preworkout meal?

FourAM

FourAM

Cathlete
Cathe
I was wondering if you had any suggestions about a good thing to eat before I do my cardio workout.?
I get up very early in the morning and am limited to very little tome before I get up and have to start working out. Right now I do a quarter cup of berries with 1/2 scoop of protein and just a little whole grain cereal for crunch but I am not sure if this is a suitable meal before a cardio workout or if it should be something smaller since I do not have 30 minutes between my meal and my workout. :confused:
 
Actually, I was always told to fast before cardio in the morning and to not eat anything for a good hour afterward. BUT - I was just reading an issue of Shape magazine and an article there said it isn't a bad thing to eat before you do cardio. My big problem, being an early morning exerciser - is that I really want to eat something before my weight-training days but there isn't enough time. I do make sure that I down a protein shake right after though. I don't notice any negative impacts from not eating before weight-training - except I am likely a little weaker than I would be if I lifted later in the day, after getting a few meals in me.
 
Hahaha. My usual workout time is 5 am but I fell asleep on the couch last night and was awake at 3:30! Ugh. I'll be ready for bed by 8:00 tonight!
 
I used to get up at 4 am to work out and would not eat anything, but I did notice that sometimes I really like I was dragging you know what, that partly why I switched to night work outs, I just feel stronger most days.
 
Before my cardio I don't eat anything. I get up and drink about 12oz water and then probably another 24oz during cardio. After I work out I have a smoothie that I make using protein powder, oatmeal, udo's oil, berries, water. It is about 700 calories in total and it feels great after a good workout!
 
I read somewhere that to not eat before a workout is like trying to run your car without gas. You're not supposed to eat a meal, just a little something - that I know. What I can't seem to keep straight is what to eat before cardio vs. weight training. I've read before that we need different approaches based on what type of workout we're about to do. The other thing is, whatever you eat you're supposed to ingest one hour before working out. I can't do that, regardless. Although I did get up once one hour before working out, drank a smoothie (premixed but run through the blender a second time after adding 2 tbsp. protein powder), then went back to bed for an hour(!). But that was weird. Now, based on a tip picked up here, I usually suck down a tsp. of peanut butter just before jumping on the treadmill. It seems to help with energy and I don't have to wait to avoid queasiness.
 
preworkout meal

Hi FourAM,

Just before a workout it's better to have a very small slow carb snack (like a banana or an orange). If you eat protein or fat, your system will be busy digesting and you won't get an intense workout. After a night's sleep, you need some carbs if you intend to workout for a long period of time, or you'll "run out of fuel". It's better to eat your protein shake after the workout.
 
I think you have to do what works for you. My DH can easily run on an empty stomach. I find what works for me is a banana and yogurt. My youngest DD has started running again in the a.m. to train for her college soccer team. She struggled a few days, trying to find what food would AGREE with her before her runs/workouts. No one wants to stop in a middle of workout due to a bathroom break or feeling weak and dizzy.

Once I tried to run before my coffee. Let's just say I did that ONCE :)

Find what works for you. :)

HTH
 
I'm a type II diabetic that's been put on insulin and whereas before the insulin I could workout just fine without food, I discovered yesterday that won't work very well anymore.
So tonight I sipped on an apple juice during an hour of elliptical training and it went really well. I figured what's 130 calories if it fuels an hour long cardio? I just subtract that from the calories burned and it's still better than if I hadn't worked out. Plus my sugar was normal after the workout! Happy days!

For weight training days...a protein shake afterwards works well for me.
 
I get up at 5:15AM to workout, and I drink a big glass of water and eat 1/2 of a banana. Then, post workout, I eat the other half of the banana and another glass of water (in addition to the water I've sipped during the workout.) This probably isn't normal (but then again, neither am I, LOL!) but it works for me. I'm not starving during the workout, I have some fuel, and then the second half eating keeps me going until I get to the office at 8:30 (where I make my oatmeal with dried cranberries, soy milk and walnuts) and eat breakfast.
 
I find I do better on an empty stomach. I get up @ 5:30 am and have coffee. I usually do cardio around 7:30 am. If I eat, I tand to cramp. I have a glass of OJ afterwards and a bowl of cereal. Works for me. :)
 
I usually eat a little something, fruit or egg whites. I used to workout on an empty stomach (I work out at 5:30a.m.) Then I read this article and started eating first. I really don't notice a difference, but now I wake up starved!! I also eat only 30 min. before my workout, I don't have the time to wait an hour, and I've never had a problem.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=59

after reading the above responses, I think I will stick with the carbs before the workouts (banana or dates)
 
This makes alot of sense. I read in an oxygen article that a perfect meal before a weight workout was a scoop of protein with 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal and a cup of milk. I just tried to modify that a little for the cardio. I can not go wthout before any workout. I used to do that and would run out of steam before the end. I like to hit it hard all the way and am trying to find the perfect ratio so tomorrow I will try a banana and see how that goes. Thanx
 
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