Is it better to eat or fast before a morning workout?

Author: Prof. Adrianna Lindgren DVM  |  Last update: Friday, March 28, 2025

Eat a healthy breakfast Studies suggest that eating or drinking carbohydrates before exercise can help you do better during your workout. And the carbohydrates may allow you to work out for a longer time or at a higher intensity. If you don't eat, you might feel slow-moving or lightheaded when you exercise.

Should you fast before working out in the morning?

“Some research indicates that fasted cardio can lead to fat loss,” Schlichter explains. Without food that morning, your body doesn't have available glucose, which is its go-to fuel source to give you that zip during cardio. Still, your body needs to pull fuel from somewhere, so it will tap into fat stores instead.

Is it better to workout on an empty stomach in the morning?

Working out on an empty stomach won't hurt you—and it may actually help, depending on your goal. But first, the downsides. Exercising before eating comes with the risk of “bonking”—the actual sports term for feeling lethargic or light-headed due to low blood sugar.

Is it better to workout before or after fasting?

The best time to incorporate exercise while fasting is early in the day, to match the body's natural circadian rhythm; Unless you're participating in a heavy weight session or endurance cardio, you can benefit hormonally from fasting after your workout, too (for two to three hours).

What should I eat before working out early morning?

Early Morning & Breakfast:

30 Minutes Before Workout: Low Intensity: Have a banana with nuts and seeds. Moderate Intensity: Drink a beetroot shot and have a banana with 10 almonds and a spoon of roasted pumpkin seeds. High Intensity: Eat dates oats porridge and have a banana.

Fasted Workouts vs Eating Before: The LAST Video You Need to Watch (6 Studies Compare)

Should I eat if I workout at 5am?

Generally speaking, you should try to eat an hour to 90 minutes before exercising. If you're working out early, you don't want to wake up hours before just to eat. If you don't have a lot of time to digest, avoid a full meal and aim to eat a small snack at least 20 to 30 minutes before your workout.

What's the best pre-workout meal?

What to Eat Right before a Workout
  • Best meals before gym time? Check out our top five picks. ...
  • Whole grain toast, peanut or almond butter and banana slices. ...
  • Chicken thighs, rice and steamed vegetables. ...
  • Oatmeal, protein powder and blueberries. ...
  • Scrambled eggs, veggies and avocado. ...
  • Protein smoothie. ...
  • Find what works for you.

What is the 30 30 30 rule?

You eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, followed by 30 minutes of “steady-state cardiovascular exercise.” Eating a protein-filled breakfast in the morning can stave off cravings later, and exercising first thing ensures you get some movement before your day gets going.

Do you burn more fat on an empty stomach?

When you exercise in a fasted state — after a night's sleep and before you eat breakfast — then you do actually use more fat as a fuel source during exercise. But research from my team has shown that performing exercise in a fasted or fed state does not have any meaningful impact on body fat in the medium to long term.

Is it good to exercise immediately after waking up?

In general, for healthy individuals looking to lose weight or get fitter – morning workouts are perfectly fine. In most cases, they are even a great choice (see next section).

Does not eating before a workout burn more fat?

Yes and no.

If you then exercise before giving your body any new carbohydrates, your body is forced to utilize fat as a fuel source. So, in the short term (i.e. over the course of your workout), you will indeed burn more calories from fat than you would if you were to eat a source of carbohydrate prior to exercising.

Is it better to eat before or after a morning workout?

If you exercise in the morning, get up early enough to finish breakfast at least one hour before your workout. Be well fueled going into a workout. Studies suggest that eating or drinking carbohydrates before exercise can help you do better during your workout.

Is it OK to workout in the morning without eating first?

The final verdict? Exercising in a fasted state may burn some quick body fat, but it's not the best option for your body in the long-run. Eat a small snack or meal before and after your workout to ensure that you're properly fueled to perform your best in the gym and recover quickly when you get home.

Does working out fasted burn more fat?

Your body uses stored fat and carbohydrates from food to fuel exercise. But when you haven't eaten for hours, there are fewer carbs available. So your body may rely on fat stores as a primary energy source, allowing you to burn more fat.

Is eating bananas before a workout good?

Packed with carbohydrates, bananas serve as a primary fuel source for your muscles during exercise. The natural sugars they contain provide a quick energy boost, making them an ideal pre-workout snack.

What happens if you don't eat after a workout?

You're depriving your muscles of the amino acids they need to rebuild and recover. You're not replenishing the stored glucose (glycogen) in your muscles which can lead to further muscle breakdown. You'll get hungry a few hours later and likely overeat at that later meal.

What to eat before training in the morning?

According to elite sports nutritionist James Collins, if you're exercising in the morning, it's best to have a fuelling breakfast containing low-GI carbs, such as oats, before training to maintain energy levels during your session. Follow your workout with a fuelling lunch or snack to help your muscles recover.

Why eat protein within 30 minutes of waking?

There's likely no magic associated with getting exactly 30 grams of protein at breakfast. But there are benefits to eating protein first thing in the morning. A high-protein breakfast will keep you fuller longer than one composed mostly of carbohydrates. That may help reduce cravings for a mid-morning snack.

Is the 4 hour body diet healthy?

4-Hour Body Diet: Health Risks

Restricting entire food groups could lead to deficiencies in certain vitamins and other nutrients, including vitamin D and calcium (found in dairy) and B vitamins such as folic acid (found in grains and fruit).

What does 30g of protein look like for breakfast?

Here is a list of foods that provide roughly 30 grams of protein: 1.5 cups of Greek yogurt (opt for unsweetened and add your own toppings) 1 cup cottage cheese. 5 large eggs, or 2-3 eggs mixed with extra egg whites.

Are eggs good before a workout?

But what about eggs as a pre-workout meal? One egg contains about 72 calories and 6 grams of high-quality protein, but also carries 5 grams of fat (1.6 saturated) and iron, vitamins and minerals. However, one egg contains less than 1 gram of carbohydrates which is also an essential for pre-workout nutrition.

Is it better to drink a protein shake before or after a workout?

The short answer: Many experts suggest having protein after a workout to build muscle mass. But preworkout or postworkout protein may help. Strenuous exercise creates microtears in the muscles. After a workout, your body repairs the damage using amino acids from dietary protein.

Do you lose more weight eating before or after exercise?

For women, the results show that eating before they exercise is better than eating after if they want to burn fat. Women's bodies tend to burn fat more easily than men's, and are not fuelled so much by carbohydrates. Moreover, women are much better at conserving carbohydrates during exercise.

Previous article
Is it better to steam before or after a massage?
Next article
Is Bob cut good for big face?