Eat before or after am workout

What you are doing on your treadill and for how long would be helpful to know.

Unless you are an elite athlete or getting into long endurance sessions then either, neither or both are all reasonable answers to your question.

Guessing that you are doing short sessions on your treadmill your overall calorie level for the entire day is going to be of far more significance for your exercise performance than when you eat those calories.

PS - you have already had replies "I always eat before" and "I always train fasted" so I'll add my personal "it depends" into the mix.

I usually eat after my exercise, mainly because I tend to feel a little pukey.

Whatever works for you.

I started exercising daily last November, after spending most of the preceding 11 months sitting on my *kitten* for 20 hours a day. The first workout I did on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, and once I was done, I was out of breath and shaking/unsteady on my feet. I had to sit down for a few minutes, and was still a little shaky in the shower afterward. I started eating a (weighed!) spoonful of peanut butter before my workouts, which helped mitigate the shakiness; after a month or so, I was able to get up and complete my workout on an empty stomach and felt fine.

These days, I'm OK to do ~20-30 minutes of LISS cardio (usually walking, occasionally something like Ring Fit Adventure) or ~45-60 minutes of strength training fasted, but I usually need to eat shortly after or I start feeling badly. If I'm going to be working out for much longer than that I do eat beforehand - on Sundays I go for longer walks, 45-60 minutes or longer, and definitely can't do that on an empty stomach.

I can't eat first then workout not going to happen unless for some reason I'm famished then maybe I will have a snack like an apple and or a cheese stick but nothing to heavy, then give it a moment to digest before the workout. I don't do any heavy athletic type working out, so it also depend on the level of your workout.

Endorsing the "experiment, then pick your best route" option.

I'm good for *maybe* 20 minutes of moderately intense workout (like rowing machine) fasted after an appropriate warm-up, but even that feels s*ck-ola, really miserable, soooo hard. I only do it if I have to, for some reason. I can reach my normal race pace for race distance, but that feels *miserable*, and then I'm Done for the day in all ways.

My performance is better, and I feel *dramatically* better, if I eat lightly before AM workouts. I have a rock-solid digestive system (not everyone is equally fortunate in that way), so I can eat a peanut-butter Ezekiel pita with peanut butter, kefir on the side, within 20 minutes before a high-intensity workout, and be totally fine.

Other people perform at peak fasted, and/or feel nauseated if they eat right before workouts.

Figure out what works for you, and you'll do fine. Weight management is the same, either way; and you can use metrics to assess performance, and Da Feelz to assess how much you like a particular approach.

I have a yogurt and black coffee in the morning before I work out, and breakfast after. If I work out after work, I may have an apple if I feel hungry before. Sometimes I don't and don't eat anything.. Apple or not, I then have dinner after the workout.

Personally, for early morning workouts, I prefer to eat after. If I am doing a lunch/afternoon workout, I have to eat at least, 2 hours prior. Otherwise, I get a stomach cramp during high intensity. Hence why I do not eat before an early morning workout - not enough time for my food to settle. But everyone is different. You just have to listen to your body and do what is comfortable for you, all while maintaining healthy habits. You can do it!!!

corrine9720 wrote: »

Hi there I am just starting out and want to use my treadmill a few times a day is it more beneficial to eat before or after breakfast

For most people, this is pretty irrelevant and doesn't matter in the least outside of personal preference.

ETA: I usually hit the weight room a couple days per week after work...so I've eaten breakfast and lunch. I also usually cycle in the evenings after work...so same thing. When I mountain bike on the weekends I usually go early and bring something like a Cliff Bar with me depending on how long I'm planning to be out. I don't schedule eating around exercise and activity...there really isn't much point unless you're going to head out early with a long distance endurance event.

I can report that different workouts require different strategies for me. Running is the hardest on the digestive system, it seems. It is the best laxative I've ever tried. And, it can definitely cause reflux at times. So, it gets me on both ends! Swimming and cycling seem to cause fewer such problems... mostly.

So, If I'm going on an early morning run from the house for less than an hour, all I have is some water or sugar-free electrolyte drink. For longer runs, rides, or swims, I'll chance a piece of toast with jam and/or a banana. Sometimes (e.g., this morning before driving 30min to the pond for a swim), I'll go for a PBJ. I often have a little hot tea with milk and agave as well (before or after).