Eating before early morning workout

[pete6032]

I've been hitting the gym pretty early, usually in by 630AM. I do 30 minutes of weight lifting and then 30 minutes of lower intensity cardio (bike, brisk walk). Is it a good idea to eat something before the gym or should I try and eat after? I'm trying to lose about 5 pounds that I put on during COVID. Seems like if I eat before and after I'm getting more calories than if I just wait until after, but does not eating beforehand affect my ability to build muscle?

 

[Lexxisriennnl]

I guess you should pay attention to your health and ability to train. For instance, light breakfast can be the way out. If you can skip the evening meal then it will be easier to have a full breakfast before the gym.
However, some people feel unable to eat in the morning. Just try several options. I advise you to eat before the gym but not a lot. In such a case, you'll have the strength to exercise but not feel tired.

 

[purbeast0]

Not eating before will have no affect on your ability to add muscle.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Not eating before will have no affect on your ability to add muscle.

Yep, but at that time of day, most people's immediate energy stores are depleted, so burning fat starts to happen quicker.

OP, if you have to eat beforehand, avoid sugar.

 

[deadlyapp]

Working out that early, unless you feel extremely low on energy, I would always do fasted. You have plenty of energy build up from the foods you ate the day prior and anyone saying that eating before a workout is required to keep your energy up is quite wrong. Plenty of studies now done regarding pre-workout meals and impact on metabolism and muscle gain and most show that it has very negligible impact. Have a good meal after your workout heavy on carbs and protein and you'll be good.

 

[killster1]

Not eating before will have no affect on your ability to add muscle.

joke? so you can lift the same amount of weight fasted vs eating carbs all day!?

 

[GrowlikePro]

I've been hitting the gym pretty early, usually in by 630AM. I do 30 minutes of weight lifting and then 30 minutes of lower intensity cardio (bike, brisk walk). Is it a good idea to eat something before the gym or should I try and eat after? I'm trying to lose about 5 pounds that I put on during COVID. Seems like if I eat before and after I'm getting more calories than if I just wait until after, but does not eating beforehand affect my ability to build muscle?

I think pre workout meals such as oats and two bananas will cause no harm, for better guidance you can consult a professional trainer.

 

[Register using Google]

Pre workout you can take banana shake and almonds I think you should consult your trainer

 

[mike8675309]

It's up to the individual. Most people will take a pre-workout before their fasted workout. I prefer a fasted workout over still digesting food.

Yep, but at that time of day, most people's immediate energy stores are depleted, so burning fat starts to happen quicker.

OP, if you have to eat beforehand, avoid sugar.

Energy Stores depleted? Glycogen stored in muscle cells is only depleted through activation of the muscles. Assuming they ate food, their body got all the energy it needed from that meal. If you ate particular early the night before you may feel low energy, where you could use pre-workout to pop you up. Some people like a simple banana with their pre-workout.

 

[jackandthebeanstalk]

not a good idea eating before. tried it once. ate and went for a short hike up a mountain. ended up throwing up. i suggests working out and then having something sweet. like a dessert, e.g. a slice of cake. this what works for me. it kills the hunger and give me time to think before i put more food in my mouth.

 

[deadlyapp]

not a good idea eating before. tried it once. ate and went for a short hike up a mountain. ended up throwing up. i suggests working out and then having something sweet. like a dessert, e.g. a slice of cake. this what works for me. it kills the hunger and give me time to think before i put more food in my mouth.

lmao this is miserable advice.

 

[skyking]

+1 for a fasted workout. All it takes is that one nasty belch to put you off your game.
I'm doing a VLC diet so just little meal replacements.
If I were not on this program, I would be intermittent fasting and working out, and not eating all day till the evening meal. I never found that to be a problem.
When I was doing the cycle commute, it started after more than an hour of car/train. I would have a shake on the way to the train and do OK. Working out any closer to that shake was a downer.

 

[pauldun170]

I spent 15 years working out at night immediately after dinner (realities of work\life and 3.5 hours a day commuting).
You get used to working out 30 minutes after a large meal.
I've done stints with working out 10 minutes after a huge meal. I've done it with no meal. Never mattered if it was straight out of bed in the morning or immediately after scoffing down dinner.
For me, its simply a matter of not working out while hungry.
Too distracting.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Since I work out at home, I find myself eating while I work out too. I’ll get an ounce of almonds and an apple and take a bite
In between sets. I dunno how that affects anything.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Since I work out at home, I find myself eating while I work out too. I’ll get an ounce of almonds and an apple and take a bite
In between sets. I dunno how that affects anything.

I can't eat during physical stuff. Even when my surfing partners want to break for lunch, then go back out, I can only drink a protein shake and maybe a banana. Banana is about the only thing I can stomach for hours before doing physical stuff too. I don't know how you guys can do it. I watch them fire down a burrito and shortly after, paddle right out.

And since this thread got hit with the smelling salts, I'll chime in. @pete6032 - How did you make out with the muscle-fat recomp?

And seriously? A slice of cake? The cake is a lie.

 

[mindless1]

I'm always hungry when I wake up, so would eat just a little bit of food right away, which gives a little time till the workout, then eat the remainder of a meal's worth of food post-workout.

 

[Margo]

If there is no time in the morning, energy is needed - BCAAs and a banana. After a workout, I am very good and eat a lot.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I can't eat during physical stuff. Even when my surfing partners want to break for lunch, then go back out, I can only drink a protein shake and maybe a banana. Banana is about the only thing I can stomach for hours before doing physical stuff too. I don't know how you guys can do it. I watch them fire down a burrito and shortly after, paddle right out.

And since this thread got hit with the smelling salts, I'll chime in. @pete6032 - How did you make out with the muscle-fat recomp?

And seriously? A slice of cake? The cake is a lie.

Yea man, everyone's different. When I get up, I'm ready to eat and go (older son is too), my wife and younger son not so much. It's pretty cool to see the differences like this between people.

 

[Torn Mind]

Does a large meal make you tired, and if so, why?

It's sometimes called a "food coma", says one reader, along with explanations of how a big meal really can make you drowsy

www.newscientist.com

 

[zari212]

I guess you should pay attention to your health and ability to train. For instance, light breakfast can be the way out. If you can skip the evening meal then it will be easier to have a full breakfast before the gym.
However, some people feel unable to eat in the morning. Just try several options. I advise you to eat before the gym but not a lot. In such a case, you'll have the strength to exercise but not feel tired.

I think the same as you. Healthy eating comes first.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Just have a tablespoon or two of honey with warm water and some squeezed lemon in that. You don't want anything that is time consuming or hard to digest. You need immediate energy. If you have even a banana, it will take some time to digest so unless you have 30 to 40 minutes to spare doing something else before your early morning workout (like reading the newspaper or surfing the web), I wouldn't eat anything solid.

 

[deadlyapp]

Just have a tablespoon or two of honey with warm water and some squeezed lemon in that. You don't want anything that is time consuming or hard to digest. You need immediate energy. If you have even a banana, it will take some time to digest so unless you have 30 to 40 minutes to spare doing something else before your early morning workout (like reading the newspaper or surfing the web), I wouldn't eat anything solid.

Nobody is working out at an intensity that needs the immediate energy you mention. Your body is utilizing the energy consumed yesterday. The only reason why anyone has any need to eat prior to a workout is simply to satiate themselves.

Personally, as soon as I begin a workout, all feelings of hunger disappear.

 

[nOOky]

An hour of exercise I'd wait until after to eat. I frequently run or train after I get up, never eating beforehand. However I do have my coffee because it helps empty my bowel before the run.
I still stick to the old theory that it's best to eat complex carbs early in the day, and transition to more protein sources later and before bed. Basically when you are training you need to be fueling for the next day, and getting that protein to help at night when you're essentially fasting.