Usually I do my workouts in the afternoon, but I'd like to start doing them earlier in the day to avoid the heat. The problem is that if I eat a regular breakfast, my stomach is too full for me to workout, but trying to go on an empty tank just doesn't work for me and I end up bonking. What does everyone recommend eating before an early morning workout to ensure having enough nutrients in your system to finish the workout?
I have a bowl of fruit and cottage cheese in the morning before I work out. Carbs come after the morning workout.
I ride everyday (5 days a week) to work and I go 15mi one way. Each morning it's a ride in Z1 and/or Z2 for 1hr. No food is ok for me cause when I get to work I have a coffee, 1/2 bagel w PB & honey. That's all I eat before 10AM. Then it's just a snack.
Never had a problem not having energy, but you may just dump a few spoons of yogurt into you along with a banana or even a whey protein drink. Some people do that.
For me it depends on the day.
If I have a run or bike session then I usually have a cup of cereal with a cup of skim milk and a fruit. Or maybe Oatmeal or similar.
If I have to swim then I normally just go with a toast + 1 egg. I can eat cereal but just don't feel well. I feel it's too much in my stomach for being in horizontal position.
If I'm feeling particularly unenergetic when I'm headed to the pool before work on a weekday, I'll typically either drink a glass of lowfat chocolate milk. Or I'll grab an energy gel or clifshot bloks. That's enough to get me through a 1hr swim workout.
I usually have a bowl of yogurt with a banana before my morning workouts. When I come back, it's protein shake and oatmeal.
Multi-grain cheerios w/out milk and coffee. Always digests easily and gives me enough energy for an hour workout.
Generally just grab some toast myself if I'm eating before the workout. Otherwise I'll usually just grab some Gatoraid or a Gu to get things kick started as I'm working out. The biggest though is always a nice glass of water, as I've been sleeping and not drinking for the last 8 hours. Though usually it's get out of bed and immediately eat, then get ready for the morning workout.
If I'm doing a long or extra-hard workout, I usually have some applesauce with some egg protein powder mixed in (it's actually quite good...at least I think so...), and a bannana. Then, I drink a sports drink instead of water as I work out, giving me the energy and electrolytes I need to finish. Afterwards, it's a recovery shake (protein powder, fruit, juice, etc.).
If it's a shorter workout (1 - 2 hours), a bannana or other fruit does it for me, along with the sports drink during the workout. Then I'd usually forgoe the recovery drink.
It also depends on the duration for me as well. For a long 3+ hour ride I'll have bagel w/PB an hour before. For a long run just a clif bar and/or a banana 30-45 minutes before usually works.
During the week if it's an hour or so run, I won't have anything other than some water before I head out the door. If I'm doing an hour swim early in the morning I'll grab a clif bar and about 1/2 a Gatorade.
Thanks for the advice guys. This morning, I woke up and drank a big glass of water with a banana, filled my bike bottle with sports drink and I was on my way. I was hungry, but I was surprised to find that I still had enough energy to complete my hour and a half workout. Once I got going, I wasn't hungry at all. I guess I just need to get more comfortable with working out a little hungry as it doesn't seem to have negatively affected me too much. Breakfast after the ride tasted GOOD too!
I try to get something in before any workout. Even if it's just a glass of OJ. At least 200 cals really helps me get in a good workout. Usually though I'll have a bowl of cereal before the workout (about 45 min to an hour before a swim, or 5-10 min before a bike, or 10-15 min before a run). For long ride day I'll add half a bagel, PB, & honey (where long = more than 5 or 6 hours).
Oh and something delicious I tried the other day: a glass of OJ with a banana blended in! It was post-workout, but man it was GREAT!
Right now...my pre workout breakfast is a Powerbar...or CliffBar, Gatorade and maybe some oatmeal....
When I am back home....that´s when eating time comes....
Big time!
[QUOTE=Riverbrady;69451]Generally just grab some toast myself if I'm eating before the workout. Otherwise I'll usually just grab some Gatoraid or a Gu to get things kick started as I'm working out. The biggest though is always a nice glass of water, as I've been sleeping and not drinking for the last 8 hours. Though usually it's get out of bed and immediately eat, then get ready for the morning workout.[/QUOTE]
i think you hit the nail on the head with the water comment. waking up after sleeping 6-10 hours leaves you very dehydrated . it is important to get a nice glass of water or sports drink into you to kick start the system after a long rest.
peanut butter sandwitch has never given me a cramp regardless of when i eat it.
after having done a few weeks of 3+ hour swim workouts, i have quickly discovered that I have to eat as full of meal as I can possibly shove into my gut to not totally bonk a hour and a half into the workout. So my pre-swim workout meal usually consisits of 2 peanut butter and honey sandwichs, 1 apple, 2 banannas, 1 yogurt, and a Gu plus 2 sport bottles of accelerade and I can keep it down now no problem, at first it was rough with some bad stomach aches and the like but after a few sessions stomach is fine now. So you can train your body to train with food in it, just the few err training sessions might be messy.