Is it better to eat breakfast before or after a morning run?

Hi Angela,

I hope this response is helpful to you. I was able to locate this information a textbook called "Practical Applications in Sports Nutrition written by Heather Hedrick Fink, Lisa A. Burgoon. and Alan E. Mikesky

The questions posed was, "what should an athlete eat in the ours leading up to an important training session or competition?" In response the text states:

Four to 24-Hours Prior to Exercise, Training, or Competition

"Food high in carbohydrates should compose a majority of each meal and snack, providing approximately 60-70% of total calories. Eating high-carbohydrate foods during this time frame will help to "top-off" glycogen stores in the muscle and liver, allowing the athletes to start an exercise session with a full tank of "energy fuel."

In addition to carbohydrates, proteins and fats play a role in the pre-exercise meals four-24 hours before activity. Incorporating protein and fat-containing foods, the athletes ensures balance and moderation.

Hope this helps.

Great answers above! You can eat either before or after your run. If you are trying to lose weight it is best to run on an empty stomach to burn fat. If you are running for fun or training for a marathon, it is best to eat before so you avoid feeling fatigued.

Hi Angela,

To add to the answers above, I have found coconut oil to be of great help in supplying energy for my workouts without loading my stomach too full. Because it contains a high level of MCTs (medium-chain-triglycerides), it's a great source of energy. MCTs are metabolized rapidly by the liver, encouraging an increase in energy expenditure, while decreasing fat storage.

I personally believe that exercising on an empty stomach is stressful to the body (especially in the morning when you've been fasting all night), which may yield short-term weight loss but sabotage it long-term because of the release of stress hormones. Eating post-workout is important for the same reason.

A balanced macro-nutrient smoothie that works for me is whatever fruit I have on hand (usually orange, mango, pineapple) with milk or yogurt, egg yolk, melted coconut oil and gelatin.

You should eat something before your run. It can also depend on the length of the run. The shorter the run, the less fuel (food) you need. But if you are planning a long run, you will need fuel in your body or you will "bonk" (which means you will run out of energy and not be able to continue). I recommend a piece of toast with peanut butter for a short run. If you have a long run, eat breakfast about 1 hour before your work out.

When you run first thing in the morning, you should try and have a small amount of calories before you start your run. Approximately 100 calories of carbohydrates (such as a banana, raisins, or toast) would be enough to help your body stay fueled for the run. If you don't feel like eating anything, these calories could be taken in as a liquid, i.e. juice or sports drink. Once you are finished with your run, it is important to refuel your body so that it may start repairing from the exercise. A small snack or regular meal is appropriate at this time. This meal should contain a mix of carbohydrates and protein.

This is a personal thing that each person needs to find out. If I run or spin first thing, my body usually has enough calories for the 1 hour burst. Then I eat afterwards. Why don't I eat before? Because vigorous exercise also increases the intestinal movement as well, making me queasy.

If this happens and you need fuel, drink a small glass of skim milk. It will absorb into the body faster and not sit in your stomach. For people who are running low on morning workouts during the workout, I found people did well by adding Gatorade to their water... adding carbs.

For later in the day, you need to eat something before you start. You have used up your morning reserve. You will need to find out what you can eat, and when you need to eat by trial and error. But the more simple you can make the food the better, a banana - yogurt - p& J sandwich. Usually eating 30 minutes before you workout is a good baseline to try. But I have found, our stomachs are very specific and you need to find what works for you and keep trying until you find the solution.

The problem with NOT eating before a run or a training session, is that you run out of fuel fast!, thus your cardio session takes a nose dive!
In my experience as a fitness trainer, some of my clients would not eat before a cardio training session and would have to end the session because of dizziness or not feeling "up to it".
Also, if you run too soon after eating you will most likely not feel well and get queasy.

I find if I eat a light to medium light carbohydrate breakfast 1 1/2 to 2 hours before intense cardio, I feel energetic and can maximize my cardio by going longer or faster!!

I've also tried running on an empty stomach, I found that I did not have enough gusto to continue after 30 to 45 minutes depending.
>>>Eat something before you run (1 1/2 to 2 hours before), then replenish the glycogen loss with a light snack (fruit & yogurt) or protein shake w/fruit for example. :)

When I use to do Marathons I had a tradition of eating a cinnamon role & a cappuccino or latte. Then I would eat while I was running: snickers, m & m's, potato chips, shot blocks, etc. I think it depends on how your body is, your digestive track, and how quick you metabolize food.

Thanks,
Kisar