do you workout on an empty stomach?

In the mornings I have an empty stomach. I can't eat that early in teh a.m. and don't ahve time to anyway. I try to eat at least an hour before a workout, but prefer 2-3 hours before when I workout in the evenings, which is the norm for me. Last night I ate some pasta at 5:45 and went to Zumba at 7. I just knew I needed to eat something before that workout. Not sure either one makes a huge difference, and what works ofr one may not work for another.

I think it depends on your body type... I love doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, I have read that it burns more stored fat for energy. If you are close to your goal weight I would eat a small amount of carbs for energy. That way the body will not feed on your hard earned muscle for energy...

I used to and then i found that my workouts were really hard. now I either have half a piece of 12 grain bread w/ PB on it or some kind of peanut or nutrigrain bar before. And then I always have a protein after...be it eggwhites or chicken or a protein drink.

i used to...and until recently i guess i felt ok...but about 2/3 of the way through my workouts i started to feel like i had to eat something NOW...so i talked to my trainer and she said to eat a little something. think about it this way, it's like trying to drive a car w/out fuel. i can't eat a lot, maybe a banana or a piece of whole wheat toast w/ pb but it's REALLY helped. my work outs have been better and i've felt stronger while doing them. you should try it!

I find that I need to eat at least SOME carbs 1/2hr or an hr prior to any workout, since mine are heavily cardio-based. If I don't, I find myself feeling sluggish and lacking energy shortly after starting.

Post-workout, I LOVE a glass of ice-cold, 1% milk. I'll usually add some sugar or splenda to it, along with a bit of vanilla extract. Yumm-o.

I agree. I do heavy cardio everyday and if I don't eat 2-3 hours before working out I feel lazy and tire for the first few minutes.

don't have a HUGE meal before you workout, half like half a sandwich or some yogurt or even cereal, thats what I do, because i always workout around dinner time, so I have a little something before and then eat my dinner when I am done (a high protein dinner)

Pre-workout (about 30 mins prior): Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey
Post-workout (about 30 mins after): Cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit and granola

I like to eat about an hour before I work out. Working out on a full stomach is really uncomfortable though, so it must be something compact, lots of protein and carbs. Something like a chicken sandwich, or a protein shake (which also hydrates you!) with a small bowl of cereal.

Post work out you should eat within half an hour. Again - protein is the key.

I was always told to eat carbs before exercise, not protein. Protein is harder for your body to digest and so negatively affects your performance. For athletes, anyway.

Normally I don't eat for about four hours before a workout, and then I wait at least an hour afterward before eating again.

food in my stomach + exercise usually doesn't bode well for me (unless it's cycling, in which case, some oatmeal or something beforehand is always good. 40 mile trips on an empty stomach are a no no in my case), and exercise is one of the few things that kills my appetite so I see no point in eating immediately post workout, especially if I really don't want to eat, because that is a rare occasion haha.

We are all different though, and I don't think it matters too much whether you eat beforehand or not, as long as you are doing what feels good and keeps you energized.

If you are working out first thing in the morning and didn't have a high protein/carb meal or snack the night before, I have read that it is best to have a small snack 30 mins to an hour prior to your work out. Otherwise your blood sugar levels are low from being without food all night and you likely won't have enough energy to get the workout done as efficiently as you could have otherwise.

If you are working out in the afternoon, like I do, a small protein snack about an hour before working out is best, if it doesn't make you sick. A lot of people can't really eat that close to a workout because it makes them sick of gives them diarrhea so I think in the long run we have to each work out a plan that suits us individually.

In any case, a small light snack full of protein an hour or so before your work out probably would work OR if you can't do that then maybe grab a sports drink which will help with energy and sugar levels. It's always best to eat larger meals an hour or so after your workout as your metablism is still going strong and will burn off those cals better. I've also read that if you plan to have a hig carb meal, after your work out is the best time to do it.

I've started rambling now so I will close with, see what works for you and make sure you don't go a ton of hours without earing prior to a workout so you have the energy to get through it more easily.