What you should eat before a 30-minute power walk is going to look different from what you eat before a 20-mile training run. Here’s what you need to know.
What to Eat Before a Morning Workout Shorter Than an Hour
If you’re exercising for less than an hour first thing in the morning, McDaniel and Patton agree that you don’t necessarily have to eat anything.
“If you have an early workout that’s easy or light and you’re trying to lose weight, it might be best to have a glass of water but skip the food,” says McDaniel. But if your early workout is moderate or vigorous in intensity, a small snack may be helpful.
Research recommends endurance athletes not fast before high-intensity workouts. When you do a tough workout on an empty stomach, you may not have enough fuel in your tank to complete it at the optimum level. In fact, you may actually burn more calories overall and bank a harder, more effective workout if you consume a small snack before exercising.
It’s also important to acknowledge your personal hunger cues. If you’re ravenous when you wake up, you may benefit from having food in your stomach before an activity. Signs that you’re too hungry to run on empty include intolerable hunger pains, headache, lightheadedness or dizziness, irritability, or inability to concentrate, says Patton.
In these cases, even if you have just 10 to 15 minutes before your workout, eat a small amount of quickly digestible carbohydrates. Ideas include:
- 4 ounces of fruit juice
- A small banana
- A handful of grapes
- A handful of dry cereal
Doing so helps to ensure you have the physical and mental energy necessary to get moving. With a small, carb-rich snack before your workout, you may actually be surprised by how much more energy you have.
What to Eat Before a Morning Workout Longer Than an Hour
If you’re exercising for more than an hour first thing in the morning, you should always eat at least a small amount of easy-to-digest carbs — like the options mentioned above — so you have the necessary energy to sustain your workout, Patton says.
However, waking up with enough time to eat a small breakfast before intense workouts may be ideal, McDaniel adds. This might mean 30 minutes before your workout, which grants you enough time to digest something more substantial, of around 200 calories.
Food ideas in this category include:
- Half an English muffin with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a few banana slices
- An apple with a tablespoon of almond butter
- Half a cup of plain yogurt with a small handful of granola
If you feel like you can’t eat before a workout, consider starting with an easy-to-digest option, like a sports drink or a smoothie or applesauce, and work your way up to more sustenance.
The extra calories in your system from a larger snack help to prevent fatigue, allowing you to have enough energy to complete your workout at a time of day when you might otherwise feel depleted.
What to Eat Before Exercise Later in the Day
If you’re working out later than the morning, and you’ve eaten a meal within the last two to three hours, you should be fine to do your workout without any additional source of preworkout fuel, says McDaniel. But if you haven’t eaten recently, you should have a 100- to 200-calorie snack within 30 minutes to an hour before your workout so you’re mentally and physically prepared.
How long should you wait to exercise after eating? If you’ve just eaten a meal, you should wait two to three hours before you work out; and if you’ve just eaten a snack, wait about a half hour, McDaniel says.
If you’re doing a cardio workout, this snack should be higher in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low-fat (but you don’t need to go fat-free). Snack ideas include:
- A whole-wheat tortilla with a smear of peanut butter and a banana
- Half a turkey sandwich
- Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
- Eggs and a slice of whole wheat toast
- Cottage cheese with fruit
- Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts
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