Thread: Eating before A.M workouts?!?

definitely some protein powder at least - if you are lifting that before food you are breaking down muscle tissue after at least 8 hours of fasting - no glycogen in muscles ... no fuel ... compromised training.

if you can get some oats down if you can prior to training with protein powder that would be great. if not then at least protein with your creatine and eat a fresh apple ... way too much sugar in juice.

Drink a shake upon waking, and if you have an hour before the gym, eat some oats.

I try to eat a fairly balanced meal every morning when I wake up. Working out on an empty stomach is not a good idea if you are trying to gain mass. You are in a highly catabolic state upon waking. It exacerbates the situation if you exercise while in a catabolic state.

Eat some cereal, oatmeal, juice, eggs, etc. Whatever is quick and easy for you. I usually throw in some eggs and whites on low heat. While this is cooking, I throw down a bown of cereal and a glass of juice with brewer's yeast. By the time I'm done, the eggs are almost done. I takes me about 20 minutes total to prepare and eat my breakfast.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I takes me about 20 minutes total to prepare and eat my breakfast.

Good god why so long LOL...I grill up some chicken and have some oats...takes me all of 10 minutes total time with clean up and all lol. I guess thats the perks of eating such small meals. Then again your eating 3 times as many calories as I am right now.

Hey bud you should def try to eat something...go with a shake and some oats or cereal. Or if you are really strapped for time do a shake and some fruit. You need to get something into your system or you are gonna start losing some LBM.

You can prepare your oatmeal pancakes (oats & eggs) the night before and just heat it up in the morning

Originally Posted by COVENTRY

If it's bad to workout on an empty stomach,

Yes. This is like a race car driver trying to make it through a race with half a petrol tank and no wheels!

what would be good to eat prior to working out?Will it have enough time to digest for fuel?

Carbs + protein is best (and in my opinion nearly always needed). Esp. If you are doing weight training.

If you eat it 1 hr before your workout then a solid meal is good (oats + protein such as egg whites or whey). If you don't have that much time then a liquid meal is ideal. ~30 mins prior to training something like whey + skim milk &/OR ff yoghurt &/or a banana is more suitable.

I always put a whey shake down right after my workout with a scoop of creatine.And I always take a scoop of creatine with apple juice prior to working out.I then eat my regular breakfast about an hour after that.

You need to add some carbs to your PWO shake (if you want a liquid then some grape juice would be ok... a banana, some skim milk or some ground thinly rolled oats would also be ok).

Regular breakfast should then be carbs + protein +/- fats too.

For pre-WO apple juice is not the best, but if you must then certainly add a scoop of PP to that.

But honestly, if your aims are mass gains, and you can't get up an hour before training then something like milk + pp + banana ~30 mins prior would be good.

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Good god why so long LOL...I grill up some chicken and have some oats...takes me all of 10 minutes total time with clean up and all lol. I guess thats the perks of eating such small meals. Then again your eating 3 times as many calories as I am right now.

Hey bud you should def try to eat something...go with a shake and some oats or cereal. Or if you are really strapped for time do a shake and some fruit. You need to get something into your system or you are gonna start losing some LBM.

It's an 800 calorie meal, my largest of the day. When it was 600, while I was maintaining, it took a little less time.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

It's an 800 calorie meal, my largest of the day. When it was 600, while I was maintaining, it took a little less time.

Yea I hear ya...mines only about 300 so ya got me beat big time LOL.

Thanks-but I do eat breakfast about an hour after working out.Its just hard trying to put something in only a half and hour before starting to workout.
As far a creatine with apple juice-I didn't think it would be a problem,not as good a
grape juice but the damn kids drink it all.

if i could add another angle here.

i've worked out in the morning for years & tried MANY things.

for some reason if i eat carbs first thing i just feel like going back to bed.

after doing CKD for close to a year i come across a breakfast that really worked well & that's when i realised that i respond much better to fats in the morning.

i still use this same meal now.

keep in mind that this is usually 60-90 minutes pre-workout but i would have mushrooms fried in butter & 3-6 whole scrambled eggs.

it digests well & my performance improved dramatically.

i then have my carbs 30-45 minutes post w/o (oats & dates or honey with no-fat milk & a whey & egg white shake also in no-fat milk) for convenience i suppose you could mix the shake in with the oats & drink it down.

fats are kept to a bare minimum with this meal.

i also have a serving of SwoleV2 pre & post workout as well. works better for me than regular creatine.

i don't go for many supps but i do like the Swole though.

Originally Posted by COVENTRY

Thanks-but I do eat breakfast about an hour after working out.Its just hard trying to put something in only a half and hour before starting to workout.

then you have a whey shake with some fruit juice.

Originally Posted by COVENTRY

Thanks-but I do eat breakfast about an hour after working out.Its just hard trying to put something in only a half and hour before starting to workout.

You'll get used to it quickly. I did.