This is a guest blog submitted by heterocrabI've been questioning this for months and I could never find a satisfactory answer through my research: should we before exercising in the morning?
For myself, I get dizzy and my stomach feels woozy if I just go out for a morning run without eating anything. But I've read that eating is not the most perfect thing to do before exercising.
What I've learned tells me that you would only burn off what you just digested, and if you're trying to lose weight you will only gain more muscle. Besides that, I also learned that you could get a stomachache if you exercise right after you eat.
This is really problematic for me. I've always wanted to exercise in the morning because the air is fresh and the park isn't too crowded. But if I exercise without eating in the morning I would feel sick and if I do eat before I exercise I'm not sure how it would turn out. The timing in between eating and exercising is also a problem.
Is it good to exercise in the morning? If yes, how do you manage these problems? If you are one who doesn't eat before you exercise, do you feel sick like me? And if you do eat, what should you eat, and how long should you wait before you start to exercise?
Comments (25)
I don't do this, but someone I know really well does. She eats a small meal (like maybe 1/4 of a real bfast) before working out, like a cup of yogurt, a small banana or 1/2 cup cereal, not anything overly filling, just some fuel, then within an hour after her workout she eats her "real" breakfast, which might be 3/4 of a normal bfast. Did that make sense?
I eat a protein bar or some oatmeal first thing in the morning and then workout 20 min- 30 min. after eating. This way my body has something burn off (fuel) but I don't feel like I have a ton of food sitting in my stomach. When I am done working out, I eat a "real breakfast" ( egg whites, fruit, and carb of some kind). Hope this helps!
I eat a 90 calorie bar or something like that. I have low blood sugar and it's not a good idea for me to get up and do anything without eating. I get really cranky or really weak if I don't.
Contrary to what some studies say, it actually doesn't matter what time of day you exercise, you need to do it when you feel energetic and will actually get something out of it.
It is usually a good idea to eat a little something before a big workout, so you have something to work on, something light like a banana. You need to listen to your body. If you feel really hungry, eat enough to satisfy you and wait a little longer before you start exercising.
IF what you said about if you exercise after eating only burns that off and builds muscle, in the long run you will also lose weight because muscle burns fat. I think though, no matter when you have eaten, you burn the same amount and if you are eating too much in a day yes, you will only burn that off and perhaps create muscle along the way.
I think the reason why you shouldnt eat in the mornings and exercise is not that, you only gain muscle mass, its because there wont be any fat loss.
You will just use the food you just ate as fuel. you wont burn any muscle.
At least thats what they told me.
Personally exercising in the mornings, is not a good idea.
Best time to exercise in my opinion is before your next snack, so you get to eat a nutrious snack to perk you up.
I don't eat before I work out. If I do, I get sick and it just ends up somewhere on the running track. If I have to eat, though (say I didn't get dinner the night before), I'll make a single piece of toast or grab half a banana or something, and then eat a real breakfast When I get back after a shower.
neither the amount of muscle you gain or the amount of fat you lose wil be affected by whether or not you eat a meal before you workout. I never eat before I workout because it makes me sick. If you feel you need to eat something, like the others have said, have something small. A banana or yogurt are good choices.
i found that if you eat before, your stomach starts to hurt on one side and it takes about an hour for someone to recover from the pains.
i love it
It depends what you eat, how much, and before WHAT exercise.
Granola+smoothie before running's fine.
Eating dinner then going right out for a run's not.
It doesn't really affect your weight or muscle mass if you do eat or not. If you're hungry, then have something, but mind that your stomach doesn't have alot of incentive to toss it up.
I always exercise before I eat. I like the idea of giving my body an energy boost before I do anything else. I feel perfectly fine doing that. When I wake up, I don't really care to eat, and I don't actually get hungry for a few hours.
When I do eat before I exercise, it doesn't change anything. I always feel fine.
I like to eat, go for a walk and then go exercise.
i usually eat some fruits before doing exercise. i feel sick if i don't.
You need energy to burn before working out so PLEASE eat before, but not a whole meal.
Eat something small and light. Veggies, fruit, small bowl of cereal, etc. Also, be sure to drink a few glasses of water before working out.
i'd say as long as you keep it below 100 calories, you should be fine. i'm no expert, but from personal experience, i'd say you'll still experience weight loss if you eat before a work out.Â
The thing is though, that if you do just burn off what you ate and develop muscle your metabolism will greatly increase because each lb of muscle needs 50 calories per day to just exist and sustain itself. Gain a little muscle,and you will shed the lbs
It is great to exercise in the morning! Although I would read what the 'experts' say, I would also take it with a grain of salt. Every person is different. If not eating makes you dizzy, then eating something would probably be benificial. Eating a huge meal then exercising would probably make you sick. But I do think there is a happy median!
i think as long as you just eat something small it's fine. like an english muffin or something. i tend to feel sick if i eat before working out, so i'm the opposite.
i can't eat anything before i exercise. or my tummy will ache. i go to the gym at around 1pm and stay there till around 3.30pm, then off to dance (sometimes). i know its not good to have such a late lunch but i can't eat in the mornings.
As a bodybuilder, there is nothing wrong with eating prior to exercise - however, you need to give it time to digest a bit - generally, 45 minutes to an hour is fine. You absolutely do need to take what experts say with a small grain of salt, while we can all agree that the human body is the same for the most part... some of us have medical conditions, preferences, genetics, techniques (both proper and improper) and because of that, you need to find what works best for you.
if youre a morning exerciser and you need to eat then eat but let the food digest before you start working out. i give myself a little over an hour before i go to the gym after i eat. when i get to the gym, i lift weights and run last that way i wont puke from the food i just ate. and if youre planning on working out after you eat then dont eat too much.
drink something like juice or v8 to get some calories in you but make sure you get a little bit of water in first because the first thing you put in your body at the beginning of the day is what your body will want for the rest of the day and will require in a sense. so do that first. wait until after you exercise to eat. itll be easier to burn that food off and to jumpstart your metabolism.
Apples are an instant source of energy.. and good on the go.
Eat a small bowl of cereal or a banana and wait 20 minutes before you go out to work out.