When you jump out of bed at your 5:30 a.m. alarm, eating breakfast might be the last thing on your mind. But after fasting all night, your energy stores are depleted — and the last thing you want to hear during your workout is your stomach growling.
The size of your pre-workout meal will vary depending on the length and intensity of your workout. Going for a long or high-intensity workout? Consider a more energy-dense meal, but keep in mind it may take 3–4 hours to fully digest. A lower-intensity workout requires less energy — aim for a small meal that can be digested in about 2–3 hours. But if you're working out early in the morning, you won't have 2 hours to spare.
Just can't eat breakfast early in the morning? While you may be used to running on fumes, your performance may be suffering. Luckily, your gut can be trained to accept a light morning meal — a little change in eating habits can make a huge difference in your performance.
If you're ready to accelerate your a.m. fuel, check out what to eat before a morning workout:
1. Fruit + nut butter
Fruit — fresh, frozen or dried — has quickly digestible carbohydrates that can fuel a morning workout, and offers a light option if you're not an early-morning eater. Pair it pre-workout with a tablespoon of nut butter for a combination of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
2. Oatmeal
A very easy, go-to option — you can't go wrong with a classic bowl of warm or cold oatmeal. Packed with carbohydrates and fibre, oats give sustained energy throughout your morning workout, with endless mix-in options like nuts, nut butter, dried fruit, yogurt or protein powder.
3. Avocado toast
Avocados in the morning? Yes! They pair perfectly with whole-grain bread or sourdough for long-lasting energy that won't leave you feeling overfull. Add cheese or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
4. Smoothies
Smoothies are both easy to make and full of the nutrients necessary for an intense workout — a blend of fruit or vegetables, with protein powder and nuts or nut butter to cover all food groups. Try strawberry, Greek yogurt, carrot, flax seeds or nut butter — there are endless combinations to experiment with.
5. Energy bites or granola bars
Tasty and easy to grab if you're not a morning person, they provide a little protein and carbohydrate to fuel working muscles without leaving you heavy or uncomfortable. Granola bars are easy to make at home with oats, dried cranberries, mixed seeds and honey — make a batch and stock them up for the week.
