Training & Nutrition - What to eat before AM exercise

Inspired by another thread. Didn't want to hijack.

I really want to get into the habit of exercising in the morning for lots of reasons (schedule, feel good all day, etc.). I have no problem getting up in the morning. In fact, I usually wake up at 6 without an alarm, even if I don't really have anything important to do.

I'm wondering what people do for fuel that early in the morning. I haven't found anything that works for me, and I always end up feeling sick after exercising for a while. Do I need to drink a bunch of water before I go to bed? Should I eat a full breakfast before I exercise? Gel?

Also, do you do anything special as far as eating at night when you know you are working out the next morning. Thanks for any replies.

At that hour of the morning, if I were going out for a long ride, I'd knock back a can of Ensure. However, if I were just going out for an hour or so, I'd just drink a glass of orange juice, or take a bottle of sports drink, or something.

During the summer, I commuted 1.5 hours to work in the mornings a couple times a week. I had to be on the road by 5:45 am. I carried a bottle of sports drink on my bicycle, and that's all I consumed. Once I got to work, I'd have breakfast.

Oh, and nothing special the night before.

I've found a nice snack before bed helps alot. Crackers or other complex carbs seem to work best but really you just need calories. I dont know about biking in the AM but I swim for a high school team from 5am to 7am. I'll eat the night before and then a bunch after. Works for me.

I'm a fan of eating light. Usually a banana is all I can stomach.

when i was rowing we'd have practice at 5 am all week. the best thing to do in my opinion is to have 1/2 of a energy, i liked to eat cliff bars. i'd have 1/2 of it, leave it in the wrapper, then froze my a** off in a carbon fiber boat with only a tshirt and a pair of spandex shoarts.

now that i think about it, these two sports aren't that far apart.

i don't know about feeling good all day though, i was usually passed out by my 11 am class wishing that i didn't wake up so early. hmmm

I'm at the gym 5 days a week at 5:30am, and on weight lifting days I eat a normal small breakfast (a bagel or a bowl of cereal or something), but on cardio days (running 5 miles or something), I skip breakfast and just drink a glass of orange juice. I have a protein shake or something afterwards, but I don't usually load my stomach up with solid food when I know I'm about to be doing aerobic activity. If I do, I get side cramps and my performance goes down.

Don't eat anything. If you're doing a long ride, have a gu at 45 minutes. I sometimes do an 8:30am fast group ride for 50 miles, and I never eat before it.

12 mile ride to work each morning, and I generally will make a smoothie (banana, peanut butter, honey, flaxseed, cocoa powder, coconut, milk) and an espresso.

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame bun...

But usually a banana.

Caffiene, water, nothing else.

I have a hard time eating a big meal early in the morning, but if I have a long ride scheduled I will usually eat at least 2-3 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of toast, and a glass of juice. For rides under 2 hours, cold cereal is fine with me.

Pork rinds and beef jerky followed with a glass of tomato juice. After you puke it back up, try a banana.

30 mins before ride:

-hard boiled egg or 1 pack of oatmeal w/ honey
-water
-water (the previous night)
-1 Clif bar during the morning ride

For rides under about 30 miles, no more than a banana. Anything over that, a yogurt and maybe a banana.

I ran 8.5 miles today (just under 1.5 hrs) and I don't eat anything before.
After I got home, showered and left for work I grabbed a small smoothie king near my office.

When going on a weekend ride I usually try to push down some oatmeal before leaving since I have to drive half an hour to the starting point. Then i take a cliff bar or something to eat half of at the halfway point and the rest on the way back. This is good for 30-40 miles or so. Slightly watered down gatorade in the water bottle to help as well.

I work out at 5:00 a.m. everyday. I don't eat until I am done. Sometimes that is 6:00 and sometimes it is after 7:00. I make breakfast when I come home, or eat a banana or Fibre One bar.

I workout/ride at an early hour also. if it is a 3 plus hour workout/ride, I will eat a clif bar before hand. Other wise its coffee, banana and water 1/2 hour before I get going. The coffee makes it so I don't have to ***** midway

The coffee makes it so I don't have to ***** midway

I don't leave the house until I ***** which is usually 10 minutes after I wake up. :D
If I drink enough of it the coffee would probably make me *****!

Thanks a lot for everyone's replies. I have some ideas I can try and experiment with. Keep em comin'.

back when i ran marathons (when the knee was healthy) i would drink as much water as my body could hold the night before. wake up, have an energy bar and a glass of OJ and be off. You could also try carb loading the night before as well.

Make sure you stay hydrated during your rides in the morning (cytomax, heed, whatever you drink).

I got interested in making my own energy bars. Some of them are like lead in the stomach, some digest fairly well. I ended up going with an oatmeal/honey/PB/raisin bar with protein power in it. However, I have to keep them small. Otherwise they are too many calories.

Someone once said that the body has a 2000-2500 calorie reserve. If so, eating a lot is not necessary before a short ride.

Chris

Now that it's pumpkin pie season, and keeping in mind I have no self control when it comes to food, a slice of pumpkin pie with some whip cream. :D Before couple packets of instant oatmeal, plain with no sugar added, and some flavor one like Flax 'n Seeds.

I tried a small cup of oatmeal this morn (a crank'n 32 mile ride) with rasins and a touch of real maple syrup. It worked very well. No sick feeling, no lead in stomach feeling, no bonk.

I cannot eat any of those things if I do not ride due to health issues.

Chris

I tried a small cup of oatmeal this morn (a crank'n 32 mile ride) with rasins and a touch of real maple syrup. It worked very well. No sick feeling, no lead in stomach feeling, no bonk.

Chris

Wow, what time do you wake up Chris? What time do you hit the road? I drink a glass of water and then ride 25 miles. I start at 5:15 am. When I get back I have oatmeal and eggs while the kids get ready for school. I too like the real maple syrup as the occasional sweetener. Is it bad that I eat oatmeal and eggs after my ride? I mean as far as my body burning those calories...

My wife is really good about making oatmeal in the morning, and I can handle that no problem. OJ before exercise is a sure puke inducer for me. Maybe some cold cereal would work as well, but it's better to have something warm, and for some reason, oatmeal is easy on the stomach. Mine anyway. She'll make a batch with one banana in it, and split it up 3 ways so we get the oatmeal and 1/3 banana. The other suggestions are right on about drinking water the night before, although I don't know how much good it does me. I just get up more often to pee at night.

And for me ... eating oatmeal is a sure way to make me desperately hungry to the point of being shaky and weak about 30 minutes later, ride or no ride. I don't get it. Most people seem to be able to eat a big bowl of oatmeal and ride for the next few hours without any problem. Me, a big bowl of oatmeal and 30 minutes later I'm eating my handlebar tape I'm so hungry.

I usually just eat a light meal of any of the normal breakfast variety with a glass of water. Whatever I choose though, I make sure that I have time to really chew and let my stomach settle before I go out and stir it all up on the road.

I usually eat a bowl of oatmeal with some added peanut butter and honey about 30 minutes before I leave. Delicious and gives me enough energy for a couple hours.

As soon as I get out of bed, I make a B-line to the fridge and pour myself a 10-12oz glass of water. I'll them wait a few minutes, take my pre breakfast supplements and then prepare and eat off the shelf fruit flavored oatmeal. I also add 2 tablespoons of UNFILTERED honey to my oatmeal (this has many positive benefits). I drink glucosamine fortified orange juice and eat some strawberry or blueberry yogurt. I wait three hours and then I go ride 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours (yes, I have a VERY flexible job). I usually skip lunch and eat an early dinner.

Sometimes I'll eat Kelloggs Corn flakes with the honey, eat half a grapefruit or eat some strawberries and if I'm still a little hungry I'll eat some plain yogurt with a small amount of honey or Vanilla flavored Yoplait yogurt.

if i have a while i eat some oats with coco a rush i get some yogurt and dried fruit

on return its always yog, bannana and some cereal/museli

I got interested in making my own energy bars. Some of them are like lead in the stomach, some digest fairly well. I ended up going with an oatmeal/honey/PB/raisin bar with protein power in it. However, I have to keep them small. Otherwise they are too many calories.

Someone once said that the body has a 2000-2500 calorie reserve. If so, eating a lot is not necessary before a short ride.

Chris

got a bar recipe to share?

And for me ... eating oatmeal is a sure way to make me desperately hungry to the point of being shaky and weak about 30 minutes later, ride or no ride. I don't get it. Most people seem to be able to eat a big bowl of oatmeal and ride for the next few hours without any problem. Me, a big bowl of oatmeal and 30 minutes later I'm eating my handlebar tape I'm so hungry.

Im the same way. Oatmeal makes it worse for me. Now if I can get some pasta down before an early ride then Im good for several hours with an occasional energy bar.

I eat a big bowl of oatmeal cooked with a large apple then I mash a ripe banana in the bowl before putting the oatmeal in. It keeps me going for a few hours on the bike.

Im the same way. Oatmeal makes it worse for me. Now if I can get some pasta down before an early ride then Im good for several hours with an occasional energy bar.

what sort of oats do you use?

I eat oatmeal every day, ride or no ride. I usually ride at 6 am in the summer (before it gets hot) and 7 am in the winter (so it is light out). 1/2 cup of rolled oats, not instant, 1 cup of water on the stove-top. I usually add a 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, or a banana if I don't have any. I take a gels with me in case I get hungry into the ride.

yeah, not instant oats. I don't cereal because i'm lactose intolerant (90%+ asians are) (and I think too much milk is bad for you). I cook up enough oats to last me a few days (with bit of brown sugar) and eatthat every morning for a.m. exercise. It's true that I sometimes get hungry again quick but then I'll eat again after exercising. Oats give me that clean and light feeling energy that doesn't bog me down.

Low-fat or Buttermilk Frozen waffle peanut butter & jelly sandwich......yum.

Carbs, protein, quick & easy.

I used to eat two, but then found out through experimenting that eating just one let me ride just as long.

I get up at 5AM to do a lot of my "training"

For early morning workouts less than an hour I eat nothing. Just plenty of water. Since I'm looking to lose weight too, this seems to be working for me. Then, immediately after workout I have about 6-8 oz of 1% chocolate milk and a Quaker Peanut Butter Choc Chip chewy bar (25% less sugar variety if I can find it). This works most mornings, although, every once in a while I feel like I can't pull the power out and could have used a little extra fuel. Then I shower, drop my daughter off at school and eat breakfast at work (Smart Balance peanut butter on a 100 cal. English muffin and 8 oz of orange juice). This breakfast happens approx. 2 hours after my work out. If I don't work out that morning I skip the choc. milk & chewy bar.

If I am doing a ride that is 1 - 2 hours long I'll eat a bannana before and take a bottle of cytomax on the bike and follow the same post work out plan.

If I am doing a ride that is 2+ hours I will eat a banana, small glass of milk (4-6 oz) and a chewy bar 30-45 minutes before I leave and then eat on the bike accordingly (bananas, cytomax, cliff shot blocks, chewy bars, fig newtons etc). I also will allow for a bigger recovery meal from these rides. I LOVE Van's Belgian Waffles. Yum!!

If I'm going out to do a metric or imperial century or something like that, I will eat a little more before I leave like an extra banana or so but try to do it an hour before the ride if possible. But I have to be careful not to eat too much. I have a hard time on the bike with too much food in my stomach.

I had a hard time getting my nutrition on the bike even sort of dialed in. I would tend to get sick to my stomach if I ate too much before I left or ate heavier stuff (bananas are now my friend) and if I didn't eat enough I'd get really sluggish and weak feeling. I'm not sure I have it totally down yet for longer rides (over 50 miles) as I haven't done all that many of them and it gets harder and harder for me to eat on the bike as the miles go up. But I am finding as I get better conditioned, the food issues aren't quite as hard to deal with as they were before.