6 Pre-workout breakfast ideas to help you fuel up fast
the breakfast you eat before your workout must be convenient, energising, and not overly filling, which is no easy feat. The ideal early bird meal will be something that gives you the fuel you need during your early session, doesn’t take long to make, and accounts for the fact that you might have a limited appetite – if any.
For some people, “eating early in the morning can be particularly jarring,” says registered dietician specialising in sports dietetics Edwina Clark. Luckily, it’s generally OK to skip eating beforehand if that’s your preference, says Dr Steve Ball, associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri. The research on how exercising in a fasting state affects performance is conflicting, but some people find they feel better working out without food in their stomach.
For the rest of us who are up to eat something first thing in the morning – whether you want a little something or are decently hungry – you’ve got lots of options.
What you want from a pre-workout breakfast
The number one thing you’re looking for is carbs, which provide a quick hit of energy and a boost to your glycogen stores, the reserves of glucose (your body’s fuel) that your muscles can dip into when you’re working out, says registered dietician and co-founder of Food Heaven, Jessica Jones. That typically means fruit or grains of some sort.
If you can stomach it, a modest amount of protein (usually in the form of an egg, milk, yoghurt or slices of meat from a deli) is optimal too, Jones says, especially if you’re going to be breaking down your muscles with weight training. Most people
Rise, dine, grind.
will want to avoid eating tons of protein, as well as high amounts of fibre or fat (all nutrients that can slow down digestion). That ensures easily accessible energy and averts potential nausea or stomach upset, says registered dietician Cara Harbstreet of Street Smart Nutrition.
From there, what you eat (and when) depends on your appetite and schedule. The guidance on how much time to leave between chowing down and working out ranges widely, from 30 minutes to three hours, says Jones. If you’re working out early in the morning, you probably don’t have three hours to kill. Generally speaking, eating about 90 minutes before a workout should give you enough time to digest, says Dr Jennifer O’donnellgiles, founder of Eat4sport and adjunct professor of sports nutrition at Columbia University.
If you’re in a time crunch and have a shorter period to digest between waking up and working out, a good rule of thumb is to opt for a smaller portion than usual, Dr O’donnell-giles explains. On the other hand, if you’ve got both more of an appetite and time to digest, she suggests trying to eat something a little more substantial – with a bit more protein, fibre, and fat, for instance.
The truth is that what the best pre-workout fuel up looks like for you can vary a lot from person to person. Jones says it might take some experimenting to see what time frame works best for you, and how much food (and what kind!) you feel good eating before working out.
We’ve gathered a few preworkout breakfast ideas, so you can find something that works whether you’re waking up at 5am with zero appetite and just 30 minutes before your workout or at 7am hungry and with two hours to spare.