It's a question we all ponder through the course of our fitness journey - Should I eat before a workout? Should I train on an empty stomach? The quick answer... EAT BEFORE YOU WORKOUT! There is quite the controversy regarding the answer to this question online, among fellow trainers and among fitness fanatics. If you are a morning exerciser, this really pertains to you. For those of you that workout later in the day, chances are you are well nourished prior to your workout, but just in case, please read on...
If you remember from my article on metabolism, your body has been working through the night, burning carbohydrates, fats and proteins to carry out the restorative process that is: sleep.
Just a refresher... here's the your metabolism eating 6 meals per day vs 3 meals per day:
As you awake in the morning, your body yearns to be fed - your metabolism has dipped below the fat burning zone and into the muscle burning zone due to lack of food. This is reason enough to eat as soon as you can! When you couple this phenomenon on top of your desire to shed pounds, it becomes apparent that if you are already burning muscle for energy when your body is almost at rest (when you first wake), think about how much more muscle your body will have to burn to generate enough energy to power through a workout or cardio session. A whole LOT! Can you afford that... NO!
Keep your muscle and eat a little snack of 100-200 calories prior to exercising in the morning and your body will thank you for it!
Stay tuned... I will be discussing great options for what to eat prior to a morning workout soon!
Update: Click here to learn what to eat before & after your workout
