I'm definitely with ya on that one. Solid food seems to detract from morning workouts. I have had very good luck with Infinit Mud first thing in the morning (I'm a huge Infinit fan all around). It's enough calories/sugar/caffeine to get through most workouts, but not dense enough to affect them. Typically getting that in with plenty of water right away, warm up/foam roll/stretch a little, go to the bathroom and I'm ready to roll for most any bike or run workout.

I have also had pretty good luck with a big scoop of Scivation Xtend and caffeine if I'm doing 60 minutes or less. I know there's not many calories and no carbs, but it's really worked well for morning workouts. Mango tastes awesome too.

I don't think my stomach or taste buds will ever get tired of Clif Bars (Or the much pricier Picky Bars). Usually one of those at least 45 minutes before starting (along with water) sits pretty well without affecting anything other than the highest intensity run intervals.

And like all things, it takes practice. Good luck!

Ah ok -- much different scenario there. I am just not sure my body could ever handle working out at V02 max level 10-15 mins after waking up. It may not even be a fueling thing.

I need a decent warm up for V02 intervals. That involves some sweet spot first. Maybe you need to tweak your warm up routine.

I use trainer road which always have warmups ... Typically it will be a 10 min ramp up then some 30 sec to 1 min spin ups with power.

Nice, I will be trying trainer road this winter. I can't help beyond what I have added. Good luck, hopefully you can figure it out.

In the winter when I was on the trainer this is what I was doing for the TrainerRoad general power build. Sometimes I'd spin for a few minutes before the workout actually started if I was feeling particularly shitty. I have a tendency to eat a lot in the evening and I've actually found that days when I don't as much in the evenings are the times when I feel the worst the following morning. I find the opposite is true for running though.

YMMV

I have the same problem. Really struggle to get any intensity at all in the morning without a long wakeup period.

While I can bang typically bang out a workout on my afternoon commute, I've yet to be able to do anything sufficient on the AM commute.

I love the MUD. Great stuff before my long run, mix into coconut milk and I'm good to go.

To the OP: I can only hit my numbers for hard stuff with some sugar before hand. Especially if I'm tired from the day before. For me its a gel as I'm headed to the trainer or walking out for the run. Then something sugary during the workout. I feel the sweetness and CHO signal my body that's its OK to go into the red. (BTW, I didn't come up with that concept, there is good data for it). Its also important to get your core temperature up, otherwise HR stays low and then power stays low too. So a long warm up or if indoors I don't turn the fan on right away.

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Brian
“Eat and Drink, spin the legs and you’re going to effin push (today).” A Howe

I get out of bed and after brushing teeth go and grab two big spoons. Heaping scoop of PB on one, and another of Nutella. Eat them both and drink whatever juice I have in the fridge.

Go get dressed, read Internet, bathroom break.

Depending on how long a bathroom break takes, I can usually be out of bed at 515 and on bike at 535 or so.

Takes me 15 mins of easy riding, then I do a few short efforts. A few more mins plodding around and I'm full strength. Even if workouts might be better / easier at night, that's not logistically an option for me. If I don't ride before the fam gets up, I don't get a workout in

I test consistently about 20 watts higher at night (10pm after everyone has gone to bed) than I do in the morning (5.30am before work and everyone gets up). I have the same experience with training intervals, night vs early morning is worth about 20 watts to me. It has nothing to do with fuelling for me, I just perform better at night than morning

[try having a shake next to your bed and drink it 2 hours before and then go back to sleep for an hour or so. Another option is to have something light right before, and then eat a little more 30 minutes into the workout.]

Doesn't digestion slow down when you're sleeping?

I really love workouts. I need more information to try it out. Keep sharing i am now following your content on this forum.

It's a heckuva lot faster while sleeping than while exercising at high intensity.

All of my races are in the morning, so I do all my high intensity workout in the morning. I can hammer out a set of VO2 max intervals without any issue 45 minutes to an hour after chowing down a bowl of cereal.

try a gel or shot bloks or something instead of a full meal.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

All my hard bike sets are in the morning fasted. I dont notice any drop in power but i dont compare it either.

Imo the intervals sometimes feel hard in the morning but when I compare the hr its generally the same. I figured it might have been to do with fatigue.

Maybe you're just not a morning person but as per one of the last comments regarding stored glycogen i very much doubt it has anything to do with fueling unless you didnt eat dinner the night before.

+1

Try having a nice plate of vegi taco's before going all out at the track versus going out there in the morning after eating a banana.