Early morning eating before workout

David Leventhal

okay so i'm hoping to get some more creative ideas. You wake up early in the morning for your Thursday long run - you've got 20-25 minutes from the time your feet hit the floor to the time your feet hit the pavement.

What's your choice for food??

- DPL

drjohnson08

My go to in this type of situation is a piece of toast with cinnamon sugar on it, some gatorade, and a gel washed down by some water. It's not a lot but I have real issues if I try to run with much in my stomach. Depending on the length of the run I'll fuel accordingly.

harrast

I drink Perform in the morning as I start my workout; I also eat 3 Cliff Bloks (Black Cherry) a few minutes before I start. On the bike I always eat 1/2 Powerbars once I begin my ride.

Peter Noyes

I may be an anomaly but I am just fine eating my normal breakfast of granola with milk. I used to avoid eating anything heavy before a workout but I found it doesn't really bother me. I now think of it as training for the ability to eat while racing Ironman.

Brad Marcus

Only 20-25 mins? No food for this guy that close to a long run or I'm heading for trouble (or the bushes!). I stick to sports drink and gels to fuel the workout. For a bike, I'm ok eating right before I start though.

Joseph Lombardi

Same here....no way I eat with only 20-25min. before a run....I always have coffee....I may throw a gel down...but that depends ont he length of the run...more likely that I take a gel 30min. into the run...if I'm running more than 75min.

Brenda Ross

Banana and water

Jan Schorpion

For running, If  I have less than 45 min, its a sports gel and maybe some watered down Gatorade. I need at least an hr for solids to get digested for me to be able to have a good run workout

Jonathan Brown

Ok, i am going to be laughed at. If i only have 20 minutes, i eat a Snickers and drink a coke. I need caffeine and sugar.

If i have more time, an hour, i will eat oatmeal, PB, and honey with a sports drink.

Scott Alexander

For pre-run, a banana and water has been fine for me, even in TX temps, for runs up to 2.5 hours. I usually take a gu at 1:45-2 just to be safe though.

Terra Meierdierck

I have a Raw Revolution bar and water.

Darren Freeman

I recently attended a nutrition seminar specifically for triathletes from a board certified sports dietitian. Given how close you are eating to your workout and also the fact that you have basically been fasting for nearly 8+ hours since your evening meal your blood sugar will be extremely low with the possibly of you also being dehydrated.

From my notes, your best option in this case would be low glycemic index foods comprising of mostly liquids or sports drinks.

The recommendation in the handout is "30 minutes before: Aim for 50-75 grams of Carbs; mostly liquids. Sports drink, water, performance supplements (I interpret supplements as gels, chomps, etc)

Some low GI foods:
Pasta, bular wheat, barely, rice
Milk, yogurt
Sports bars
Oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits
100% bran cereals
Bananas, graps, pears, apples, oranges
Nuts
V8
Beans, peas, soybeans

Peter Noyes

Cool! My granola and milk looks like it is pretty close coming in at about 50g of carbs and I guess could be considered low GI.

rbogle

banana, gel, and water. If I remember the auto perk, a quick cup of coffee, with sugar and almond milk!

cgres123

COFFEE!!! ,

John Withrow

I do the opposite that what EN or most board certified dietitians will recommend.

I eat nothing before or during any of my early morning workouts from November through around April. I like training fasted without the benefit of the sugar drip. I do drink water before and during my rides and a some just before my runs. If I am going longer than 2.3-3 hours in total, I "might" add in some nutrition near the end, but this is rare.

During actual Ironman training, I will drink my Infinit during my long bike rides and will often have something small before I head out (a little applesauce or a banana and some nuts or maybe a serving of UCAN). During my long runs in IM training, I will also take regular race nutrition to try to get used to eating/drinking/absorbing calories while running.

I also eat like a horse immediately after all of my workouts.

Coach Rich

I do what JDub duz but not because of some fancy fancy reason. My stomach is just very sensitive to hard AM workouts and definitely compromises my sessions. So I'm coffee only for most of my stuff, certainly anything under 2hrs. Today was 1:55 ride with Dino, about 1400kj with nothing to eat, couple sips of water (temps about 50). 

If I think I might have an issue / chance of bonking, I'll just have an apple. If I need more, I'll wake up about 90' before I go out and have meuslix. 

For me it's more about managing my stomach and less about fueling for the workout. I've learned I can do a lot in an AM fasted state and, curiously, I can fuel just fine on the bike, at just about any effort, if I need to. 

Dino Sarti

I am like a robot. Same thing everyday, workout or no workout, Ironman, sprint, walk to the end of the drive way, it doesn't matter. 1 scoop of protein and 1/2 a low carb bagel.

Anu Rao

I am with the folks that can't eat in the morning before a workout. I have a cup of coffee with sugar. For anything under two hours I don't eat anything during the run, I will carry some stinger chews with me in case I feel a bonk coming on.

This tends to be very individual, experiment to see what works for you. My husband can eat a giant bowl of cereal and then go do a long run with a bunch of MP miles. My stomach would never stand for that.

Leslie Knight

less than 90 min workout and a regukar training day...nothing. longer than that and half a PB&J is perfect, even five minutes before I head out. For test days, though, PBJ and coffe an hour ahead. 

Coach Patrick

If less than 30', I use the pre-workout gel. If great than, I will have a nature valley crunchy granola bar. I fuel every workout like it's a race. Never miss a chance to practice fueling!!!