General Fitness & Nutrition: What to eat and drink before a big morning run

 

Hi I am looking for advice on what to eat if anything before I run in the morning.

 I tend not to eat or drink anything as I feel very sick if I do.

 Anyone got any advice?

Well, I'm going on my weekend long run soon (13 miles) and I'm eating a bagel with a small amount of peanut butter and jelly.  I plan to digest for about an hour or so before heading out.  Before a race (half or full marathon) I have a similar bagel plus a banana, about 2 hours before the start time.  For my weekly runs (currently 3 - 6 miles) I have something small like a single piece of toast and I always only drink water.  Personally I stay away from milk before running to avoid any stomach problems while I'm running.  Good luck!

You really need to experiment to see what works for your body.  I like a piece of wheat or whole grain toast with either peanut butter, jam, or honey and a small glass of Accelerade if I'm going out for over an hour.  Aim for foods that are easy to digest.  I also have to eat at least 30 minutes before I run. 

Good luck!

If you live in a very humid city as Houston I will recomend some pretzels for the salt and a good dose of carbs and of course Coffee.

A thing that works well is to stuff yourself the night before so when you wake up you take a #2. Then drink a bottle of water and wait 45 minutes. You should have to take a #1 before you leave (from that bottle of water). But after that you will not get a cramp or stitch. (works for me at least).

I live in Washington DC and run 13 miles in the mornings (5:00am) to avoid the heat and humidity as best I can. At first I wasn't eating anything before my run but then I started eating half a Clif Bar and drinking a glass of water and I found my performance improved and I felt a lot better. I usually set the alarm for 4:45am and then eat right away and - I'm not sure if this is just psychological or what - but I take very small bites and find that I digest best this way. Also, there are great flavours (I know..the "u"...that's the Canadian in me) like blueberry crisp and peanut butter so it feels more like breakfast and less like a chocolate bar.

 After my run I always drink a whole lot of water and have some fruit and toast or cereal. It also helps to make sure you've had a good supper the evening before! 

banana and orange juice =)

I go for a South Beach Diet protein bar  and a small 4 0z glass of water.  I can safely eat that one hour before I run without any major stomach cramping.  If I am out of the protein bars, I eat 1 piece of whole wheat toast with a bit of peanut butter and the water.  Any other kind of beverage (o.j. or milk) does not do so well for me right before a run. 

 

 

Eat simple, easily digestible raw foods. Avoid the processed fatty foods as they may actually inhibit your peak performance. If you're planning on running in the morning, stick to fresh fruits as this will help you in the short term as well as long term. Your body will soon grow to expect the "good" sugars while pushing out the processed ones. While fruit won't necessarily give you sustained energy for ultra long distances, it will certainly provide more than enough energy to sustain moderate distances. I would strongly discourage you from consuming caffeinated beverages before running as they tend to keep your heart rate higher for longer periods of time, inhibiting you when you actually WANT higher heart rates during exercise.

If I need to load up on carbs before a long run, I keep it as simple as possible. I'll usually eat a few bananas an hour or so prior to the activity. I avoid intake of all food and liquids 30-45 minutes prior to exertion to avoid any complications while exercising. But above all else, try different approaches and see what works for YOU. Only you know how your body will respond. Just my thoughts/experiences.

Two thin slices of granary or wholemeal bread with a dash of butter, topped with marmite (or vegiemite, or bovril etc) , one banana, and a small coffee at least 30 - 45 mins before setting out on morning 8k - 12k runs. Normally take in about 50cl of water as soon as awake, over a hour before running. This is just what works for me, and as Jason said, you must find out what works for you. Try and keep it basic - think wholegrains etc.

Depending how long your run is, you might also benefit from fueling during the run. I have learned that my performance begins to drop off if I don't fuel at 7 miles. It can be a shot blox, a little bit of clif bar or a gel if I'm going over 12. As to the early morning, I'm with the coffee and pb/whole wheat folks. Complex carb and protein is a nice way to start the day!

I usually have Carnation Instant Breakfast and a banana.  This is pretty recent for me, because I used to not eat anything.  Like you, I would feel sick if I did.  But I recently did my first marathon, and knew I had to have something, so that's what I tried.  And I felt fine.  Have been doing that before my long runs ever since without a problem! 

I don't have loads of time before my runs in the morning.  I've been eating a Cliff bar and 2 glasses of water before I head out.  Basically they are in me, I stretch for 10 minutes and I go.  I notice when I don't have it I get cramps, pain, and generally have a bad run).  I tried coffee too (and trust me, I love my coffee) but it just seemed to kill me, likely because of my eat and run strategy.

If I wake up in the morning hungry then I did not eat enough the day before. Unless I'm doing more then 10 miles in the morning I don't eat anything before, just rehydrate after waking up and go. But, I do eat a breakfast after my run and shower, and have a snack a couple of hours later. If it is more then 10 miles then I'll have some fruit about 10-5 mins before I start. If it is a long run (16-24 miles) then I'll have some pancakes about 2 hours before I head out, but my long runs are usually in the afternoon.

i just have some water before my short runs (weekday mornings). I recently tried a slice of whole wheat toast with PB and a banana before my long run and the banana definitely didn't work for me. my tummy was wasn't happy with me. So, I think I'll be sticking to water & toast with PB. =)