Exercising before breakfast - should I eat?

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KatieLowe87
KatieLowe87 Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
Because of my manic schedule, I have to work out at 5am, before I go to work (I'm doing a PhD, so the evenings have to be put aside for that!) Obviously getting up that early means I really don't want to plan getting up even earlier to factor in breakfast unless I absolutely have to!

I've been doing a bit of research trying to find out how much that impacts weight loss long-term, as if it'll make a significant difference then I'll get up earlier to eat - but I've never been much of a breakfast person so it's not all that appealing!

Is anyone aware of any "definitive answer" to this? Or have you got experience one way or the other?

Replies

  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
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    I am not an expert by any means, but just from my own personal experience, i MUST eat a little something or i can't function properly. i have a meal replacement shake (protein shake, i think it's amplify brand) which i drink if i dont' have much time. even a banana or a 1/2 peanut butter sandwich on the run is better than nothing for me. my husband is the opposite, he never eats in the mornings and seems to work-out just fine around lunch time.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    the definitive answer is meal frequency is irrelevant to body composition. so if you're not hungry in the morning you don't have to eat breakfast
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    There's enough documentation anecdotally or otherwise on the internet that suggests that either way is fine. Do what works for you.
  • McFishie
    McFishie Posts: 20
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    When I go to the gym its early morning, and I can't eat that early either. Just make sure you drink - you'll need tobe hydrated to complete your workout . I find a glass of juice helps to give me a quick energy burst and hydrate before a work out
  • busygirl1
    busygirl1 Posts: 217
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    if I am working out before 1000hrs I don't eat beforehand. I actually train better on empty but make sure that I eat within an hour of finishing. Good luck x
  • SeanMurphy
    SeanMurphy Posts: 62
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    My Two Cents: If you exercise in the morning, after a fast, you may enter Ketosis faster than exercising at the end of a day, when you're all glucose loaded.

    This will mean that once your muscles' supply of glycogen is gone, your body will turn to chewing up fat cells for energy. While this sounds good, it can be really hard to do a long cardio workout while in ketosis. It's like "hitting the wall" and your energy level can drop dramatically. It also makes your sweat and breath smell like acetone (nail polish remover).

    That said, I always liked it when I knew I was using fat directly for energy, as in my mind, it meant weight was coming off directly, rather than a slow trickle for the hours and days after a big workout.

    Not everyone who exercises after a fast will go into ketosis that quickly, but I know that I do. I used to be a somewhat enthusiastic rock climber, and when I'd go to the indoor gym after work, having not had much to eat that day, after an hour of pulling, I'd start to smell like cleaning supplies. I never "hit the wall", as rock climbing is more anaerobic than aerobic, and you can just adjust your between-wall rest periods if you get tired.
  • stephabef
    stephabef Posts: 936 Member
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    No definitive answer. I actually wake up an hour earlier than I want to work out, eat my biggest meal of the day (1/4 cut steel cut oats with 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of almond butter; I'm typically a grazer/small meal eater for the rest of the day), then go for my run. However, some people like running/working out on an empty stomach or just eating a little something beforehand. I always wake up hungry, so I eat! And the morning is the hungriest I get.
  • drinkmelk
    drinkmelk Posts: 1
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    It all depends on the duration and type. Anything cardio less than half an hour, then yes that is fine. You're body only goes into ketosis when there is not enough stored fat for it to use as energy; however pushing your body past 30 mins could promote ketosis depending on how well you are conditioned in cardiovascular exercises. If you're doing strength training, never work out on an empty stomach. Eat something with a little carb, no fat, no protein, about 45 minutes before hand (anything less than that would be like an empty stomach because your body has not absorbed it). You WILL enter ketosis if you are trying to gain muscle mass and do not have the appropriate energy available in the body.

    In case a definition is needed; ketosis is when your body uses its own tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons, even bone) for energy because there is not enough carbs or fats in the body.

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