The Best Guide On What to Eat Before a Morning Exercises

The top secret to maxing out your Exercises? Breakfast. Here, what to eat based on how you'll be moving.

Definite sounds are welcome during a grueling Exercises, like out of breath panting or a high-energy "woo!" But stomach growls? Not so much.Even if you're not normally a breakfast eater, eating something before you move will likely boost your performance. (First, you have to become a morning person though.) When you roll out of bed, your body has fasted for eight or more hours, so your energy supplies are depleted. Your muscles need glycogen (the way the body stores carbs) to fuel workout—so you want to make sure to take in some carbohydrates to restock your tank, says registered dietitian Robyn Kievit Kirkman Ideally, you'll eat a mix of carbs and protein an hour before you sweat. The carbs give you a kick of power, and protein will help that energy last longer.

But what accurately should you eat pre-workout? That depends on the type of exercise you're gearing up for. (This 20-minute exercises is a surefire way to start your day correct if you're looking for morning movement inspiration.) Consider this your breakfast fuel cheat sheet. 

If your exercises is...low intensity

Less intense morning exercises, such as barre or yoga classes, don't call for quite a large amount of food as other more taxing routines. You should fuel up with 30g of carbs and 8g of protein, says Kievit Kirkman. A banana with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter should do the trick.

If your exercises is...moderate intensity

For workouts that fall in the center of the exercise-intensity spectrum—a 4-mile run or hopping on the saddle for a 45-minute roll class—shoot for 30g of carbohydrates and 15g of protein, says Kievit Kirkman. That could be an English muffin topped with two eggs.

If your exercises is...short and intense

If you're knocking out a 15-minute HIIT session, you want to take in the same as you would for a low-intensity exercises—about 30g of carbohydrates and 8 or so grams of protein. Kievit Kirkman advises a banana and a hard-boiled egg.

If your exercises is...all about endurance

You really need to weight up for a workout that'll last longer than an hour.The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises eating a minimum of 30g of carbohydrates per hour of exercise, which is just over a half cup of oatmeal. Kievit Kirkman advises supplementing that with the same amount of protein. Try adding a scoop of protein powder to your oatmeal, for instance. (Or blend up one of these protein smoothie recipes that will maintain you full all day.)

And if you're running late for your exercises

Don't have an hour to spare to fuel up and digest pre-exercises? "It's about receiving 30g of easily digested carbohydrates just five minutes before," says Kievit Kirkman. The easiest thing to grab on your way out the door: a banana. But keep in mind that what works for you won't work for everybody, she says. When you figure out what to eat before a morning workout, stick to it so your body will begin to recognize how to keep on energized from warm-up to cool-down.