I have heard contrary reports as to what is the best method. One school of thought seems to indicate that one’s metabolism will not be started w/o eating something and fat reserves will be the result as the body thinks it is being starved. If this is the case, will a glass or two of water start the process?
On the other hand, I have heard that if you want to burn fat (and not everyone does), do not eat prior to an early am workout. I don’t see much a difference in performance either way, but generally tend to feel a little bit better if I have a snack before the workout.
Thanks. I saw those. I was keenly interested in the timing issue and was hoping for some medical analysis, as opposed everyman’s routine. Although it likley confirms that there is no real answer, and is heavily based on what type of workout is a issue.
If I’m swimming, I have nothing but a glass of juice. A run or ride usually gets a bowl of cereal or piece of toast and a glass of juice. Nothing scientific… this is just how I do it. Seems to work well for me.
it depends on what your intention is:
if you get up early for a hard and/or long workout, it definitely makes sense to eat a snack - just to be able to complete the workout. you don’t need food to fire up your metabolism, but your glycogen storages
i sometimes do a workout i call “hitting the wall”: relativly hard running early in the morning or after a couple of hours fasting. after 1.00 to 1.20 i run out of glycogen and it really feels like hitting a wall. i see the advantages in training metabolism to switch to fat and in being able to recognize and deal with the symptoms of glycogen depletion. for example i always get stomach cramps as a first sign about 5-10 minutes prior to “the wall” - good to know those facts …