What Should I Eat Before a Morning Workout, and When?

kmsargent · May 2012

I've been trying to work out in the morning lately, but I always wind up feeling weak/shaky about 15 minutes in. I typically will eat a granola bar or a piece of toast with almond butter on it about 10 minutes before my workout starts. I don't have any dietary restrictions or health conditions that would be leading to this, and I only feel this way when I workout first thing in the morning, not when I do at night.

I'm wondering if anyone has advice about how far in advance I should be eating and what types of things I should be eating. I'm assuming that I'm either not eating enough or that I'm not eating far enough in advance for my body to be able to absorb everything.

I'm worried, too, about eating TOO much before a workout. I've had a few times where I've had an upset stomach in the middle of a workout, and that's definitely no fun. I guess I'm just looking for advice on the right balance

Thank you in advance for any tips!!

hurleycutie142 · May 2012

I've been trying to work out in the morning lately, but I always wind up feeling weak/shaky about 15 minutes in. I typically will eat a granola bar or a piece of toast with almond butter on it about 10 minutes before my workout starts. I don't have any dietary restrictions or health conditions that would be leading to this, and I only feel this way when I workout first thing in the morning, not when I do at night.

I'm wondering if anyone has advice about how far in advance I should be eating and what types of things I should be eating. I'm assuming that I'm either not eating enough or that I'm not eating far enough in advance for my body to be able to absorb everything.

I'm worried, too, about eating TOO much before a workout. I've had a few times where I've had an upset stomach in the middle of a workout, and that's definitely no fun. I guess I'm just looking for advice on the right balance

Thank you in advance for any tips!!

this is where i have had trouble for years... i have a weak stomach so eating before a workout is asking to have a vomit session... so what i have been doing is keeping it simple... eating a banana has done wonders because its enough carbs to not make u shakey but not to much to where u feel sick... also drink a lot of water before u go work out... the extra water will help the banana go down a little more... i say wait 30 minutes... hope this helps...

kmsargent · May 2012

Thank you for the advice!

getfitin11 · May 2012

I workout first thing in the morning after I have my coffee. If I have eaten lightly the night before, I definitely don't have enough energy for my workouts. I find one glass of apple juice has really been helping. The carbs/sugar gives me quick energy so I can have more endurance for my exercise. I can't eat before I exercise but I can drink.

MSimp78 · May 2012

I always eat a banana as I'm walking out the door in the morning. If I'm out of bananas I eat a teaspoon of peanut butter.

sablake427 · May 2012

I have a 1/2 serving of trail mix (nuts, seeds, and dried fruit) and lots of water. It's not much and seems odd, but it's been working well--and later I eat a fairly normal breakfast after I've cooled down and cleaned up. (I've also often used bananas that way but was looking for something with a bit more protein and loved the excuse to have a few nuts.)

Shaky definitely sounds like you need a bit of food. Good luck finding a balance that works.

macnotes · May 2012

When I was doing the training for my marathons, I'd eat a slice of toast with peanut butter on it and a small glass of almond milk 1.5 hours before I ran. That way it wouldn't come up while I was working out. As well, I'd eat raisins after about 45 minutes into the run then every 1/2 hour after that until I was done running. Finish that up with some chocolate milk once done running and I was ready to eat (about 20-30 minutes after the run)

What Should I Eat Before a Morning Workout, and When?

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