Who eats before workout who doesn't and why ?

anitastevens75
anitastevens75 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Wondering who eats before workout and who doesn't if u do what do u eat and if not why not ?
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I typically exercise in the morning. If I am going to be running less than 8-9 miles, I usually won't eat anything. I feel better running on an empty stomach. If I'm going to be running more than that, I'll usually have something light, like half a slice of bread or some fruit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Like right before a workout...I'd be puking my guts out...not to mention I would feel heavy and sluggish.

    In the summers I do my rides in the AM and I ride fasted...if I ride later in the day, obviously I've eaten breakfast and/or lunch, etc depending on what time I ride. I typically have a few hours of digestion before I ride or hit the weight room...
  • RLeighP
    RLeighP Posts: 232 Member
    I work out in the mornings, and I usually don't eat first because I'll forget until I'm almost at the gym. But if I do eat, it's something light.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I tend to skip breakfast (except coffee) to save my calories for the rest of the day. So if I work out in the morning (lifting, walking or moderate bike ride), then I don't eat before that workout. If I'm doing a long bike ride, or a race I eat a couple hours before.
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    edited September 2017
    I definitely eat before I work out. If not, I will literally not be able to think about anything else. Must be some mental thing, but my work out suffers and my stomach starts to growl about 30 minutes into any work out if I haven't eaten. I get hangry, emotional, and just want to quit. I have left class before to go eat.

    COMPLETELY opposite of my S.O. He can't eat before working out, otherwise he gets sick to his stomach. Gym dates are always a bit of a hassle.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited September 2017
    I eat before (or during) a cycle ride of over two hours - otherwise both eating and exercising just fit in my day wherever suits me on that day.

    Before a very long ride (4hrs +) it's predominately carbs, some protein, little fat. A big bowl of granola with milk and protein powder perhaps.

    Would normally give myself half an hour or more after eating a meal though before intense exercise. But a large or fatty meal would need longer for me to digest or I get heartburn.

    I've done fasted exercise in the past and it took quite a while to get used to and adapt before it felt normal.

    For most exercise it's really personal preference and scheduling rather than anything else - we do carry enormous reserves of energy around with us.
  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    edited September 2017
    aeloine wrote: »
    I definitely eat before I work out. If not, I will literally not be able to think about anything else. Must be some mental thing, but my work out suffers and my stomach starts to growl about 30 minutes into any work out if I haven't eaten. I get hangry, emotional, and just want to quit. I have left class before to go eat.

    COMPLETELY opposite of my S.O. He can't eat before working out, otherwise he gets sick to his stomach. Gym dates are always a bit of a hassle.

    Ditto to the bold.

    I workout after work (around 5:30pm) and eat 45-60 minutes before. I usually have ground turkey & rice, or a protein bar if I haven't been good about prepping my food lol.
  • glennwright57
    glennwright57 Posts: 3 Member
    I eat before and have a protein shake I make after my workout
  • AuthorNinja
    AuthorNinja Posts: 69 Member
    I feel better working out on an empty stomach. However, if I wake up feeling particularly bad, I'll take a few bites of X food and wait an extra ten to twenty minutes. Normally, I enjoy having my coffee and breakfast post workout. It sets me in a good mindset for the rest of the day :smile:
  • ent3rsandman
    ent3rsandman Posts: 170 Member
    If I'm going for a jog, I'll usually do it fasted just because it feels better to me personally. If I'm sprinting, I'll eat something light and carb-heavy (a banana or something). If I'm lifting, you better believe it's with a full stomach and plenty of all three macros.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Yes, to help fuel the workout.
  • anybeary
    anybeary Posts: 188 Member
    Yes, I eat first. According to what I've read, if you are lifting weights or doing HIIT, it's great to make sure you get a good helping of protein and some carbs to fuel that workout. Then some protein after helps recovery.
  • anitastevens75
    anitastevens75 Posts: 10 Member
    I haven't tried working out without food but I have found if I have an big work out burning lots of calories I tend to feel faint afterwards until I eat again ...does anyone think age is a factor.o watches something this morning that states after 35 for a female u should exercise on empty belly so u burn insulin
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    edited September 2017
    I eat a small carb-heavy snack, usually a banana, before I run. I feel sick if I don't eat anything.
  • ck2d
    ck2d Posts: 372 Member
    I fast in the morning and eat before evening workouts, and I usually do two-a-days, cardio in the AM and weight lifting in the PM.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    I usually run an hour to two after a meal - either after breakfast or after lunch. How long I wait depends on how hard a run I plan to do. If I run just before dinner, I'll usually eat a banana or juice before I go out.
  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
    I work out first thing in the morning, also take thyroid meds so I can't eat for one hour after taking. So I work out before I eat. Didn't like it at first but now I have no problem with it. I worked out after a light breakfast a few weeks ago and I didn't feel right. I do strength training and cardio and don't have any issues doing it on an empty stomach.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    These days, my main exercise, in the morning, is either rowing (around 90 minutes on the water) or 45-minute spin class. If I don't eat beforehand, I don't have enough energy for decent intensity, and I'd be ravenous afterward, to the point of risking eating stupidly on the way home. I keep it light(-ish).

    In both cases, I have lowfat kefir, hot skim milk with vanilla, and peanut butter. For spin, I put the peanut butter on a 20-cal large cracker-like thing called a Coco Lite Pop Cake. For rowing, I put it on an Ezekiel pita along with some flaxseed. (From experience, the row requires more calories/nutrients).

    I've experimented in the past and found I can do a reasonably vigorous 2 x 10 minutes on the rowing machine fasted, but any intense thing much longer is foolishness. Couple mile or so walk fasted is fine, too, as even at my peak pace (around 4mph), it's much lower intensity.

    Fasted or not, and what to eat if you do, is going to be very individual. Experiment. You want to be able to do a solid workout, but not have digestive distress. I tend to be a cast iron peasant when it comes to digestive issues, so it's mainly about feeling energetic, but not weighed down.

  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I work out later in the day so I have eaten but I have to eat at least 1-2 hours before or I will feel sick. I also eat within an hour after finishing a workout because I'm starving
  • maggibailey
    maggibailey Posts: 289 Member
    I like fasted but since I am getting all of my calories at night it becomes a bit dangerous. I go work out after work when I have only had about 400 calories for lunch and after a workout I'm never hungry. So I'm having to make myself eat 1000 calories. I may need to schedule differently.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I don't eat b4 exercise/workout because it makes me feel bloated and sluggish.

    Don't find lack of energy to be a problem.

    Have been taking early morning hikes (2-5 miles) recently w/o eating 1st and have not felt any fatique.

    I often eat late at night and assume that my body is working off the food stores from the prior night.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    My blood glucose gets down into the 70s if I don't have 15g or so carbs first. I usually have 1/2 banana and a small glass of milk. If I work out hard for more than half an hour to an hour, I eat a roll of smarties.

    It's not true that eating before a workout prevents weight loss. If so I would not have lost 98 lbs.
  • natboosh69
    natboosh69 Posts: 277 Member
    I don't as I'm in the gym for 5-5.30am, I usually wait and have a protein bar for breakfast when I get in to work around 8.30am.
  • Rickster1967
    Rickster1967 Posts: 485 Member
    Depends on the objective of the workout

    For example, if you wanted pure fat burn you might do fasted (16 hours zero cals) cardio

    However, if doing a heavy weights session looking for PBs then you'll want to be be well fed. You need to achieve PBs in order to progress in your training and that's difficult on an empty stomach
  • Keira08
    Keira08 Posts: 29 Member
    I can't eat within 2 hours of a decent intensity workout, even a small snack within an hour before makes me feel sick and like I have a brick in my stomach
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
    I don't before a morning run or light technical session with my trainer. For everything else I eat maybe 2 hours beforehand.
  • ejg1010
    ejg1010 Posts: 48 Member
    If I go to the gym first thing in the morning I will work out fasted. If I am exercising after work then I will have a snack around 2 hours beforehand to give me some energy. If I eat too close to working out it makes me feel a little nauseous. I guess it's all down to personal preference.
  • boulank
    boulank Posts: 51 Member
    I eat before a workout, because if I dont I get light headed and feel unwell. Depends on the person I know many can handle fasted workouts.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I do not because I don't like to vomit.
This discussion has been closed.