Do I Need To Eat Before My Morning Workout
Morning workouts aren’t for everyone. I happen to enjoy working out in the morning. My energy levels are the highest and I feel more accomplished when I get it over with earlier in the day. But for some people, it’s their only option, and there’s only a small window of “wake up and get out the door” before they talk themselves out of it. So that brings us to the next question: Do you need to eat something before your morning workout?
The answer is… it depends.
If you are doing light cardio (meaning no more than a 30 minute walk or jog) then you might be able to get it in before eating. Yes, there’s a mountain of evidence to support eating before morning cardio, and there is also a mountain of evidence to support not eating before cardio (known as “fasted cardio”). My recommendation here is to do what works for you. For me, I’m hungry as soon as I wake up, so I eat first thing in the morning before doing anything at all. But I know some people who workout on an empty stomach and claim to feel just fine. If that’s you and it’s the difference between getting a workout in or not (meaning, if you don’t go right when you wake up, you won’t go at all) then cardio on an empty stomach is fine!
Now… if you are weight training, lifting heavy or doing some hard cardio, that’s a different story. You really do need to eat something if you’re doing a strength training workout or any type of high intensity training. Your body needs energy to perform at a high intensity so that you can workout as hard as you can for as long as you can. Think about it this way, you wouldn’t drive your car without gas or use your Iphone without charging it, right? Nope and nope. Despite what you have heard, training hard on an empty stomach doesn’t lead to greater fat loss and instead might put you in a position for excessive muscle breakdown. This breakdown can negatively impact your metabolism and be detrimental to your body.
What good is your workout if your energy level is that of a baby panda panda panda? If you workout on an empty stomach your workout wouldn’t be as intense as if you’d fueled up before hand, not to mention that you’ll likely suffer from low blood sugar, which can make you dizzy and sluggish. If you have ever experienced that feeling, or if your workout leaves you starving, that might be a sign that you need to eat something beforehand. You don’t have to gorge yourself. A healthy snack will do the trick and may be huge for the quality of your workouts and the results.
If you plan to up the intensity in your next AM training sesh, I suggest eating something 45 minutes to an hour before, consisting of mostly carbohydrates and protein.
Here are a few snack ideas that will properly fuel your body for a killer workout:
Whey protein shake + banana
Low fat yogurt + berries
Slice whole wheat toast + natural nut butter
Oatmeal + berries + Whey protein
Boiled eggs + apple
Banana + natural nut butter
The bottom line is, if you want to go hard in the morning, you should eat something first - whether you’re trying to build muscle or lose weight. I’m not suggesting you pig out, but it should be something. Always pay attention to your energy levels throughout your workout and remember to stay hydrated.
Let’s make that workout count!