I have yet to see 24 hr partition data research that suggest that this is true. Or even significant.

    That's why the op used words like 'new' and 'negligible'. The data is new and interesting but no one is saying it's set in stone.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    eat when you want. I don't usually eat till mid morning. i can still run a 10k fasted.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    liahna wrote: »
    Some of my most successful weight loss happened when I was eating a 1000 calorie breakfast and then hitting it hard at the gym.

    Plus if you don't eat your body will use your muscle for energy. It also burns fat, but still it's not good. I read you can burn off glycogen really fast this way though as well, so if you really insist you should only do it extremely sparingly.

    Nonsense. The average human stores around 2000 calories of glycogen. You aren't going to burn through nearly this much in an average workout.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
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    Listen to your body and decide what works for you. Personally, I can't make it through a morning workout without some food in my body. But...I have to eat it at least an hour before my workout; otherwise, I feel uncomfortable and don't work as hard. If you hate breakfast and you're able to bust out a great workout without food, go for it. The key is finding the balance that works for you.
  • zoober
    zoober Posts: 226 Member
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    I've never eaten before a morning workout, cardio or weight training. I think it's up to you. One thing, though, is make sure you are hydrated before, during, and after any workout.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
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  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Only reasons to train fasted are:

    1) you prefer to train that way
    2) training hard with food in your stomach causes issues of any kind (see 1))
    3) you're training for endurance and are needing to train with depleted glycogen (and there are other ways to do this, so if you never want to train fasted, you wouldn't have to)

    I hit on all three points, so I often train fasted. Occasionally I do eat dinner before a run, but when I do I usually regret it.

    FWIW, I have not bonked even after a fasted 15 mi run. There's still plenty of glycogen to see me through.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    depends on what works best for you.

    personally, i have to have something on my stomach, but not a huge amount. the most i can handle is bout a half sausage egg mcmuffin.
  • nadler64
    nadler64 Posts: 124 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    There is no magic to eating within an hour of waking up.

    There is no magic to fasted training.

    You should make the decision based on how you feel when you exercise without eating (do you feel you can work harder on an empty stomach or do you feel like you need some food?).

    ^^This. Do what works for you.

    A so-called nutritionist insisted that I HAD to eat something before my daily morning (i.e. 5 am) workout. First time I tried that was...well...messy. Never again. I can't do cardio on anything but an empty stomach.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    I eat 700+ calories (mostly medium low fibre carbs, some protein and fat) 2/3 hours before my workout which is usually 5k fast over threshold running or cycling then an hour lifting. I've lost valuable muscle not fuelling that workout properly.

    Today's slow swim, or yoga, or just lifting, on the other hand could have been done hungry. I chose the banana.

    Athletes usually fuel as they go with glucose drinks if they haven't had time to eat ie for an early session.

    I taper the carbs down as I get further away from the workout window.

    I've also stopped using any kind of hard workout to lose weight on. I just wouldn't do that to my poor muscles and heart any more. I'm too old!

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