What to Eat Before a 5 am Workout

Early Morning Eating

Now that I wake up at 4:53 am every morning to run training sessions, I have developed an insight into the importance of being efficient early in the morning. Every minute I waste was time that could have been spent sleeping, and now it’s lost into the cold Canberra morning. Planning breakfast is also essential because there’s nowhere to buy food at 5 am - it’s up to you.

A lot of early birds in the gym ask me: what are the rules for eating in the morning before a workout?

It’s a common question and people are confused by contradicting advice. On one hand, you may have been told that you need to fuel up before training because you’ve been fasting all night. If you don’t put some energy into the tank - what will you burn during your workout?.

On the other hand, you might have been told to avoid eating because it will burn more fat, or maybe you just prefer exercising on an empty stomach instead of having food sloshing around inside (I know I do).

So let’s discuss either side of the equation and see whether Team Eating or Team Waiting is for you.

Team Eating

My standard pre-workout recommendations are a good mix of protein and carbohydrate, that is easily digestible. I personally find myself in team eating, even when I’m training at 6 am.

Update: in 2021, I now no longer eat before a morning workout if it’s before 7 am. It’s intentional, my body has just changed.

My clients are familiar with the yoghurt, oats and fruit option for breakfast, as it fits the protein-carb requirements and is relatively easy to digest. Other options include oats, peanut butter on toast or even a small smoothie.

A lot of people don’t like to consume milk before exercise, so be wary of cereal and big smoothies. This isn’t to say milk is bad, just something to keep in mind or consider a milk alternative if you’re in this group.

If you are looking to join Team Eating from Team Waiting, take a progressive approach and see how you respond during exercise - this is exactly what athletes do. For all the nutritional science, research and guidelines there are for sports nutrition, it really comes down to what the athlete feels comfortable with and helps them perform best!

Team Waiting

I recommend consuming at least a glass of water when you wake up, to get something into your stomach. If you are skipping food before a workout, your nutrition for the rest of the day remains important.

First up is post-workout nutrition, where you can replace some lost carbohydrates and provide protein for growth. Over the rest of the day, ensure carbohydrates are adequately replenished (requirements will vary with exercise intensity) to fuel recovery and your next session.

If you choose not to eat breakfast before working out, dinner essentially becomes your pre-workout meal. Take the time to ensure you get enough fuel in that you don’t get hungry during training the next day. I know that if I eat a small salad for dinner, I am going to be ravenous that next morning, so that’s not going to be my dinner of choice the night before a big workout.

Supplementation with branch chain amino acids (BCAA) may be useful for anyone looking to build muscle tissue or retain mass while losing body fat. BCAA can be mixed with your morning water or sipped on during a training session.

Should You Drink Coffee at 5 am?

Anyone getting up at 5 am will understand the desire for caffeine. Yes, it is fine to consume coffee before a workout in the morning. My recommendations are to keep the coffee small and consume some water alongside it. The last thing you want is to have a tonne of liquid squelching around your stomach as you are putting in work at the squat rack.

I personally avoid coffee until mid-morning. This is because I like to have one coffee prior to exercise and one in the mid-afternoon, when the 4:53 am started is beginning to bite.

Two coffees per day sit well for me, but I know lots of people who consume more or less.

Summary

My preference is to consume a small breakfast with some protein and carbohydrates before their morning training sessions. However, you can skip a meal before breakfast and there will be no adverse consequences.

At the beginning of the day (see what I did there?), if eating one way or the other is going to help you train better, do it. The most important thing is that you get to your workout and get it done.