Light exercise then breakfast, or vice versa?
 

When I get up I like to start my day with a little light exercise...maybe a 5-10 mile flat ride or a 2-3 mile jog. Sometimes I eat a little bit before or sometimes I grab a breakfast after that. Is one way better than the other? How do you do it?

-GNB

Whichever feels best. I much prefer to exercise before eating breakfast as I feel lighter and seem to warm up much faster. If I'm doing anything over 25mi, I'll eat something first but otherwise not.

if it's too lose weight then eat after your exercise

For me, it's always breakfast first. I feel weak otherwise.

+1

I've read that moderate exercise before breakfast is really good for fat-burning.

Read an article with David Millar that advocated riding before breakfast at least once a week "to raise metabolism".

9.5 mile ride then frosted mini-wheats to get both sugar and fiber. Goes good with coffee.

Whatever feels good for you.

Personally I'd rather exercise first, if I ate I have to wait a while before exercise.

I usually eat some cereal, fruit, a little coffee and water before my standard daily ride of 12-14 miles. But I might try it one morning with just water and a banana before and see how that works.

Breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism (which means you get a better workout), so I would eat first. I feel way too exhausted when workout out before breakfast.

That depends on the individual. I feel much better, and can work harder, exercising in the morning on an empty stomach. I can't exercise for as long as I could if I ate but I don't have that kind of time to workout before work anyway so having food on my stomach or not doesn't matter.

1 bowl of cereal, 2 pieces of fruit, 2 hardboiled eggs (only 1/2 yolk)

eat that every morning before I do anything. I have to eat right when I wake up or all I can think about is eating and I get a stomach ache.

some protein before morning exercise; no carbs or fat.

breakfast comes after short morning rides

Ride then eat for me. I feel better if I eat afterwards.

Under 26 miles (my morning route):

Coffee, then ride, then breakfast.

Over 26 miles:

Coffee, then breakfast, then ride.

Breakfast is yogurt with walnuts and dried fruit. If it's post-ride, I add a banana.

I also ALWAYS carry an energy bar. One time I bonked 2 1/2 miles from home. Never again.

For a five-mile ride, I don't think it makes a big difference. On my longer 50mile rides. I eat a little before, a little during and a big meal afterwards.

+1 on both counts when talking about light exercise.

For a fast ride or a race, don't eat w/in 3 hours of the event. Maybe shoot a gu 15 minutes before the start.

Why, so that when you're done working out and have burned a whole bunch of calories, thus feeling depleted, you end up eating more than you would if you had eaten before you went out?

It's going to depend on various factors, like how much and what kind of workout you're doing, as well as your unique physiology combined with whatever (if any) medication you're taking.

Certain foods/drinks (such as milk) can be hard to break down and can make you feel (or actually become) sick in the midst of a heavy workout; however, my brother was notorious for eating several bowls of cereal with milk before his morning swim routines.

From the various sports I've participated in, I understand that it's not a good idea to have nothing in your stomach before you work out, regardless of whether or not you've just woken up.

If I eat reasonably soon after exercise, I eat less, and the hunger never really hits full force. I also don't eat based on how hungry I feel, because I can eat almost as much as VegaVixen, given a reason.

I look at the amount of food I need, and eat that. You know, like my daily column of Oreos. Not two or three columns just because want them. Fourteen Oreos is all I eat. That, right there, is self control.

Hahah... something tells me you aren't joking, but that's cool.

I find that after a workout I actually eat less than if I eat before exercise. Same thing at night. If I get in a quick run/ride befiore dinner I tend to eat smaller portions.

wether its to GAIN weight, or to lose weight, for performance you SHOULD eat BEFORE. Always. Think about it, if you were to go on a trip you would need to put gas in your car right? Here you dont have a car YOU ARE the car, so put some fuel in your body. The only times you should wait a while to eat is before exercise, after exercise and when sleeping.

Similar to most it depends on the distance, less then 25 I won't eat before and I carry a bar/gel just in case. If it's more then 25 I usually eat some oatmeal.

Either way, I always suck down about 12oz water before I head out and even on short ride I'll drink plenty of fluids. Nothing worse then a dehydration headache. Don't forget that during the night you usually loose about 12-24 oz of water at a minimum so the water before you head out only sets you back to zero, you still need to drink during the ride.

That would make sense, but there is something called a glycogen store in your body that is there to provide fuel for a short term duration, without the need for anything in your stomach. There is enough stored away to support an hour of fairly intense hammering, if not more.

Saying that though, I prefer a light to moderate breakfast even for shorter riders. I just seem to feel better at the end. Big fan of a cup'o'joe prior also.