What do you eat before morning workouts?

[enderwigginout]

Welp, I'm progressing in my plans for world domination...errr...I mean my plans for lifting! I may have found a training partner, but we can only coordinate our schedules (and the weight room's hours on campus) in the mornings. So, I may be lifting at 7am. (Starting Sunday...woohoo I can't wait!!! Bouncy...bouncy...bouncy)

I've never been able to eat much when I used to run in the mornings. I had worked up to half an energy bar, but I don't think the same problem (shooting pains down my side if I've eaten too much) exists with lifting weights [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

So my question is:

Is it better to eat something before you work out if it's early in the morning? If so, what?

As always, thanx a heap for any advice,
Ender

[a-folov]

In the morning... eat a banana half an hour before training, then, as soon as you're done, down a protein/dextrose shake.

[hilltowner]

I eat pretty hearty before lifting.

1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup cooked oats (roled or steelcut)
2 tab wheat germ
1 tab flax oil
assorted flavorings

Lifting shouldn't be regarded as a fatburning adventure, so IMO it's better to fuel your muscles well.

[a-folov]

Heavy digestion during workout will bring blood towards your intestines/stomach, away from your muscles; this is not something you really want.

[hilltowner]

I wait about 90 minutes as a rule, and so far I've had no problems. I know I do WAY better than when I used to workout empty on BFL last year.

[desbug01]

I have been eating approx 1 hr before workouts...today was 1/2 c oatbran, cottage cheese and 1 apple...then 1 large cup coffee right before workout. I have much more energy during session if I eat before, other wise no energy for my workout

[sicily1962]

I am up @ 3am and at the gym by 3:30 so i do cardio on an empty stomach. I do make sure i drink at least 2 cups of water before i head out and take some w/ me.
If i have at least two hours, i'll eat a meal of oats and either cottage cheese or protein powder mixed in.

Liquid meals take about 45min to digest where solids take about 1 1/2 to 2hrs.
I do better w/ cardio on an empty stomach, but never hit the gym at night for weight training w/o a meal ahead of time.

[GetPsycho]

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: afolov:</font><hr> Heavy digestion during workout will bring blood towards your intestines/stomach, away from your muscles; this is not something you really want. <hr /></blockquote>

Source: Ironman's Ultimate Guide to BodyBuilding Nutrition - CH4. Stay Hungry – When to eat – and not to eat- for best muscle-building results

Have you ever heard the phrase “stay hungry”? If you’re a long time bb fan, chances are you have. The Australian oak himself, Arnold Schwar., made this phrase popular. Once again, it seems that the bb’ing community was a step ahead of the scientists! It turns out that hunger pains can generally be relieved by about of moderate to intense resistance exercise and that training performance is enhanced when you train on an empty stomach.

Consider the practice of training hungry a vital tool in all resistance-exercise programs. In the simplest of terms, resistance exercise and eating don’t mix. Moreover, hunger pangs alone shouldn’t dictate when you eat. In fact, the sensation of hunger has absolutely nothing to do with intelligently timed eating.

For example, many experts consider the post exercise meal to be the most important meal of the day, as its essential that trainees get recovery energy as soon as possible following a workout. The replacement of expended energy and the maintenance of a positive nitrogen balance are critical. Ideally, you should eat that meal within a very short period after your workout. There’s another reason to eat after you train: exercise soothes hunger pangs. In other words, you’re not hungry, which makes it an excellent time to eat.

You should consider hunger pains to be a preliminary starvation warning – and something you want to avoid. The faster the metabolism, the more often the warning. In general, when you stick with an optimal nutrition program, you shouldn’t feel hunger pangs, except just prior to the workout- as you should be eating frequently enough to avoid them.

<font color="blue">Training hungry also has biological value. When you eat, the food travels to the small intestine, where almost all digestion occurs. The conversion and use of broken-down nutrients becomes a priority to the body. In order to transport these newly absorbed nutrients to various organs and tissues, the blood vessels in and around muscle tissue constrict, while the vessels in and around the digestive organs dilate. This forces blood away from the muscles and toward the digestive system, minimizing oxygen and nutrients going to the muscles. Imagine what happens when you eat just before you train. Digestion occurs at the same time as you perform the activity. This results in a tug-of-war between your muscles and digestive system, both desperately in need of blood flow.

What happens as a result? Exercise is more taxing and digestion is compromised. Neither activity requires adequate oxygen and nutrients. What are typical signs of this tug-of-war? Excessive rapid breathing, abnormally high exercise heart rate, nausea, and dizziness. The degree of discomfort and severity of the symptoms vary according to your intensity. </font color>

[a-folov]

Err... that's what I said, right?

[GetPsycho]

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: afolov:</font><hr> Err... that's what I said, right? <hr /></blockquote>

yep, just backing you up